4.0 odd starting issue

Oh, I didn’t know that.
I guess I should have checked your build page.

I not afraid to say it, the Tacoma (any of them) never have been power monsters.
They do however, work well, and are typically very reliable.
That why I chose the Tacoma.

 

If it was an air issue, you truck would be running rich, smell of unburned fuel, and have wet plugs.

If it were spark related or timing related, you would most likely have a fault code pop up.

If it were low compression, it would be consistently doing it by now.

Backfires tell me it's fuel related, similar to how old carbs would act with plugged jets, filters or failing fuel pumps.
I would replace any fuel filters and clean the injectors first. If that doesn't make marked improvement, I would look at the fuel pump delivery.

Outside of that, you may have a random sensor giving goofy signals to the ECU.
Running live data scanning might uncover something that is acting up.

 

I had one recently, the positive terminal broke, some hack flattened it out, used one of those repair terminals with the 2 bolts and little bar to clamp onto the cable, shoved the flattened broken acid covered terminal under the bar. The starter sounded strange, engine ran stumbling. I fixed the nonsense, those 2 problems disappeared.

The reason I mention the above, if you’re getting a not so good connection between the battery posts and terminals, it could cause problems. $2 battery brush had at any auto parts store could fix it.

 

ya lol its been modified since i got it in 2016 and i had an old 91 pickup and it was great the tacoma overall has been a good truck and never not started but its front end fell apart and i needed to rebuild it its reliability on mine has a bit shaky but thats most likely to do with what ive done over the years with it

 

ya ive been talking to others and we are starting to think its something with fuel so injectors fuel filter or fuel pump ill have to take a look at it this weekend to see

 

i dont have any odd sounds besides when it does that start issue other then that nothing and my terminal is still good it could use a bit of cleaning from all the salt on the roads atm but overall not in bad shape

 

One other possibility and I've never heard of anyone else having this problem, but I've had it happen a small handful of times and on three different Toyotas.
If I go out in the evening when my truck is stone cold, start it for like 15 seconds just to move it a couple of feet, then shut it off while it's still high idle mode, it will sputter when I start it in the morning and sometimes die.
My wife's Sienna did this, her Corolla just did it a month or so ago, and my truck has done it a couple of times when I didn't think about it. I know it sounds goofy but when it's happened to me, I thought back and in every instance, my wife or I had started and moved a vehicle just a couple of feet the night before.
Just spit balling, but something to consider. Do you ever do anything like this??

 

some ideas: Bad fuel, bad fuel pump, clogged fuel internal strainer in the tank, clogged injectors, fuel line kinked.

Any mods to your power train?

have you checked the secondary air pump filter. Every now and then someone has issues related to the little filter crumbling apart.

 

$30 or so gets new plugs and cleaned up MAF/TB... I would start there. You are way over due for plugs.

 

Nah never done that I don’t move the truck unless I gotta go somewhere

 

It’s a bit overdue ya I agree originally it use to sit and not drive much snd it was on my list to do that and then I sold my si and started driving it again and forgot about it haha I’ll have to get it done this weekend

 

Ya that’s what I’m figuring as well is some type of fuel issue I’d like to look at the fuel filter and pump but I’d have to drop the tank or pull the bed to access it thanks toyota lol

I’m gonna get some injector cleaner and put it in the tank and see if that will do anything. Got any recommendations on which kind to try?

the only thing that could be considered a power train mod is a volant cold air intake hooked to a snorkel but that’s it lol all show and no go is how my truck is haha

and the air pump I thought about that but I removed that little foam bit and out the uni filter on it so it shouldn’t have any foam bits in it

 

You’d have to pull the tank to access the pump. Short beds are “blessed” with under the cab access to the gas tank. Long bed tacos can slide the bed.

Dropping the stock tank is not that bad but you’re right to try other things first. There are worse things like having an aftermarket gas tank that requires removal of the wheel and the propeller shaft plus a lot of wiggling around the muffler to get down.

 

Oh well that’s annoying lol

 

You got a 2013 eh?

Definitely fuel pump.
(Please don't take what I just said above as gospel)

 

Ya 2013 turd lol

unsure tbh got a lot of things to try first to see if the issue gets solved

 

What do you have on the list to try? I would have read through the thread but I'm currently feeling too lazy to do so at the moment.

 

I’d have to actual type it out and I’d rather play games atm lol

 

Oh God. We are both on the same BS right now.

When you're feeling adventurous and want to give me the dirty list of items you need to check and or replace prior, let me know.

I only say this because I used to have the exact same issue you are having.

 

Oh really? That’s interesting