New guy, 97' Limited long start prob/general advise

[Jon]

I just got this 97 Limited 4Runner and love it. I got it pretty cheap due to the 330K mi it's racked up. It's not the cleanest thing ever but it will do fine for a daily driver. Everything works except the notorious power antenna. I'm liking it more every day.

What I've done so far: (completely factory, no mods yet) Optima yellow top, oil change, new a/c belt (blows cold but compressor clutch is on its last leg), fuel filter+Lucas injector cleaner, air filter. No leaks, knocks, taps, skips, nuthin. Runs great once started.

Problem: Has a hard time starting (firing) after it sits for a while (30min+). It will start fine when shut down and immediately restarted. Otherwise it takes around 5 seconds turning over to finally fire. Seems to work better feathering the throttle. Common problem? I'm going to clean the MAF and see what that does.

Also looking for some good trails near Navarre, FL if I have any neighbors on this forum. Thanks

 

[bak3rme]

wow 330k miles? can you post some pics of the body? i wanna see the body!

 

[FoneRunner]

Obviously its either fuel, air, or spark...so the simple stuff like fuel filter, air filter and checking those plugs would be good...having said that since it runs fine after it starts I would probably suspect the fuel filter first...or maybe a weak fuel pump but I'm not gonna swear to that. When you go to start it after it sits for a while, do you turn the ignition on and wait a few seconds? Maybe try that to see if it makes a difference...the fuel pump should be pressurizing the system and that would help you troubleshoot. Let us know and congrats on the runner!:bravo:

 

[Jon]

I ended up just Googling "4Runner hard start" and found an existing thread on the issue. It suggests a dirty IAC (Idle Air Control) to be the culprit. This involves removing the throttle body and about 1hr depending on how dirty the IAC is. Mine was filthy and while the throttle body and intake tube were removed I decided to replace the plugs (went NGK Iridium) and wires.

It's all back together and ran back up to temp, now playing the waiting game. Just as a note, during the first 5min or so, the idle speed will be higher than normal (mine was at 1700 RPM and slowly dropped back to 700) while the computer is relearning the clean IAC.

Here is a link to the thread if interested, I didn't bother taking pics since this guy did a good job. Re: 3.4L V6 Hard Start "hot" Cleaned IAC (Pics) - YotaTech Forums

I'll get some pics up soon. Tomorrow will be coolant flush, trans filter+fluid change, joint greasing and break check.

 

[Jon]

I just noticed you're both from GA. I'm originally from Columbus.:cheers: I sure do miss the Georgia red clay! All I got now is sand.

 

[SamSter0077]

I just got this 97 Limited 4Runner and love it. I got it pretty cheap due to the 330K mi it's racked up. It's not the cleanest thing ever but it will do fine for a daily driver. Everything works except the notorious power antenna. I'm liking it more every day.

What I've done so far: (completely factory, no mods yet) Optima yellow top, oil change, new a/c belt (blows cold but compressor clutch is on its last leg), fuel filter+Lucas injector cleaner, air filter. No leaks, knocks, taps, skips, nuthin. Runs great once started.

Problem: Has a hard time starting (firing) after it sits for a while (30min+). It will start fine when shut down and immediately restarted. Otherwise it takes around 5 seconds turning over to finally fire. Seems to work better feathering the throttle. Common problem? I'm going to clean the MAF and see what that does.

Also looking for some good trails near Navarre, FL if I have any neighbors on this forum. Thanks

Ha, mine takes a while to start too.. just thought it was normal, 144k. I will clean the IAC this weekend. There another problem that "might" be related to same damn thing.. if I am climbing a hill and reach a point I can't go higher, i have to shift into nuetral to back down it.. when I shift.. the engine dies sometimes which causes the Vacuum Brake booster to fail and makes for an interesting ride backward down the hill. thanks for the post!

 

[Jon]

Sam, I hope that clears it. Mine was stuck due to carbon/oil buildup. She's got a lot of miles on her but I'm the second owner and seller swears to 95% highway mileage. I can say this is the first vehicle I've ever owned with over 300,000 mi, and amazingly it doesn't smoke and the trans shifts smother than my wife's 08 Rabbit 6spd.

You will need carb cleaner and a high temp sealant. I am stuck on orange copper RTV, I used it to seal the headers on my 66 Galaxie big block, 1yr and no leaks. Hope you have some meat on your arms, those screws are tight!

 

[Jon]

It's been over an hr and when I cranked her up it was about a 3 sec start. Shut it down and immediate restart, it fires right away. I always allow 3sec for the fuel pump to prime, but I can NOT hear this one. Maybe there is just too much dinging to hear a factory f/pump. I'm used to hearing the whine of an external race pump. Is it possible for these pumps to pump under normal operation once the engine starts but NOT prime? Is it just the ignition switch that tells the pump to prime or is there another piece missing. Not looking forward to a pump $160+! Also don't feel like walking home when it kills the bat one day.:moping:

 

[Jon]

Did some more digging/googling and found a long thread, which I will save you the reading and go ahead and tell you the fix is 99% going to be a weak old fuel pump. Thread jumps from forum to forum. This guy had it even worse, had to use starting fluid. He tried the IAC-no good, FRPR (fuel rail pressure reg)-no good, new fuel pump and it's good.

So I'm going to throw one is some time soon. Think of it like this, the longer you wait to replace the fuel pump for this issue the more likely you'll be changing a fuel pump and a burned up starter.:happens:

 

[Jon]

Well $130 down but the fuel pump fixed it. Also put heatshrink on some exposed wires at the tank connector. Bad connection not the problem but a good fix. Took her out in the sand dunes and even on factory bald tires I couldn't get her stuck. Did the pump myself in my garage as everything else I'll be posting here. Get it down to 3-4 gal + a jack and it's a quick job. 1s try didn't work. The in-tank connections came loose during install. Pulled it back out and put the pliers to the female ends and all is good. Same thing I do on the flightline every night.

 

[SamSter0077]

Well $130 down but the fuel pump fixed it. Also put heatshrink on some exposed wires at the tank connector. Not the problem but a good fix. Took her out in the sand dunes and even on factory bald tires I couldn't get her stuck. Did the pump myself in my garage as everything else I'll be posting here. Get it down to 3-4 gal + a jack and it's a quick job. 1s try didn't work. The in-tank connections came loose during install. Pulled it back out and put the pliers to the female ends and all is good. Same thing I do every night on the flightline every night.

Sweet, yeah.. was thinking my problem was tied to Fuel pressure. a 13 year old pump in my case, so yeah... it's probably old and tired..