Tacoma 2.7 won't start after heavy rain

Hi guys, my 2.7 Tacoma hasn't been running since Friday night when I parked it in front of the house after driving in pretty heavy rain. It then rained pretty hard overnight but has been pretty light since then. When I started my truck on Saturday morning it started right up and sounded normal and ran smoothly, but then it just died. When I tried to start again it ran very very rough, barely running, and I had to keep my foot on the gas to get it to run at all. After that, it wouldn't even try to start when I cranked it. I used starting fluid to see if it was a fuel problem, and it started and ran for a second just off the starting fluid but then died. I thought it was my fuel pump because I have had problems with it before, but I took it out and tested it and it's fine, I can also hear it running when it's in the tank. I replaced my fuel filter just a couple of months ago, and when I crank the engine and loosen the fuel line going out of the fuel filter gas will come out. I also plugged in a little test light to one of the fuel injector plugs and it pulses when I try to turn it over. It ran perfectly when I sprayed gas in the intake while someone else started it, but will not run at all without gas in the intake. Also, when I went out to try to start it this morning I pulled the oil dipstick out just for the heck of it and it looked really milky to me. When I take out the dipstick, the oil also just drips right off of it which seems very strange. I'm really worried about that, and the oil looked completely fine when I checked it only a few days before. I don't think that this could be a cause of it not starting though, and I'm also not sure what it means, because it was running great right before it died, and it seemed to run perfectly just off of gas sprayed in the intake.

If anyone could help me with this it would be amazing. This is my backup after my other car overheated and warped the head so I don't really have many options. I'm really worried about the oil but I also just need to get the truck started because I don't have another running car. Thanks!

 

I would analyze the coolant for exhaust gas, compression test and leak down test. Sounds like you might know your answer with that watered down oil...

 

Another possibility could be you might have moisture in the electrical system. Try drying off the ignition system with a hair dryer.

This was happening on my 88’ 4Runner until I swapped everything out for OEM parts.

 

Unless flood water was up to nearly the top of your fender, I don’t think water got into your engine. The snorkel for the air intake is behind the top of the fender.

Definitely strange.

 

Kinda sounds like water in the fuel if it started and then wouldn’t keep running.

If you’re concerned about the oil, change it before you do anything else

 

and is the coolant level low?

 

Yeah, I wouldn't say it was flooding at all. It was heavy rain but we didn't get hit that hard. I have no idea how water would be getting into the oil.

 

The coolant level has not dropped at all

 

Yeah, I'm not sure how water would get in the fuel though. My gas tank has leaked before if I have it all the way full, but I think it leaked from the fuel pump cover cause the seal isn't super great on there. I don't think water could get in through the fuel pump cover, or at least not that much to cause no start. I also put around five gallons of gas in it once it wouldn't start cause I thought that could be a problem too. If water got in the fuel do you think that would cause the oil to be milky?

 

This definitely could've happened. I hadn't finished sealing the hole I made when I cut the fenders, and a lot of moisture got onto floor pans because the rain got carried by the tires into there. The carpet below my floormats was soaking wet. But the only wires I could see that would even be close to the wetness on the driver's side were speaker wires, and then a group of wires that I would assume are for the fuel pump and lights and everything in the back. But those wires were covered and there were no connections close to moisture. On the passenger side, there is the cruise control module but mine didn't work anyways. There are some open connectors on that side not going to anything. Not sure what they are? Right around the cruise control module. I ran a space heater inside the cab to try to dry things off but it didn't work super great. I'll probably wait for it to dry naturally because I won't be able to get to it until next weekend. Had to borrow a friend's car for the week.

 

Yeah, I'm scared of that for sure, but I probably want to get it running before and then I'll change the oil and hope for the best. If it gets milky again I am screwed. Don't know why it got milky after not starting though because it was completely fine right before. I actually checked it after trying to start it initially, and it was browner than the day before, but not milky. Then the next day after trying to start it more it got milky. That doesn't make much sense to me because it wasn't running with heat or anything. Could the dipstick just have condensated moisture on it? Could it get milky after trying to start it too many times? Or maybe using starting fluid caused something to happen?

I really need to get the truck started right now, but the oil scares me cause I don't want to have to rebuild anything. And even doing just the head gasket would really suck and I'm not sure if I have time for it. I don't know how bad it could be though because it's been running great, and it idled great for a few minutes the morning that it died, and it sounds like it's running fine when I spray gas in the intake. It's really strange that the oil color has gotten worse as I've been trying to start it.

 

Have you pulled any plugs out to see if they are wet with fuel, water, or coolant?

 

I'll do this as soon as I can, thanks

 

Do yall have any other suggestions for the no-start? It's strange that fuel is coming out of the fuel filter, and the injectors are getting a pulse, but it's not even trying to start. But as soon as I put gas in the intake it starts right up, but only runs on gas in the intake. Should I take the fuel rail off and see if the injectors are actually getting fuel out? If they are it would have to be the ECU right? They are getting fuel out but not at the right times? If they aren't does that mean my injectors are just completely clogged up? If they are how could that happen so fast?

 

Yeah but get the crap out of your engine first....
go get some cheap oil and a new filter....
Filter maybe starving engine of oil......

 

As far as fuel.....pull the return hose off your fuel regulator....
stick another long hose hanging out to street.....and crank....
fuel should be shooting out.....
Thats where you start and go backwards.....thats end of line for fuel....

 

Yeah, I'll do that as soon as I get back. Strange though because I had the oil changed a few weeks ago. But it had been sitting awhile before hand with the previous owner so who knows what could all be in there. Just weird because it's been driving and running pretty great for the couple of months I've had it.

 

With fresh oil.....you'll now be able to watch it.....play by play....
most likely have a leaking head gasket.....
question is...how bad.....

I've seen some drive em like that for couple years dicking with them.....

 

Is the fuel pressure regulator on the fuel rail facing the front of the truck? I remember thinking that was the fuel pressure regulator when I had a high idle issue but thought I read something different somewhere. It also didn't change anything when I took the vacuum line off of it while it was running when I was looking for my high idle issue.

 

This... sounds like there may be a couple of problems here. Definitely start at the FP Reg and work back, AFTER you change the oil. You've confirmed that both the rad and overflow tank fluid levels haven't dropped? Seems very unlikely that a head gasket leak, unless it was catastrophic, would cause that much emulsification in a couple of days, and the start/die // no-start isn't consistent with a head gasket leak in my experience either, though definitely not impossible.