1999 sr5 4wd stalling

[toyota1999]

Hi all,

New to this forum and would like to share experience about my 99 4Runner stalling. I almost changed all of the presumable defective parts that relates to the stalling problem, ex: Fuel filter, spark plugs and wires, MAF sensor, IAC, etc... I spent almost $ 1500 changing all of the above and then some.

After much changing and trying to find out what causes my problem, I finally took it to the Toyota dealership for help. They found out that my evap canister was filled with raw gasoline that causes the fuel line to starve gas supply. Changed the parts for $ 480 parts and labor and it has been running well ever since.

Toyota Service advice : Don't overfill your gas tank when filling. The moment that nozzle at the gas pump stops automatically, that's it and no more.

Lesson learned : It sometimes pays to have your Toyota related issues diagnosed by Toyota. You can always have the work done outside of them after proper diagnosis.

My 4Runner : 1999 V6, 4WD, 163,000 miles and going strong ! My goal is to reach 300K.

Walter, Las Vegas:xnuts:

 

[techno]

I always though it was common knowledge to not top off the tank for the exact reason you state. Then I started watching people at the gas pumps and see it done all the time. Some people even pull the nozzle all the way out just to get that tiny extra drizzle in the tank.

At least you haven't wasted money on all the things you replaced, they will all need to be done anyway at some point.

 

[toyota1999]

I had the same stalling earlier today after two days of peaceful affairs with my 4Runner. Took it to the Dealership and they could not find the problem. No codes, no check engine light issue - nothing.

Cleaned Throttle body, MAF sensor, check for vacuum leak, changed air filter. Even though the Dealership was insisting they do not see any problem, it dies on me literally. I do not have problem starting the engine right away and it goes. A friend suggested to look into the IGNITION MODULE and this tiny part is about $500 !

Any insights on my dilemma ?

 

[toyota1999]

Hi again,

Updates on my 1999 SR5 4WD stalling : Dealt with Toyota Dealership again a week ago. I went to the same underwriter to make sure I am not dealing with the entire Toyota crew concerning my stalling problem. The advice : Run my baby for at least three full tanks of fuel to make sure all the bad gas " in the line " is used up and cleared. I did. Along the way, I changed PCV valve ( gunked-up really bad ), cracked air hose connector ( $56.00 ) and ran three full tanks as instructed. I did not have stalling out issue for almost a week now. Did all of the above fixed my problem ? I do not know. Only time will tell. I will keep everyone posted.

By the way, the IGNITION MODULE was fine after the Dealership checked it upon my request. I suspect O2 sensor, AC compressor, or what have you. The best part about all these is that the Dealership gave me instructions to bring my 4Runner back if the issue persist - all at no charge ! Unless, they have to change something again.

So far, so good.

I love my 4Runner as much as most does in this forum.

Cheers,

Walter
Las Vegas, Nevada

 

[toyota1999]

Hi all,

Do you ever sleep when you know something is wrong with your 4Runner ? Mine stalled out again yesterday. Off the dealership I went. This time, I am not the usual pleasant person that I am. Spoke with the service manager as per their instruction when the incident happens again. THEY COULD NOT FIND CODES ( I've been saying this day one ). Here is the manager's suggestion. The ROLL OVER VALVE ( I do not exactly know the mechanical term, but it has something to do with the gasoline and lines ) needs to be replaced in conjunction with the Evap Canister they already change.

It will cause more or less $ 700.00 for the parts and labor. Can anyone throw me some light on this, please ? I will close my eyes and pay the amount if and only if it will solve my 4Runner dilemma . What if the problem persist and they have to quote me other parts again ? Any wisdom out there ? Thanks.


Walter, Las Vegas, Nevada

 

[Supra725]

Walter,

Here is my story...

My 99 had a similar problem...

Back in 07' , my runner was having some problem with the car not being able to idle at the correct rev and sometimes I need to give it some gas to keep her going...

Fast forward a little bit and one day the car decided to go below 700-750 rpm and than it died...

Turns out, it was my Isc(Idle speed control) valve was bad... It had a hugh amount of carbon build up on it... I can snap a picture of it if you like...

After $300 dollars later at the dealership, They changed it out with a brand new isc valve and I haven't had any stalling issue what so ever..

I have over 203k miles on mine..

 

[toytech76]

Here is the problem with the dealer. Dealer techs are called 'parts replacers' for a good reason. There honestly doesnt seem to be much good diagnostic skills that come out of there. My advice, find a GOOD, reputable independant toyota repair shop and have them check it out. Sounds like you in it about $2K without results. I would be fuming mad. I would go in supra's direction and look at the ISC valve. Its still technically working so it wont throw a code. Try giving it a good clean and see what happens. Its easy to start guessing at what COULD be wrong but its even easier to check the easy stuff that wont cost you any money and go from there.

 

[toyota1999]

ToyTech/Supra725,

Thank you for your responses. I will heed both of your advices. I will give it a good clean. It will also give me a chance to see if it was changed a year ago by another independent Toyota mechanic.

Too bad because one might think that the Dealership Service Department will be the best bet when it comes to servicing your 4Runner concerns. But I am beginning to feel that it is more of a " miss and hit " philosophy they apply after their special diagnostic equipments fails to give them the " supposed " code. Don't get me wrong here, I am willing to pay for the work that was done satisfactorily. I just do not conform to the fact that they start replacing parts ( expensive at that ) that has nothing to do with my actual complaints.

Thanks anyway for sharing my 4Runner pain. I hope it will end soon for I just don't feel safe driving my baby for now. I will keep you all posted as soon as the proper diagnosis is found.

Cheers,

Walter, Las Vegas

 

[techno]

According to my fsm, the first area to check when dealing with stalling issues is the fuel pump system. Have you done any work with that yet?

 

[toyota1999]

Techno,

Thank you for getting back to me and for that wonderful question concerning fuel pump system. No is the answer. I went to an old time independent Toyota mechanic yesterday with all the receipts, diagnostics, repairs and suggested repairs by the Toyota dealer. He looked at all of the above and just laughed at me. Mr. Tanaka is from Japan and very straightforward person. Long story short, he actually suggested changing the fuel pump ! Get this, the dealership quoted me $ 770 parts and labor ! Mr. Tanaka will charge me $380 the same original parts and labor ( somebody is joking here ) .

Before seeing Mr. Tanaka, I was at the Dealership again with the same issue. The manager kept his word and spent some time asking me few questions and came back with the suggestion of replacing the ROLL OVER VALVE or something like that. Something to do with a bad fuel in conjunction with the Evap Canister they replaced earlier. This is another $700-800 expense ! Mr. Tanaka do not agree with the dealer's suggestion instead he adamantly suggested changing the fuel pump. $380 FUEL PUMP and labor against Toyota's $800 ROLL OVER VALVE and labor. Which is which now ?

Help please !

Walter
Las Vegas, Nevada

 

[piperoo]

It could be the fuel pump....maybe not enough gas is getting through and causing the stalling? If it is the original fuel pump, it probably needs changing by now anyway. When I had my VW Golf the fuel pump was easy to pull off, so you might even be able to do your 4Runner by yourself and check it out.

 

[toytech76]

Before ANYONE replaces any sort of fuel item, they need to check fuel pressure. Its easy enough to hook up a f/p gauge and test drive it and watch the pressure when it stalls. That will give you a solid answer on fuel pump issues. Like I said earlier, check the easy stuff

 

[techno]

I'm not exactly sure what the Toyota equivalent of a roll over valve is, but it is something in the evap system. I am surprised that the dealer techs are focusing on this before they look at the fuel pump. Maybe they have and just didn't tell you, I don't know, but it needs inspection, and definitely before you fork out for the mystery roll over thing.

In one of your earlier posts you mentioned you suspect the a/c compressor. Why? Is the stalling occurring during a/c operation? I ask this because there are two 'conditions' that can cause stalling. A fault in the fuel delivery system, or a fault in the a/c signal circuit (ie; when the compressor kicks in, the engine does not pick up the revs to compensate and hence stalling can occur). Perhaps you could run a little test to check this.

If you can wait till Monday, I can scan the instructions for testing the fuel pump and you can see what you can do yourself.
I agree with toytech76, if you want someone to check for correct fuel pressure, it basically needs to be within 265-304 KPa (38-44 psi)with engine not running. The full test is more detailed and involved. Let me know if you want the info.

 

[toyota1999]

DISCLAIMER : I am 100% man but I can't contain myself to say I love you guys for all the concerns and suggestions you give on this site. You guys are awesome ! Thank you, thank you, and thank you.

Spare me some apologies here for not posting updates as I should.

ToyTech76, I checked the ISC valve and it was clean and pretty new. I remembered it changed by an independent mechanic a year ago due to the same stalling issue. Your suggestion of checking for the fuel pump pressure along with Techno, were very sensible ! I do not know if this information will help in anyway. I had this same stalling out issue at 47K miles twice. I did not do anything about it since it did not occur again until now at 163K. When I moved here in Vegas from Hawaii couple of years ago, I had the stalling with CEL ( 131K ). I brought it to Pep Boys and they changed my throttle body sensor and put in a new ' wrong ' spark plugs ( I will never go back to this shop again even if it means not fixing my 4Runner at all ! ). It was fine then after that. Last Friday, I took off from work and drive my baby for 5 straight hours with minimum breaks ( coffee, restrooms ). Up a steep mountain, freeways, in the city stop and go - no STALLING ! How can one then check the fuel pressure with accuracy if it does not stall at the time of testing ( you said in you above post, " until it stalls " ) ?

Techno, I suspected A/C because of the research I made on the web ( love the information age ! ) Although not accurate as may declare, yes sir, my vehicle " seems " to stall with the A/C on. One time I was driving around ( 12-3 p.m. ), it stalled on me twice ( it starts right back up ). I rolled down the windows, shut off my air conditioning, and hope it will act up again - it did not. Also, this stalling happens only during the Summer time and when the 4Runner had been driven for hours. I do not have the same issue in Winter.

I will mostly appreciate if you can spare me some info on FP and A/C issues, thank you.

I might as well show up for my Fuel Pump replacement appointment tomorrow but rather ask my mechanic to run test on your suggestions above as well as my A/C compressor.

In any ways, I will keep you all posted. I hope to put this issue to rest anytime soon. I can't sleep when something is wrong with my 4Runner especially when it is still very young and very capable. My buddy in Hawaii bought a 1979 Toyota Land Cruiser brand new. To this very day I write, it still runs with 475K miles. Who says my 1999 Toyota 4Runner , SR5, 4x4 is old ?

Thank you guys !

Mahalo,

Walter, Las Vegas, Nevada

 

[toyota1999]

Forgot to say also that I get more personalized answers/suggestions to my questions from this site compared to the Toyota Dealership who charges me arm and leg every time I visit.

Toytech76's point of view on " There seem to be not much good diagnostic skills that come out from the Dealership" is somewhat accurate. It may be harsh to generalize a statement like that ( I speak for myself ) because there are still few good, honest, and trustworthy mechanics out there. But until I find one, I will stay convicted.

" When it rains, it pours ! "

Walter, Las Vegas

 

[toytech76]

Forgot to say also that I get more personalized answers/suggestions to my questions from this site compared to the Toyota Dealership who charges me arm and leg every time I visit.

Toytech76's point of view on " There seem to be not much good diagnostic skills that come out from the Dealership" is somewhat accurate. It may be harsh to generalize a statement like that ( I speak for myself ) because there are still few good, honest, and trustworthy mechanics out there. But until I find one, I will stay convicted.

" When it rains, it pours ! "

Walter, Las Vegas

Sure there are quite a few good techs out there, but speaking from experience from working at a dealer about 11-12 years ago and knowing guys from dealerships, dealer techs are mostly the same. Only a few of the older ones have any sort of diag skills. Now if you go to an independant toyota repairshop, you will find better daig techs IMO. Ive been working for an independant for the last 9 years and wishes I could show you the customers we get in that went to the dealer first. Stuff diag'd wrong, grossly overcharged, ect ect. Too bad you didnt live in northern cali...

 

[toyota1999]

Hi all,

As scheduled, I went to my independent Japanese mechanic today. I asked him to check the fuel pressure and see if the pump needs replacement. His reply was to just observe the the STALLING issue if it gets any worse. I agreed since my 4Runner seems to be behaving well lately. After all, that's another $380 when changed !

Is it really that hard to do fuel pressure monitoring ? It seems to me that no one wants to deal with it and that includes the Dealership. Mr. Tanaka did not even consider my A/C possible stalling cause philosophy Techno was referring to in post # 13. He turned the A/C on, listened to it for 30 seconds and said it was fine.

I am getting this Factory Service Manual as soon as possible. At the end of the day, pardon me for crying out loud, I am still responsible for the total well being of my Toyota ! Gone were the days when you can sit with your mechanic and talk about your issues and concerns ( except here where at least people spends effort to help ).

No issues today. I had my transmission, differential, and transfer case fluids replaced this morning instead. Smooth !

4Runner all the way ! Will post later.

Cheers,

Walter, Las Vegas

 

[toyota1999]

Hello all,

Met with another independent mechanic who does his work at home. My friend recommended this guy highly and I gave him a try. Few questions ask and then he moved on to check all of the vacuum hoses. Lo and behold, I got rubber hoses that were dry -rotted ! Sadly, two of those hoses connects to the Evap Canister the Toyota Dealership replaced for $480.00. Toytech76, how did this happen in the world of dealership ? Anyway, Techno, Toyota dealership suggesting to change the ROLL OVER VALVE is somewhat mysterious ( I like the way you put it , MYSTERIOUS ROLL OVER VALVE ).

Do I have to blame Toyota for replacing parts that has nothing to do with my stalling issue ? No. I am responsible. I could have checked all those hoses myself and avoided having to go through all the expenses and pain.

Just updating. I brought the cracked hoses to the dealership by the way and was able to get my $480 back after much wrestling with the general manager. They replaced my old canister back - to where it belongs, my Toyota 4Runner !

Cheers,

Walter, Las Vegas, Nevada

 

[toyota1999]

The mechanic also assured me with 90% accuracy that those hoses were the culprit ! Ten percent ( 10% ) being the unknown since he did not look any further into my 4Runner yet.

The reason why my 4Runner stalls when it really gets hot after driving for hours was because those hoses expands with heat and they leak. Thus, the engine stalls. Logical ? I want to believe so. I do not have any stalling issues for quite a while now and I still drive my vehicle around as usual.

Thank you all for the support and concerns.

Cheers,

Walter of Las Vegas, Nevada

 

[xdriver]

Has your 4runner stalled since the hoses were replaced?

I am about to start figuring out what is going on with my friends car that has stalled 2 times in the past week and a half. It seems to be when the car is in drive but at idle in traffic. There are no codes. Was there a reason your car had no codes? I thought typically you would get an EVAP code if there was an issue. Thank you!