Weird Starting Issue

I have a push button, so going by what you’re saying it must be the solenoid sticking.

 

Nothing yet. Toyota dealer called me yesterday and asked if their tech could drive it home cause they couldn’t duplicate it at the shop. Although they do recognize it is happening because I provided videos. Hopefully I’ll hear something today. I will update.

 

Thought you said manual, so I assumed regular key

 

Update:

Just got a call back from the dealer. They’ve had the truck since Monday and had their tech drive it home both days, couldn’t get it to replicate at all. They did say they have a case open with Toyota and that they’re going to put contact info to whoever they’re working with at corporate for me to reach out to and they said they may send a representative out to look at it with me.

Not sure why they couldn’t get it to duplicate. My only thought: my video titled “Tacoma Hard Start #4” was taken when I had literally almost no gas in the tank. I had intentionally drained it in the hopes that maybe, just maybe, there was bad gas and that would somehow help (I know that’s really reaching). Anyway, that was the worst that I have heard it and after I filled I back up that same night, it wasn’t nearly as bad the next day. Then the following day is when I dropped it off at the dealer. So my only though is that maybe it really did have something to do with the gas in the tank. I don’t know if that’s even plausible but that’s the only reason I can’t even imagine that they can’t get it to happen since it was so consistently happening when I was driving it.

 

Where do you fill up?
I've gotten almost exclusively costco gas since new. Like litterally can count on one hand the times it's been filled with anything else. Maybe I should switch but thought costco was top tier.
You use 87? Have you tried going to 91?

 

I do use 87. Shouldn’t be a problem as most others use it without issue and it’s what Toyota says is okay. I only ever fill up with top tier gas. Although, a month and a half ago (coincidentally right around the time I first noticed this; maybe related??) when my best friend was in from out of town, I ran into a gas station called Love’s (not top tier) to take a shit and he filled up my truck with 93 trying to be nice.

Not saying that this caused it; however, it is strange that what seems like fuel issues, may have started right around the time my truck was filled with a higher octane fuel than I normally use and at a gas station that is not top tier and one that looks *somewhat* shitty.

 

Interesting.

I switched to 91 for a time and it seemed to help. I'll have to try again and really stick it out and really pay attention and see.

 

So your saying that the videos u posted u were nearly out of gas ... ? So did u have the problem before ? I’m confused ...

 

No only in the 4th video was I low on gas and it just happened to be the worst that I have heard it. Not sure if the severity is related to that. All of the other videos had varying levels of gas.

 

Ahh try using chevron gas . Hopefully u don’t have any more weird starts . If gas was the issue. Best of luck .

 

Any updates?

 

I’ve been in contact with Toyota corporate customer service and they’ve been communicating with Toyota tech. Toyota tech won’t speak directly with consumers so it has been a back and forth phone chase with them until I mentioned how I “would rather not pursue lemon law if it can be avoided”. I talked with them and explained that I have a good idea of a few things it may be and I recommended that they run a fuel pressure test. So they called me back today and said that they talked to Toyota tech and the dealership and Toyota tech said that they agree a fuel pressure test is in order and they’re going to advise the dealership to run one. I’m taking it back on Saturday and might stick around with them and get it to happen while I’m standing there so it can’t be denied any longer. Toyota customer service guy has been super nice the whole time; Just funny how Toyota tech suddenly decides to start wanting to help when I mention lemon law.

 

Dang good for you. Don't give up!

 

Update!

I took my truck to the dealership on 11/7 and they literally told me there is nothing they can do at all because the guy who was working my truck the past two visits isn't there on Saturdays and they don't want someone else on it because they won't know if the other guy did work they don't know about. So I start getting a little annoyed after having made this appointment a week in advance and driving over 45 minutes to their shop. I told them the last guy literally did nothing but unplug some lights and send it back to me twice and that I just want them to run a fuel pressure test. He suddenly changes his story and says he doesn't have any master techs working on Saturday who know how to run a fuel pressure test and there's nothing they can do. So I left angry as all fuck as you can imagine, considering this is still going on over a month later.

Anyway, I schedule an appointment for the following Saturday (11/14) at a different dealership. Fast forward to that day, I bring my truck in and the guy there starts to tell me that because I brought it to the other dealer and have a case open with them they can't do anything and yadah yadah yadah. So I say hang on, just watch the videos I have. When he saw the videos, his whole demeanor changed. He calls out his best technician that was in the shop that day and the guy watches the video. He goes "you said this only happens when the truck is warm and then sits for a while?". I go "Yep". He says "sounds like a fuel pressure issue". Good God, does it really?? :-0

So he tells me bring it in Monday (today, 11/16) because Toyota corporate tech isn't open on weekends and he says he will put his best technician on it. Service advisor says this technician is a well known Toyota Master Technician finalist or something. So I bring it back in this morning at 7:30 AM. Just got a call at around 2:15; they tell me that one or more of the fuel injectors were gummed up and they took it/them out and cleaned. Also said fuel pumps are 100 percent perfect. Asks me what type of gas I have been using. I say BP because it's top tier and it's the closest one to my house on my route to work. He goes on to tell me they have had a ton of reports of BP gas causing issues with fuel systems because of ethanol levels being too high out of compliance. Basically tells me that BP fuel is complete shit and never to use it again.

TLDR; First dealership was complete trash and couldn't fix the problem (didn't want to do the work) for over a month despite me telling them exactly what it was. Second dealership finds the problem in less than 8 hours. Gummed up injectors possibly due to shitty high ethanol fuel from BP gas stations. Second dealership guys are getting a free two dozen donuts delivered tomorrow if the issue is really gone.

 

One more thing; I am not sure why a bunch of stupid assholes are advising people that the only place to run a raptor light fuse tap to is the INJ circuit when there are at least 3 open *perfectly functioning* fuse slots inside the cab fuse box. I ran the wire through the grommet for the hood release and put it on an open fuse; comes on always when the truck is on and works exactly as expected without having to tap an important engine component. Not saying the fuse tap to the INJ had anything to do with the problem in this thread but like honestly, why tf is everyone saying the only place to run it is to the INJ??

 

For shits and giggles, I'd do a water test for ethanol %. It's supposed to be able to handle E15.
But yeah...I haven't bought E10 for 13 years.

 

Edited for readability sake...

So another update... dealership #2 did not fix the problem. I even found a gas station near me that sells 0 percent ethanol fuel and ran a tank. Although the truck seemed to run smoother (maybe?) it didn't fix the startup problem. So I called back my Toyota corporate case manager and he advised that I bring it back and get the noise to happen in front of them.

So I brought it back in this morning and first thing out of the advisor's mouth when I walk though the door: "We don't have a rental car for you. We're not giving you a rental car! That's what my manager said!" (yelled from across the room). I go "okay, can I see your manager?" He brings me to the shop area and the manager walks over and I begin to explain what the problem is. Within five minutes four other advisors and/or techs have come over and each one is doing their absolute best to shoot down anything and everything I say. I even showed em this video

https://youtu.be/XqlnDfs9bsU
to which the service manager replies "well I'm not a technician". So I go "does it really take a master technician to understand that something is not right with this noise"?

Anyway, we go back and forth for a while and he tells me that I should just wait until the master tech gets there and start it up for him. So I sit in my truck and wait for the guy and when he gets there, the whole band of technicians and advisors come out to get their two cents in. I start it up in front of them and sure enough it drags just like it always does on warm start. The master tech just looks at me and shrugs and says "sounds like it should to me". You gotta be f***ing s***ing me.

I show him the same video that I posted above and he's like "yeah, that's how these trucks sound". We go back and forth for like 20 minutes and it's progressively getting more heated and becoming more and more of an ego battle about his 30 plus years of experience as a tech, etc. This guy literally described vapor lock to me without actually using the words 'vapor lock' and I go "are you talking about vapor lock?" and he goes "yeah, lotta people call it vapor lock. It's by design on this vehicle and it's normal on modern vehicles". I was dumbfounded. I quite honestly didn't have any words.

Anyway, it starts to get even worse and he starts saying how Tacoma World and all forums are bullshit and anyone can post anything they want and that I'm just searching for something to be wrong with my truck. I go "I have had several cars. My family has six Toyota's. I owed a Rav4 for 3.5 years before I bought this truck. None of us have ever had any issues. Why would I just start searching for broken shit now?" And he goes "we're done here" and walks away.

So I called Toyota back and long story short they are not helping AT ALL and still trying to give me the runaround. Someone gave me the idea to try and create somewhat of a stirrup online with the details of the case, so I created this little video with a big description of what I have gone through. Maybe like and share if you feel like helping me out. I really have no idea what else to do. I even offered to take the truck to a private shop and pay to have them diagnose it and bring the results back to Toyota. They said they won't accept outside diagnostic results.

https://youtu.be/Z-W-fD8GziU

 

Can you use the Lemon law ? I'd look at that and be sure to document that Toyota Corp knows you will pursue the lemon law and that you have documented all including their notification.

 

I did tell Toyota Corporate Customer Care that I intend to pursue lemon law if it does not get fixed, and I will. Continuing to build a case against themselves with this one.

 

GD that's crazy. Sounds like it's time for lemon law