Having this weird stall issue

[NJ-4Runner]

I am having this very weird intermittent stalling issue. I have had two separate incidents.

The truck is a 2002 SR5 4Runner.

The first time I was driving slow through a fire cut, very bumpy and off camber, and the truck stalled. I still had power but it would not run. It would turn over, start for a second, and then stall. I tried to restart a bunch of times with no luck. I actually walked home, came back 1/2 hour later, and the truck started and I drove home like nothing ever happened.

The second time, months later, the same thing happened while I was in a bumpy trail not far from my house again. This time though the truck would start and I was able to drive 50 feet and then it would stall. Same thing, had power and would turn over, would just stall shortly after that. I had to restart about 10 times to make it back to the house.

Next day I drove it all over town on smooth asphalt roads with no issue. I am just looking for a place to start here. I have another thread about the EVAP system but after some research I am thinking that may not be my issue, the EVAP can't cause the truck to stall could it? Could it act like a huge vacuum leak if it is not functioning correctly?

 

[octanejunkie]

Any CEL or codes?

 

[NJ-4Runner]

Any CEL or codes?

I just ran car scanner and have a bunch of codes. Apparently my CEL is burnt out and I just realized it. At least I know where to start now....I will report back once I go through the codes.

 

[Bad Luck]

I have another thread about the EVAP system but after some research I am thinking that may not be my issue, the EVAP can't cause the truck to stall could it? Could it act like a huge vacuum leak if it is not functioning correctly?

EVAP system can definitely cause a vehicle to stall depending on the evap fault. How much fuel did you have in your tank when you were off camber? Is your fuel gauge accurate? How did you get out of the situation?

 

[NJ-4Runner]

EVAP system can definitely cause a vehicle to stall depending on the evap fault. How much fuel did you have in your tank when you were off camber? Is your fuel gauge accurate? How did you get out of the situation?

Both times this happened I had just about over a 1/2 tank. Both times this happened I had more fuel in the truck than i usually do. I have NEVER filled the truck the entire time I have owned it, probably about 2 years now. 1/2 the time I put gas in it I poured from a 5 gallon container at my house. I believe that my fuel gauge is accurate.

The first time i was driving off camber and it happened I was able to coast to a point where I was only slightly off camber. truck would not start. Then I walked home. Came back about 20 mins later, started the truck and drove off like nothing happened.

The second time the same thing happened while I was in a bumpy trail with off-camber sections not far from my house again. This time though the truck would start and I was able to drive 50 feet and then it would stall. Same thing, had power and would turn over, would just stall shortly after that. I had to restart about 10 times to make it back to the house. There was definitely the smell of gas around the vehicle when I was walking around trying to figure out what was wrong.

 

[Bad Luck]

Both times this happened I had just about over a 1/2 tank. Both times this happened I had more fuel in the truck than i usually do. I have NEVER filled the truck the entire time I have owned it, probably about 2 years now. 1/2 the time I put gas in it I poured from a 5 gallon container at my house. I believe that my fuel gauge is accurate.

The first time i was driving off camber and it happened I was able to coast to a point where I was only slightly off camber. truck would not start. Then I walked home. Came back about 20 mins later, started the truck and drove off like nothing happened.

The second time the same thing happened while I was in a bumpy trail with off-camber sections not far from my house again. This time though the truck would start and I was able to drive 50 feet and then it would stall. Same thing, had power and would turn over, would just stall shortly after that. I had to restart about 10 times to make it back to the house. There was definitely the smell of gas around the vehicle when I was walking around trying to figure out what was wrong.

It sounds like you got too much gas in the charcoal canister and then the engine sucked in fuel instead of gas vapors. The evap charcoal canister is by the fuel tank for 01-02 vs in the engine bay on 96-00 so it's a lot easier to flood the charcoal canister with fuel.

 

[NJ-4Runner]

It sounds like you got too much gas in the charcoal canister and then the engine sucked in fuel instead of gas vapors. The evap charcoal canister is by the fuel tank for 01-02 vs in the engine bay on 96-00 so it's a lot easier to flood the charcoal canister with fuel.

The easiest way to check this would be to plug the outbound and inbound EVAP ports on the intake tubing and see if I can duplicate the issue correct?

 

[Bad Luck]

The easiest way to check this would be to plug the outbound and inbound EVAP ports on the intake tubing and see if I can duplicate the issue correct?

Correct. Disconnecting and capping the evap connections at the intake would eliminate the evap system from the equation.