Engine Dies After it Warms Up - 96 4cyl 4x4

I NEED HELP!

When my truck first starts it runs perfectly fine for about 2 or 3 minutes. Then as soon as it begins to warm up it starts having major trouble running.

To drive it after its started to warm up I have to rev it super high just to take off from a stop light. I pray that it will make it back home every time I try to take it to the grocery store 2 blocks away.

Once it's warmed up it just starts choking and dieing like it's not getting any air or fuel to the engine. It almost feels like someone is jamming the clutch in and out real fast when I'm trying to drive, the whole truck will shake and jump and I have to rev it super high just to keep it running long enough to get it into my driveway.

Then I have to wait about 2 hours or so for it to cool down again so I can drive it 2 or 3 blocks.

Luckily most of the places I go are very close. (work, store, etc..) but I'm planning on moving soon and NEED to get this fixed.

I've taken it to the mechanic 3 times already. The first time they said it needed the Throttle body cleaned. So they cleaned it and it kinda ran ok for about two days. Then it was right back to the same thing.

I took it in again and they said I needed a tune up and new plugs, wires and dist. cap. That didn't do anything either.

I don't know what to do now. I can't afford to keep taking it in and having them charge me to NOT fix the problem.

PLEASE HELP.

Thanks,
Josh

 

Do you have a check engine light on? Did the mechanic check it with a OBDII tester? I would start by having a qualified mechanic look at it. With the truck running as you say it would affect the emissions which would turn on the check engine light and be stored in the computer and the OBDII tester will tell you the area to look at. There is an Intake Air Temperature sensor on the air cleaner housing. There is a Mass Airflow sensor in the air intake duct. The exhaust gas temp sensor and valve may be a problem. All of these sensors are part of the emission controls and will show up on the OBDII tester. If there is an auto mechanics school or community college that teaches auto mechanics near by you may be able to get it checked by them, that could save a few dollars. You buy the bad part and a student could put it in.

 

The check engine light is on now but I think that was just because I was messing with the sensors the other day trying to figure out what was going on. The light wasn't on before that.

The mechanic I took it to has a tester, I don't know what kind, if its the OBDII or not but he did plug it in and check it. So I guess it didn't show anything other than it needing new plugs, wires, etc.. when it actually didn't.

I also took it to a parts store and they checked it and said it didn't show anything so I don't know.

 

No, it starts dieing as soon as it even begins to warm up. But once its warm the gauge just stays in the middle.

 

I just had the oil changed so it should be fine. The radiator has had some problems in the past and I do need to get a new one but it was having issues for the last few years, long before this started.
This problem seems like something just broke on it. The truck was running fine one day and then the next it wouldn't run at all. As if a specific part had broke.

 

I don't know. I had the oil changed at a Valvoline service center about a month before the problem started.
Could that be it? Maybe they accidentally put water in my oil?

 

So what do you think I should do?
Is there something I can fix or test at home? (I'm not very good at this stuff but one of my roommates knows a bit maybe we can do it)

Or would I need to take it in again?
The problem with taking it in is that they don't listen to anything. I take it in and they just say "ohh ok, we'll check it out..."
And then I come back the next day and they say they've fixed this or that and charge me for it but don't fix the problem. They just fix random things and then tell me it's good to go.

Damn it! I just don't know what to do. I need to get this fixed BAD! Very frustrating.

 

Get the trouble code or codes from the mechanic. The store is wrong if you had a check engine light when you went there you had to have a code stored. Frankly something don't smell right. The OBDII codes don't say needs plugs and wires it tells you of a problem or area of the problem like cyclinder # 1 misfire detected or mass airflow sensor error etc. I think so far you are dealing with less than capable mechanic and a parts store guy that doesn't know how to read the tester.

 

At the rate this is going you should take it to a Toyota dealer and have their mechanic look at it and give you an estimate.

 

Find a new mechanic. A good mechanic will diagnose the problem and not just throw parts at it as yours has. Check fuel pressure, compression, ignition system, injectors. As others have stated cleaning then testing the MAF would also be a good starting point.

 

ok, thanks, I'll try that. What is an MAF?

 

The OBDII codes are posted on TW at
http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/technical-chat/68667-obdii-error-codes.html

MAF is Mass Air Flow. The MAF valve controls the air to the engine.

 

At this point you are just listening to all of us throw out our BEST guesses. the only REAL way to know what is wrong is to have a good shop look at it and not one that just throws parts at the truck until they accidentally fix it.
They will have to run through a fault tree and dismiss each area one by one. It can be anything from a mechanical failure to just a wire that shorts or opens when it's heated.
No way for anybody here to know for sure without having your truck in their driveway.