Help! Car won't run! Stuck in parking lot.

J

jcush87

New member
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Non-Start issue turned out to be water in the fuel. I drained about a gallon of fuel/water mix and I was able to start the car after that. Still a bit perplexed by the OBD being non-responsive and then functioning later without explanation.
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1996 sr5 v6 4x4
Everything has been fine, no recent running issues.
I got gas this morning, then drove away but only got about 150yds before the engine quit.

Sometimes it will start for about 3 seconds and die.
I have taken off the fuel cap and put it back with no change.
I replaced the fuel filter and the car will idle for just a few extra seconds.

I can hear the pump start
I left the fuel line from the tank out of the filter, fuel pours out when I crank the engine.
I remove the EFI relay and I don't even get a sputter.

I attached a makeshift pressure gauge on the output side of the old fuel filter, while cranking pressure went up to 50 psi. It seemed to hold pressure as well.

May or may not be related, OBD scanners power on but will not scan for codes. I tried 2 today and I have not seen the issue before.

Thanks!
 
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I also tried replacing my efi relay but I had no change.

Also disconnecting the MAF entirely produced no change to the behavior.

I am down to thinking the MAF is completely shot, or the ecm is bad. Any thoughts?
 
Maybe try and take the negative battery cable off for a minute or 2 and then try the code reader if it doesn't start.

Are you sure the code reader works on another vehicle?
 
alumarine,
I have left the battery cable off for 20 or so minutes while changing the fuel filter. still no change.
I have tried to OBD II readers on the car, i tested one to verify it was working on another vehicle.

nissanh,
how do I know if the gas I put in is branded or unbranded? I have used the gas station many times before. It is a Mobil station.

I have made arrangements to mail the ecu to moduleexperts.com I spoke to them on the phone and they were convinced it is an ecm issue. The biggest indicator for them was the lack of response on the OBD port.
 
Sounds like bad gas. This happened to my parents before. Call the station and see if they have had other complaints. Also, they should have a stick to measure tank levels that also has a compound that will indicate the presence of water in the gas. Have them measure and check for water.
 
Try sparyying some carb cleaner or brake clean in the intake while you crank it and see if it fires.
 
Most parts stores sell starter fluid (ether) - that might be a little better to spray in the intake than cleaner.

Just based on the circumstances I'd be suspecting the fuel as well. Perhaps you got a big dose of water mixed in. Water is heavier than gas and will settle down to the bottom of the tank, and be the first to get sucked up and sent to the engine.

Maybe try cranking it for a bit and then pull a plug to see what it looks like. Dry or wet, and wet with what.
 
"I left the fuel line from the tank out of the filter, fuel pours out when I crank the engine"

Try this again and let it pump into a clear container.
Then let it sit overnight.

If there is water, it will separate.
 
The gas you pumped in could have many things not just water. The cheapest and quickest is the new gas after draining the entire tank.
You can also go to a local salvage yard and buy an ECU $30-50 range. Plug it in and see what it does.
Again, I am sure it is the gas as this happened to you after filling the tank.
 
If I suspected that bad gas was an issue, I would go back to that same station, and same pump and fill a glass jar, or a clear plastic one to see the condition of the gas.
Be careful though, I think it's not advise in some states. As only approved containers are allowed to collect gas from the stations pump.
 
Bad gas would not cause the ECU and code readers not to work.

Check your fuses to make sure one didn't blow. If they are good, I'd swap in a junkyard unit from a 96 v6 (auto or manual depending on what you have) if you can manage to get one. That will at least rule out the ECU at the very least, or fix it.
 
Well, The computer has already been shipped out. I checked the fuses for EFI, OBD and ECU. all we good. I swapped around the fuses and had no change. When both ECU related fuses were pulled, I had similar symptoms, it would run rough for a few seconds then die.

I can check the fuel quality quite easily, I filled up a few portable containers (Thanks Irma!) during the same fillup so I can check one of those to maybe rule out gas issues.
 
Well, the computer came back but it checked out and did not have issues.
OBD and ECM fuses all check out. Seems like the ECM may not be getting power at all since the symptoms are the same when the car has the ECM removed.

Plans now:
Check fuel for water
Unplug different engine sensors and see if a short in one is cause the OBD error
Point to point harness checks... really dreading this one! does anyone have a good schematic for a 1996 V6 auto 4x4?

Thanks,
James
 
jcush87 said:
Well, the computer came back but it checked out and did not have issues.
OBD and ECM fuses all check out. Seems like the ECM may not be getting power at all since the symptoms are the same when the car has the ECM removed.

Plans now:
Check fuel for water
Unplug different engine sensors and see if a short in one is cause the OBD error
Point to point harness checks... really dreading this one! does anyone have a good schematic for a 1996 V6 auto 4x4?

Thanks,
James
Click to expand...

Did you try using starter fluid to see if it will run??
 
I have not. Do you think there is value in it when it does run for a few seconds? I thought the idea of starter fluid was to verify ignition/spark.
 
jcush87 said:
Well, the computer came back but it checked out and did not have issues.
OBD and ECM fuses all check out. Seems like the ECM may not be getting power at all since the symptoms are the same when the car has the ECM removed.

Plans now:
Check fuel for water
Unplug different engine sensors and see if a short in one is cause the OBD error
Point to point harness checks... really dreading this one! does anyone have a good schematic for a 1996 V6 auto 4x4?

Thanks,
James
Click to expand...

I have incomplete '96 EWD but engine systems are covered. PM me an e-mail address and I'll hook you up.
 
jcush87 said:
I have not. Do you think there is value in it when it does run for a few seconds? I thought the idea of starter fluid was to verify ignition/spark.
Click to expand...

I have always used it to verify a lack of fuel supply. Spark can be check by sticking a screw driver in the end of the plug wire and looking for the arc.
 
Thanks Soneill, I will give it a try.

I had very little time to work on the issue this wekend but found the following:
the car sat for about a week and the battery was dead. It cranked over decently well last week, but was very week yesterday.

I also get a small spark when I reconnect the negative battery terminal, is this normal? Seems like something may be drawing power.

another interesting finding: I can connect and scan with the OBD scanner when key is in off position (no codes), if it is in accessory or run, I cant get a scan. Can anyone verify whether they can scan their 4Runner with the key in the off position?

I left the car charging, hopefully I can get to more diagnostics tonight.
 
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