4th gen is my brothers. I’m a 3rd gen guy. He parked it at my house. I cranked it drove it around, sat for 5 days refused to start, battery died, charged battery overnight crank and drove it next to my barn. Note when it ran it ran fine, smooth no issues. Parked by barn and there it sits. Refusing to start. New fuel pump as we suspected no fuel, crank no start. Checked coil packs,(recently replaced, mechanic said the plugs were fouling out and ruining the packs? My brother is not mechanically inclined) coil packs didn’t produce much spark, ohmed out can sensors found a bad one, replaced. Crank no start. No spark. Swapped crank sensor. Crank no start. Can’t check for spark without buddy. Moved around relays at random, they all cycle when touched to 12v and all the fuses under the hood checked good. Crank no start. Engine responds to a little ether, but just enough to cough and die. What’s next? Any help appreciated? Don’t get no spark with new coil packs, plugs looked decent.

If you are getting a sputter with the ether, sounds like you are getting spark but no fuel. Do the plugs look dry after trying to start it? They would be wet if fuel was getting to them I would look at that fuel pump that was replaced, relay and EFI fuse. I would think you ought to hear a bit of a hum when you key on before starting as the fuel pump kicks on and builds pressure - might try listening with ear to the fuel tank door. This is coming from general experience, not specifically 4th gen. All I got at the moment.

I would disconnect the battery for 15 mins then try again and see if any codes are stored.

Also check the battery is giving a steady 12.5V or so and the terminals are tight.

You need to verify fuel pressure or at least listen for pump noise.

Any aftermarket alarm install?

Just hit the unlock button twice and see if it cranks again. Maybe it got a starter kill relay wired up from the aftermarket system.

Also, any gas in the tank?

Im having a similar issue. 2004 4runner has been running and performing fine. yesterday left for a surf and when I got in my 4runner to come back home it would crank but not start. cranked it about 5-6 times finally started. one I got it started I was worried that the fuel pump was going out, but I made it home no issues and ran fine. Went to run some errands that afternoon. same issues. cranks but no start, after about 5 cranks again it starts and runs fine...... any ideas? I changed the spark plugs thinking that was it. nope. maybe an electrical issue? can it be the fuel pump since it drives perfectly fine once its started. Anything helps. Thanks

I had a similar issue a few months ago. I had pulled my travel trailer to a dump station after a long weekend. Dumped and had a long line of others behind waiting for the same reason. If anyone has been in this situation you know it isn’t the least stressful situation.

This is when the crank, no start happened for the first and so far only instant.

I have a set of cheap keys from Amazon that I use for camping in case I lose them. This is the only non Toyota part in the chain for starting and I called my wife to bring my normal keys which fired the 4runner up immediately.

So far this is the only time the 4runner did not start and I threw a new battery in the key and it works fine.

I am sharing my experience and not expertise. If I am completely wrong and swapping the keys had nothing to do with actually starting the 4runner I would appreciate being set straight so I’m not caught stranded with the wife and kids, 2 and 4, out in the middle of nowhere.

I had this problem when my battery was low and it still cranked but would not start, i found with a low battery the computer would not allow the fuel pump to start thus my 4Runner was a no start bought a new battery and problem solved.

My gen 4 is a 2004 and there is a separate key fob that uses a battery but the key itself doesn't use one. Does your key actually take a battery? I know the key has an immobilizer chip (RFID) in it but that doesn't require a battery, but it is programmed. Maybe the gearshift interlock had something to do with it. I've heard of that happening.

You replaced the car battery, right, not the key fob battery? Maybe a different model year gen 4 had a different style of key?