02 Taco starting problems.

2002 Tacoma V6 4X4 TRD. I am somewhat having a starting problem with it. It doesnt do it all the time. Just sometimes. Ok when I first start the truck up in the morning to go to work it starts great!

Once I get to work I shut it off and at the end of the day I get back in it and it also starts great then! But sometimes on my way home i stop to get gas or just stop at the store I shut it off and I am in the store for no longer than five or ten min. I go out and try and start it and it seems like it wants to start but the shuts right back down. So I try to start it again and it does the exact same thing. (If I give it gas it will start and stay running but as soon as I let off of the gas it stalls) Sometimes it takes like ten tries of turning it over before it finally starts and it then runs like there is nothing wrong. It doesnt seem to matter whether its hot or cold out it still does it sometimes.

I just changed the air filter! Spark plugs and wires were changed at 120k when the timing belt was done. The truck has 170,000 mi. on it and have never had any other problems with it. But a couple of the times it did that I wasnt sure if I ws gonna be stranded or not.

Has anyone out there had any similiar problems with their truck?

Any advice that I can get is muchly appreciated.. Thanks

 

It might be the IAC valve is gummed up. Kind of strange it would only do it after warming up though. Take it off and clean it with brake cleaner.

 

^ Clean the MAF sensor also. If neither helps, I would check the fuel pressure next.

 

My 02 does this regularly as well, it's latest trick is starting and then running about 300 rpm. If I gas it, the rpms will go back to normal. Clean the MAF, and the throttle body, and you may have to actually remove the throttle body and IAC and clean the IAC by itself. I did this to mine and it was a great improvement.

 

http://www.yotatech.com/f123/re-3-4l-v6-hard-start-hot-cleaned-iac-pics-92286/