04 V8 Backfire !!!

[Pupwa]

Ok here's the situation:
Get in the 4-Runner late friday nite, cold 18 degree F, start it up idell 3-4 min, defrost on high, leave parking lot go about 1/4 mile, red light stop, green light go, hesitate kaboom, sputter kaboom, still running no accelaration going down a hill now, cars comming over the hill I am in the middel lane of a 3 lane, go to nuatral get the flahers on, what the f**k, go to drive sputter kaboom, sidewalks curbs no place to pull over safely, red light stop, idled fine, no egine sounds I don't reconize, what the F**k, 5 mi home, green light slow press of accelerator, moving slow, kaboom won't accelerate. Ok I am going home or as far as it will take me, 5 mi 25 mins later I am home and thanking some divine power not Toyota Motor Corp. Believe me when I say I have had a week from hell and this just tops it off. My 4-runner has left my down, We are expecting snow and ice here in Baltimore and I MUST drive, so it will be the Dodge Dakota R/T oh goody!!! Any Thoughts? If in Balt. what dealership would you go to?

 

[jharris2]

Check the dealers section to see if any of the Maryland dealers are close enough to you. Don't know the Baltimore area to know what is feasible for you.

 

[TechWrench]

I had something simular the other day happen to my '03 V6. Driving along about 40 mph, temp was about 10-12 F, no precip, road surface was mostly dry. I had slowed down for a right turner in front of me, and when I went to accelerate back to speed limit, the engine wouldn't pick up RPM. It acted like it was starving for gas, no backfire, but wouldn't go. If let up on the gas, it seemed to settle down. It didn't stall, just wouldn't accelerate. I came to a light, and it idled as smooth as ever. I put it in neutral and it had no problem responding to throttle. Light changed, and it took off as usual and problem never came back again. ?? I had about 1/4 tank of gas, so I stopped at station, topped off tank and added some dry gas. Problem never happened again. Thinking back, it almost acted like several times when I had the wheels start to spin on snow or ice and the VSC system took throttle control away until wheel spin stopped. But I know there wasn't any wheel spin occuring when this happened.

 

[Kanab]

Ok here's the situation:
Get in the 4-Runner late friday nite, cold 18 degree F, start it up idell 3-4 min, defrost on high, leave parking lot go about 1/4 mile, red light stop, green light go, hesitate kaboom, sputter kaboom, still running no accelaration going down a hill now, cars comming over the hill I am in the middel lane of a 3 lane, go to nuatral get the flahers on, what the f**k, go to drive sputter kaboom, sidewalks curbs no place to pull over safely, red light stop, idled fine, no egine sounds I don't reconize, what the F**k, 5 mi home, green light slow press of accelerator, moving slow, kaboom won't accelerate. Ok I am going home or as far as it will take me, 5 mi 25 mins later I am home and thanking some divine power not Toyota Motor Corp. Believe me when I say I have had a week from hell and this just tops it off. My 4-runner has left my down, We are expecting snow and ice here in Baltimore and I MUST drive, so it will be the Dodge Dakota R/T oh goody!!! Any Thoughts? If in Balt. what dealership would you go to?

Sounds like you have some water in your gas. Buy some dry gas and see if that drys it up. Good luck.

 

[Jim_Chow]

Makes me wonder if the cold temps caused condensation in your tank? Was your tank full?

 

[Pupwa]

Hey Folks, thanks for the replys. Pitbull's dry gas idea is the same the home team has expressed. We will try dry gas today.

Jim_Chow had 1/4 tank? This tank gave poor mileage, like 13 to the gallon.

 

[Kanab]

I drive about 40 miles a day so every 120 miles give or take I fill up. I like to keep it full. It just feels good to be full Plus it cuts down on condensation in the winter and keeps the fuel pump cooler in the summer. Plus I don't have anything better to do

 

[TranceKrayz]

I never go lower than half a tank in the winter.

 

[MacVay]

I'm with TranceKrayz.

I never go below half a tank in the Winter. Here where I live it can go to -35 Celcius (-31 F before windchill)

Any condensation is bad at these temperatures.

Cheers,

 

[Pupwa]

Hey guys, thanks again. I added the dry gas and filled it up. So far so good. Thanks for the imput to keep it fuller. I have never practiced that theory. When I learned to drive a very long time ago, my dad told me "put gas in it when the indicator gets between empty and a1/4". Old lessons die hard.

 

[Sac State]

I never get below a 1/2 tank. I have always thought it best to park it over night with a full stomach.

The only time I have run for any period of time below 1/2 tank is after the throttle body clean and I wanted to get out the old gas/cleaner mixture.