[Tinigunner11]

To start off I've got a 1997 4runner auto with 265,600 miles on the truck. truck runs great and really haven't had any problems motor wise, except for 1. If the truck idles for longish periods of time with the a/c running it dies when you put it in gear to drive away. It takes a few minutes for it to catch up to itself and fire up again. I've temporarily "solved" the problem but just turning the a/c off when I come to a stop, but I let my parents borrow it for the day and forgot to tell them. I've done a fair amount of Google searching and forum digging and found nothing that really applied to my situation. with that being said if there is one a thread on it and I missed it please feel free to post it up here.

[gamefreakgc]

Checked for vacuum leaks yet?

[StreetCreeper]

Originally Posted by Tinigunner11

To start off I've got a 1997 4runner auto with 265,600 miles on the truck. truck runs great and really haven't had any problems motor wise, except for 1. If the truck idles for longish periods of time with the a/c running it dies when you put it in gear to drive away. It takes a few minutes for it to catch up to itself and fire up again. I've temporarily "solved" the problem but just turning the a/c off when I come to a stop, but I let my parents borrow it for the day and forgot to tell them. I've done a fair amount of Google searching and forum digging and found nothing that really applied to my situation. with that being said if there is one a thread on it and I missed it please feel free to post it up here.

My truck will do this on occasion. Mainly if it is 100+* and I've been idling for a good amount of time without driving it (like 20-30 minutes). First thing to happen is the RPMs start jumping up then dipping low. If you goose the throttle it will usually settle down, but occasionally it will still die. Of course it fires right back up and often has no problems, but on occasion it will do it more than once.

A couple of times after this has happened, if I try to put it in gear and drive away, it will die. Turn the a/c off at any time though and it has no problems.

It's probably a dirty IAC and/or throttle body. I'm too lazy to clean mine at the moment but it's on the long list. For me, it happens so infrequently that it's not really an issue, plus I know to just turn the a/c off until I'm rolling at higher RPMs and I won't have a problem.

Oh and mine is a 1997 as well with very high miles. So maybe it's just a 97 thing...

[RockenAlex]

I'm having a similar problem, I was thinking the switch that raises the idle when the A/C is on might not be working properly.

[gamefreakgc]

Originally Posted by RockenAlex

I'm having a similar problem, I was thinking the switch that raises the idle when the A/C is on might not be working properly.

Pretty sure we do not have one. It's all controlled by the IAC (the gadget under the throttle body) and the ECU.

[ColoCherokees]

Vehicle background - bought in Feb 2011 from a dealer (no service history) with 160k miles, currently at 198K miles.

I experienced a "stumbling" or occasionally an actual engine stall while either idling for awhile or trying to start it after a short trip, a few months after I bought it. After the first couple of episodes, I've been adding a bottle of Techron fuel system treatment at every oil change, and a can of BG44K once a year. Haven't experienced the stumbling/stalling since.

The BG 44K isn't a magic cure if there's something mechanically wrong with your engine, but at $25, might be worth trying before you take it in to a shop.

[shootmymime]

AIC is probably a little dirty and cant move as fast as it needs to, pull the throttle body off, clean the AIC valve and try it .. just a simple cleaning should fix it.

[Tinigunner11]

Originally Posted by shootmymime

AIC is probably a little dirty and cant move as fast as it needs to, pull the throttle body off, clean the AIC valve and try it .. just a simple cleaning should fix it.

Thanks for all the quick responses! I haven't formally searched for vaccum leaks but I did change out two hoses that were ripped, but I'll actively search more tomorrow. A few months back I cleaned the throttle body pretty well but I didn't remove it, so eventually I'll get in and clean the IAC. As streetcreeper said and I agree with, it's honestly not that high up on my list of things to fix. (The girlfriend thinks otherwise haha) I've put 20,000 miles on since I found out it did it and now I just don't have the ac on when the truck is stopped. And with the colder seasons coming up I'm not too worried, I'm getting ready to do a timing belt and water pump and figured it may be a good time to check it out.I'll check for leaks in the morning and update the thread. Thanks for the responses I'll keep you guys up to date!

[Tinigunner11]

Well everyone, I checked for vacuum leaks this morning and idle never changed as I sprayed carb cleaner. I'm going to rule that out. It's probably a dirty IAC so when I get around to it I'll clean it. Thanks again for the responses.

[TrustG]

Originally Posted by Tinigunner11

Well everyone, I checked for vacuum leaks this morning and idle never changed as I sprayed carb cleaner. I'm going to rule that out. It's probably a dirty IAC so when I get around to it I'll clean it. Thanks again for the responses.

Did you ever figure out what is was? My 97 is having the same issue and has me on the verge of giving up and selling it.

[AZBub]

Originally Posted by TrustG

Did you ever figure out what is was? My 97 is having the same issue and has me on the verge of giving up and selling it.

I sure hope he did since the last post was almost 3 years ago....


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[nissanh]

Do you see an increase in rpm when AC comes on? What is the idle RPM? Have you clean the throttle body?

[BoomerBob]

Originally Posted by TrustG

Did you ever figure out what is was? My 97 is having the same issue and has me on the verge of giving up and selling it.

Had the same issue on my 01 even though the TB and IAC are one unit and not separate like in the 97-2000 models. I simply did a mild tune up with new plugs, wires, PVC, and cleaned the TB in place with some carb cleaner and shop rag.

Was running perfectly until I installed a radiator cap from Motorad which caused my radiator hose to blow off because it didn't release the pressure into the reservoir thereby sending the engine into the high red zone from overheating which killed my top end. Now I'm having to rebuild the entire top end to the tune of around $2500. Not happy. I'm just hoping the heads can be rebuilt and not cracked.

[gamefreakgc]

Originally Posted by TrustG

Did you ever figure out what is was? My 97 is having the same issue and has me on the verge of giving up and selling it.

The IAC is usually at fault. The A/C should kick up the idle a little bit more and this is done via the valve in the IAC. If it's clogged, it cannot flow air and dies.

Take it off the throttle body and clean the heck out of it. Do not mess with the adjustment screws with the red pain marks. If they are not there, someone else has messed with it. If you do sell it, sell it to me and I'll fix it and sell it for $1000 more than I paid you :P

[TrustG]

Originally Posted by nissanh

Do you see an increase in rpm when AC comes on? What is the idle RPM? Have you clean the throttle body?

When I turn the ac on it actually makes the idle go up then drop completely until it shuts down