Timing chain

I have a 99 with a 2.7, last saturday i drove it just fine, sunday it wont start. At first i thought it was the over night cold temp causing fuel issues. I checked ignition,plugs, EFI fuse and relay. I just want to rule out timing chain as it was suggested to me. Is there an easy way to determine if this could be the problem? Also the truck has 251,000 miles on it.

 

Yeah, crank it over an listen. If the chain is broken it will sound like it has no compression (cause it doesent) and spin really fast. If the chain broke, you would likely bend the valves and it would quit running. You would hear a noise too. They tend to break while running so I really doubt thats what it is, unless it died unexpectedly on you earlier and then wont restart. From what I have heard the T-chains on the 2/3rz motors rarely go out.

Do you have good fuel pressure? and gas in the tank? I would be checking fuel pressure first, could be that your fuel pump went out.

 

I've been getting ride to work so this week i get about an hour when i get home to work on it. I checked EFI relay and fuse, i dont have a fuel pressure guage. Occasionally i have fuel issues here in the NE, this winter its been very cold continuously. My first assumption was moisture in the fuel but it was 40 degrees monday, when turning it over it (longer than i should be) i can smell gas, its weird. Back in Dec we had very cold nights, i didnt start my truck for one day like an idiot. When we finally got it to start by useing a kerosene salamander heater lol. When it started the oil light didnt go off, immediately shut it off. Turns out the oil was very cold too, attempted to start periodically and you can hear a difference with the lack of oil even for the 2 seconds it was running. It runs good but at high RPM you can hear the rattle, maybe damage from lack of oil that day. Plenty of oil on the stick,change oil every summer. I'll be getting a fuel pressure guage and checking tonight.
Thanks

 

Most auto parts stores should be able to rent you a fuel pressure gauge for a day for a couple bucks. Check the fuel pressure before you do anything else. Actually check the pressure and spark plugs before you do anything else. See if the plugs are fuel fouled and what color they are.

As an aside, I would change to oil every 3-4000 miles. Dont know how much you drive your truck but every summer seems like that would be a long way between changes. If you use full synthetic they say you can go 6-7000 or more but I wouldnt go much higher than that. Just some thoughts, because more frequent oil changes are cheap insurance vs having to buy a new motor.

 

I use full synthetic since 150K, i put about 3500 a year on the truck i do it in the summer because i hate working on vehicles in the cold. I did check the spark plugs, they did not look very good so i changed them. Usually i do it with the oil change had to put it off that day and then just forgot. Still had them in the truck so i just changed them monday, old ones had black soot on them, i'll take a closer look at them today.

 

Ok apparently the fuel pressure guage is mounted to the fuel supply at the fuel filter, this also takes a special adaptor for toyota which no auto place i called has and or dont know. I've worked on vehicles before where you can hear the fuel pump in the tank when the key is turned on. We tried this, i did not hear anything with a stethoscope. I hate to replace this part without facts i even checked the open circuit relay, the fuel filter isnt that old its a huge PITA to change and i have ran my truck extremely low on fuel recently possible sediment.

I used one of those small endoscopic cameras to look through the oil fill cap on the valve cover to look at the T-chain. I'm past that being the issue i just wanted to see it

 

hey guys I need help troubleshooting crank no start situation. I have an 06 Tacoma I’ve checked the relays and fuses. I believe the fuel pump works because I smell fuel when trying to start but during the pcm power test for the fuel pump relay I only have the one hot that comes from the RPM STATUS. I AM NOT READING CONSTANT HOT A FROM KEY ON STATUS.

 

Wait- cant he hurt the valves turning it over?

 

From what i've read yeah damage would happen, but i've cranked it over so many since sunday once more wont make a difference. The Timing chain is fine though must be a fuel issue

 

Oh for sure, cranking it would smash the valves with a broken timing chain. But obviously he has cranked it over a bunch trying to get it going, so any damage would have been done before he posted here. I was just saying that in case thats what it sounded like whenever he was trying to start it. I am 99.9% sure that it wont turn out to be the timing chain. My money is on fuel system.

 

Yeah i used an automotive endoscope to look in through the oil fill on the valve cover, it looks good.

 

You can disconnect the fuel line where it connects to the hard line. Its right behind the battery and the hard line goes back to the tank and the flexible line goes to the fuel filter. Then you could crank it and run the fuel pump to see if you are getting any fuel from the tank.

 

Man, you got totally bypassed. There are two reasons for that. 1) You have an 06 which is a second gen. You posted in a first gen forum. At the top of the page click "Forums", then "Second gen. tacomas", and then start a new thread. 2) You jumped in the middle of someone else's diagnostic thread. Start your own (See #1). You'll get some help that way.

 

The fuel filter is under the intake manifold, both ends have banjo bolt on connections,only flexible hose i can see is the one coming off the fuel pressure regulator which probabl goes back to tank. Anyway, thats what i'm doing tommorrow, taking the intake end off put a clear hose on it to catch fuel and cranking it over see what happens.

 

Crappy picture but the line I am talking about is here. No need to take the intake off to get to it. Behind the battery/fuse box area. Pretty easy to see. You will want to disconnect the line that goes to the fuel filter, it should be the one in front.

 

perfect, way easier that way, so i took the intake line off cranked it over and got fuel, its a good sign the pump is working. I know this doesnt exclude the pump without having a guage . I removed the fuel filter ill get another and see if its that simple.

 

Yup, thats a good sign. Good idea to replace fuel filter too. I found it easier when doing the fuel filter to remove the fuel line at the rail and where you disconnected it to check for flow. WAY easier than trying to undo those banjo fitting in that tight space under the intake.

Here is a good vid.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hXO2ph9XCY

 

Not the fuel filter, i'm at a loss here, checked injector resistance (haynes manual) checked for spark thats good. not sure what else to do.

I should probably mention the issue ive also been having the last couple years. When its cold or wet outside on first start up the engine runs rough, gets worse on acceleration. I would warm it up let run that way, sometimes it would be fine other times it would hesitate on acceleration and would stall if i gave it too much. Acts like its misfiring and the mystery is i get no code or check engine light. Could this be the calm before the storm

 

Did you check fuel pressure yet? Otherwise I would do compression test?? Just to see? All fuses under dash and under hood good?

Does it have a distributor? Replacing cap and rotor and spark plugs and wires might help. If 2 coil pack style maybe you could still replace plugs and wires and see if that helps.

Its not throwing any vodes or CEL is it?

 

I'll be checking pressure next, according to my haynes manual though, this truck has to be turning over for the pump to activate. Specifically says you can't bridge connections and jump the fuel pump. So will cranking it over give me pressure reading i need and can i use the location you pointed out before to put the guage? Already replaced plugs, the wires are atleast firing , i used old spark plugs then grounded each one and turned it over. What could go bad over night? I'll double check all the fuses it will be nice to work on my truck in the daylight instead of the dark with a 60W bulb. Thanks!