Serious Problem Now - 2004 Won't Start

Well, I appreciate everyone's feedback on this. I cannot believe what happened yesterday. I went home and tried to start the 4Runner, and it didn't start. I checked the AF fuse and it seemed a little old, but didn't look dead, so I changed that one and it still didn't start, so then I proceeded to check the EFI fuse and BINGO... it was not blown but it had a broken leg. The leg wasn't completely broken off, just a little fractured, so I attributed the occasional starting to this fracture. I put a new fuse in and it started right up. It has started everytime since. It seems that the EFI may still have a problem because it is a little hesitant when driving and idling, but at least it is running. THANK YOU!!! I can't believe this has been ongoing for 4 weeks and the problem was a damn fuse. Well at least I have a new battery, new A/C relay, and a new starter relay. I guess I am going to have to get the EFI checked one of these days, maybe I can put a new one of those in too. :)
 
Another great reason to be a part of this forum! No doubt this would have been a costly repair at the dealer.
 
dpross16 said:
Well, I appreciate everyone's feedback on this. I cannot believe what happened yesterday. I went home and tried to start the 4Runner, and it didn't start. I checked the AF fuse and it seemed a little old, but didn't look dead, so I changed that one and it still didn't start, so then I proceeded to check the EFI fuse and BINGO... it was not blown but it had a broken leg. The leg wasn't completely broken off, just a little fractured, so I attributed the occasional starting to this fracture. I put a new fuse in and it started right up. It has started everytime since. It seems that the EFI may still have a problem because it is a little hesitant when driving and idling, but at least it is running. THANK YOU!!! I can't believe this has been ongoing for 4 weeks and the problem was a damn fuse. Well at least I have a new battery, new A/C relay, and a new starter relay. I guess I am going to have to get the EFI checked one of these days, maybe I can put a new one of those in too. :)
Click to expand...

So I was right huh? That's good to hear that's all it was!!! I don't know how to put this lightly but.....I'm awesome.

So do I get some sort of prize??

Ha ha. Jk
 
I had a POS Audi about 12 years ago that had a rather similar problem. AAA dragged it off to a mechanic to look at after I'd pulled and looked-at every engine-related fuse and checked the fuel pump. The mechanic ran diags and double-checked everything & found that, while the EFI fuse looked good, it had a hairline fracture and was wide-open. They billed me for their time, which was much less than I was expecting the repair to cost, even though it was an expensive fuse. Lesson learned, the multimeter comes out to verify fuses whenever I have an issue like this now.

You might just want to disconnect the battery long enough to reset the computer. It's probably a bit confused at the erratic fuel mixture it's been dealing with.
 
2004 4Runner SR5 6 cyl Problem not starting SOLVED!!

This is my first forum post but I have to get this story out so maybe it will help others. But first a big shout out THANK-You to ZSTAMPE for sharing what was the solution to my mysterious 04 4Runner problem. My daughter has the 4Runner about 3 hours from me. The problem first reared it's ugly head when she called to say her CEL came on after stopping for fuel. The VSC Trac and VSC Off lights also came on. I thought that could be from a bad gas cap. After ordering one and having it shipped to her, I found it did not clear the CEL and other 2 lights. Then a few days later she called to say the 4Runner would not crank. Talking to her on the phone she told me there was NO sound coming from the vehicle as she turned the ignition switch and it was not turning over like the starter was trying to start the engine...only silence. The cabin lights were working and the headlights worked but no sound when the keyed ignition was turned. I thought about it and concluded the 3 1/2 year old battery must be bad. I talked she and her friend through a new battery installation. The vehicle would still not start (still SILENCE) and did not turn over or make any familiar clicking noises. I arranged a tow truck to pick the 4Runner up and towed to a Birmingham, AL local auto shop. The next day the mechanic had gone through the vehicle with a good look under the hood and found no cable issues, fuse/relay issues, but he did say the starter was NOT getting any current. Then on a whim he tried to crank the vehicle and voila it cranked!! He could only advise me after admitting he really did nothing to the vehicle that I may want to consider taking it to the Toyota dealership in Birmingham if it happened again. He thought it may have a problem with the ECU. My daughter picked the vehicle up and it ran fine. This incident cost a tow charge and an $80 auto shop charge. The vehicle ran fine up until 2 weeks later and then the call came in from my daughter that while at the grocery store the 4Runner would not crank again. The vehicle spent the night in grocery store parking lot and the next morning I arrange another tow. This time I was going to take the mechanics suggestion and have it towed to the Birmingham dealership in Hoover. BIG, HUGE mistake!!!! The morning of the tow the tow truck operator tried to crank the 4Runner and again it was total silence. He then towed it to the Hoover Toyota dealership. A few hours later that morning when I first was able to speak with the service manager I was told the vehicle actually cranked up right off the tow truck and they DROVE it into the shop. The CEL and VSC TRAC and VSC Off lights were still on but I proceeded to explain to the service manager the problem with the vehicle not cranking and that was much worse a problem than the CEL issue. A few hours later the Toyota service manager called to tell me his "technician" had diagnosed the "not starting" problem to the MAF sensor malfunctioning and burning out because of the K&N air filter that I had recently cleaned and oiled. In addition I was told the air filter had fouled out the spark plugs and that they needed changing and also an induction service was needed as well as replacing the K&N air filter (has 100K miles on it) with a Toyota air filter. The suggested charges for these "stealership" services were:$312.10 for a new MAF; $157.07 for new spark plugs; $140.97 induction service; $23 for a new air filter, Total charges suggested $633.14. When I first heard of these "findings" I insisted that none of these "issues" could possibly be the cause of the vehicle not starting. The clowns, I mean "technicians" insisted the K&N air filter caused all these problems and these problems were why the vehicle would not start. They also told me they had checked all fuses and relays and said they were fine. I had them stand by for about an hour while I contemplated what my next move would be knowing my daughter desperately needed the vehicle to get to work. That's is when, while browsing through a Toyota forum I found the post from DPROSS16 who had experienced the SAME problem with his 4Runner not starting and then starting out of the blue. I saw where ZSTAMPE had suggested his problem was a 20 amp EFI fuse that was loose. As soon as I read these posts I called to tell Toyota that I was not going to pay for there suggested service findings. I did asked them to check the 20 amp EFI fuse before my daughter, who was already on her way to pick the vehicle up, got there. When my daughter got to the Hoover Toyota stealership the Service Manager proceeded to blast her with the accusation that they knew what the problem with her vehicle was but her Dad would not pay for it! They also told her the fuses had already been checked and they were fine and were not the cause of the problem. She drove the vehicle away after I paid $49.95 for Toyota clowns to diagnose the vehicle starting problem. My daughter drove the vehicle home (3 hours) the next day without any issues and with the CEL, VSC Trac and VSC Off lights still on. The next day I pulled and cleaned the MAF (10 minutes), pulled the K&N to wipe off any excess oil, and then pulled the fuse box cover. I looked over all the fuses and relays and then pulled the 20 amp EFI fuse. Lo and behold I found the prongs of the fuse to be corroded, with one leg slightly burned looking and a dark, burn stain down into the plastic fuse hosing. Wondering what would happen if I tried to crank the vehicle with the EFI fuse completely removed (some folks I asked had told me the vehicle would still turn over if the EFI fuse were bad) and found complete SILENCE as I turned the ignition key!! Just as my daughter had experienced twice with the vehicle not starting. I replaced the 20 amp fuse with a new one and the vehicle cranked right up. I took it to Advanced Auto for them to pull a code for the CEL (the CEL light had actually gone out on my way to the parts store). The scan tool indicated an air/fuel sensor at Bank 2 Sensor 1. I purchased ($150.00) the sensor and installed it. The VSC Trac and VSC Off lights DID NOT go off. I assume I will be performing a "Zero Point Calibration" procedure soon. For now back to Birmingham the vehicle went, running smoothly and getting over 20 MPG! Many thanks to all the GREAT information made available on these Toyota forums! And watch out for the scabs and scams at Toyota stealerships!!
 
I have a similar problem. it started with an intermittent starter fault and sometimes a slow spark. now I get no crank and have had all the components tested. the mechanic suggested a new ecm (as the signal gets to the emc but not through it) which I bought and it did nothing. I have a push button switch on a modified relay so I can start the car but I want it to run properly. also now I have battery drain and the car dies if I switch to neutral or park...
 
I have similar issues

JDAU77 said:
This is my first forum post but I have to get this story out so maybe it will help others. But first a big shout out THANK-You to ZSTAMPE for sharing what was the solution to my mysterious 04 4Runner problem. My daughter has the 4Runner about 3 hours from me. The problem first reared it's ugly head when she called to say her CEL came on after stopping for fuel. The VSC Trac and VSC Off lights also came on. I thought that could be from a bad gas cap. After ordering one and having it shipped to her, I found it did not clear the CEL and other 2 lights. Then a few days later she called to say the 4Runner would not crank. Talking to her on the phone she told me there was NO sound coming from the vehicle as she turned the ignition switch and it was not turning over like the starter was trying to start the engine...only silence. The cabin lights were working and the headlights worked but no sound when the keyed ignition was turned. I thought about it and concluded the 3 1/2 year old battery must be bad. I talked she and her friend through a new battery installation. The vehicle would still not start (still SILENCE) and did not turn over or make any familiar clicking noises. I arranged a tow truck to pick the 4Runner up and towed to a Birmingham, AL local auto shop. The next day the mechanic had gone through the vehicle with a good look under the hood and found no cable issues, fuse/relay issues, but he did say the starter was NOT getting any current. Then on a whim he tried to crank the vehicle and voila it cranked!! He could only advise me after admitting he really did nothing to the vehicle that I may want to consider taking it to the Toyota dealership in Birmingham if it happened again. He thought it may have a problem with the ECU. My daughter picked the vehicle up and it ran fine. This incident cost a tow charge and an $80 auto shop charge. The vehicle ran fine up until 2 weeks later and then the call came in from my daughter that while at the grocery store the 4Runner would not crank again. The vehicle spent the night in grocery store parking lot and the next morning I arrange another tow. This time I was going to take the mechanics suggestion and have it towed to the Birmingham dealership in Hoover. BIG, HUGE mistake!!!! The morning of the tow the tow truck operator tried to crank the 4Runner and again it was total silence. He then towed it to the Hoover Toyota dealership. A few hours later that morning when I first was able to speak with the service manager I was told the vehicle actually cranked up right off the tow truck and they DROVE it into the shop. The CEL and VSC TRAC and VSC Off lights were still on but I proceeded to explain to the service manager the problem with the vehicle not cranking and that was much worse a problem than the CEL issue. A few hours later the Toyota service manager called to tell me his "technician" had diagnosed the "not starting" problem to the MAF sensor malfunctioning and burning out because of the K&N air filter that I had recently cleaned and oiled. In addition I was told the air filter had fouled out the spark plugs and that they needed changing and also an induction service was needed as well as replacing the K&N air filter (has 100K miles on it) with a Toyota air filter. The suggested charges for these "stealership" services were:$312.10 for a new MAF; $157.07 for new spark plugs; $140.97 induction service; $23 for a new air filter, Total charges suggested $633.14. When I first heard of these "findings" I insisted that none of these "issues" could possibly be the cause of the vehicle not starting. The clowns, I mean "technicians" insisted the K&N air filter caused all these problems and these problems were why the vehicle would not start. They also told me they had checked all fuses and relays and said they were fine. I had them stand by for about an hour while I contemplated what my next move would be knowing my daughter desperately needed the vehicle to get to work. That's is when, while browsing through a Toyota forum I found the post from DPROSS16 who had experienced the SAME problem with his 4Runner not starting and then starting out of the blue. I saw where ZSTAMPE had suggested his problem was a 20 amp EFI fuse that was loose. As soon as I read these posts I called to tell Toyota that I was not going to pay for there suggested service findings. I did asked them to check the 20 amp EFI fuse before my daughter, who was already on her way to pick the vehicle up, got there. When my daughter got to the Hoover Toyota stealership the Service Manager proceeded to blast her with the accusation that they knew what the problem with her vehicle was but her Dad would not pay for it! They also told her the fuses had already been checked and they were fine and were not the cause of the problem. She drove the vehicle away after I paid $49.95 for Toyota clowns to diagnose the vehicle starting problem. My daughter drove the vehicle home (3 hours) the next day without any issues and with the CEL, VSC Trac and VSC Off lights still on. The next day I pulled and cleaned the MAF (10 minutes), pulled the K&N to wipe off any excess oil, and then pulled the fuse box cover. I looked over all the fuses and relays and then pulled the 20 amp EFI fuse. Lo and behold I found the prongs of the fuse to be corroded, with one leg slightly burned looking and a dark, burn stain down into the plastic fuse hosing. Wondering what would happen if I tried to crank the vehicle with the EFI fuse completely removed (some folks I asked had told me the vehicle would still turn over if the EFI fuse were bad) and found complete SILENCE as I turned the ignition key!! Just as my daughter had experienced twice with the vehicle not starting. I replaced the 20 amp fuse with a new one and the vehicle cranked right up. I took it to Advanced Auto for them to pull a code for the CEL (the CEL light had actually gone out on my way to the parts store). The scan tool indicated an air/fuel sensor at Bank 2 Sensor 1. I purchased ($150.00) the sensor and installed it. The VSC Trac and VSC Off lights DID NOT go off. I assume I will be performing a "Zero Point Calibration" procedure soon. For now back to Birmingham the vehicle went, running smoothly and getting over 20 MPG! Many thanks to all the GREAT information made available on these Toyota forums! And watch out for the scabs and scams at Toyota stealerships!!
Click to expand...

Hello, new guy here. Sorry for reviving this old discussion, but I have the same issue. Mine is a 2003 V8 with 283k miles. Just recently, she will start for a few seconds then dies. The only way to keep her engine running was to put the key to ON position for 3-5 seconds and then to START position. Check engine light lit and VSC Trac on, VSC Off. RPM looks OK, ithink.I don't really pay attention to it when I drive until now. Idle = 600rpm, 65mph=2k rpm, 80mph= 2.4k rpm. There was hesitation like engine ready to die every time I push gas heavily to reach 3k rpm. As long as i keep the rpm below 3k, no problem accelerating even up to 90mph.
I bought a cheap OBDII scanner from Walmart and got codes P0031,P0037,P0051, P0057, P0101 AND P0102. I then replaced the original MAF sensor with a new one from Autozone. Tried to clear codes but MIL still there. I checked for DTC once again and now it only showed P0101 and P0102. Weird, since I just replaced the MAF sensor.
I checked for the EFI fuses. 20 amp is fine, but no.2(10amp) blown. However, No. 2 fuse kept blowing! Now I am really puzzled. What is causing the EFI fuse no.2 to blow every time I put ignition to ON position? Truck still runs alright as long I keep rpm below 3k.
Could it be caused by failed O2 sensors? My area was flooded badly last Friday during the storm.
I tried to reset ECU by disconnecting the battery- NO luck.

JDU77, did your zero calibration work to completely erase MIL? Thanks for your input all, in advance.
 
Unfortunately I had the same issue., it was a bad ground near the battery check those out an make sure they have a good connection. I have a 2003 4runner and ever since I replaced the original ground near the front behind the battery I never had that problem sounds like exactly the same issue. Glad you found the issue with the fracture on the fuse crazy huh. thank god for this forum. good luck
 
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got4rnr said:
Hello, new guy here. Sorry for reviving this old discussion, but I have the same issue. Mine is a 2003 V8 with 283k miles. Just recently, she will start for a few seconds then dies. The only way to keep her engine running was to put the key to ON position for 3-5 seconds and then to START position. Check engine light lit and VSC Trac on, VSC Off. RPM looks OK, ithink.I don't really pay attention to it when I drive until now. Idle = 600rpm, 65mph=2k rpm, 80mph= 2.4k rpm. There was hesitation like engine ready to die every time I push gas heavily to reach 3k rpm. As long as i keep the rpm below 3k, no problem accelerating even up to 90mph.
I bought a cheap OBDII scanner from Walmart and got codes P0031,P0037,P0051, P0057, P0101 AND P0102. I then replaced the original MAF sensor with a new one from Autozone. Tried to clear codes but MIL still there. I checked for DTC once again and now it only showed P0101 and P0102. Weird, since I just replaced the MAF sensor.
I checked for the EFI fuses. 20 amp is fine, but no.2(10amp) blown. However, No. 2 fuse kept blowing! Now I am really puzzled. What is causing the EFI fuse no.2 to blow every time I put ignition to ON position? Truck still runs alright as long I keep rpm below 3k.
Could it be caused by failed O2 sensors? My area was flooded badly last Friday during the storm.
I tried to reset ECU by disconnecting the battery- NO luck.

JDU77, did your zero calibration work to completely erase MIL? Thanks for your input all, in advance.
Click to expand...

Well, $550, (ouch!) later and the 4rnr now running good with no codes. Local shop tech kept her for 4 days and diagnosed wiring(short) on the O2 sensor was the culprit. The bill was for diagnosing, fixing wiring that caused the issue with blown efi fuse and replacing a leaking power steering hose. I'm really hoping she'll give us another 283k miles with minimal issues....lol.
 
swiftneed said:
Unfortunately I had the same issue., it was a bad ground near the battery check those out an make sure they have a good connection. I have a 2003 4runner and ever since I replaced the original ground near the front behind the battery I never had that problem sounds like exactly the same issue. Glad you found the issue with the fracture on the fuse crazy huh. thank god for this forum. good luck
Click to expand...

I tried that but to no avail. I spent almost two days in the hopes I can resolve the problem, yep, no luck. So I decided to just have a shop do it for me.

This 4rnr has been in the family for twelve years. I got it when it had almost 50k miles. I sold it to my sister 12k miles later. Most of regular services and maintenance done by my bro-in-law. They never had major issues. I got the truck back from them almost 1.5 years ago at around 175k miles. 4rnr still runs strong and I am hoping this will be my son's truck for a few years.
 
I have been having this exact problem. Crossing my fingers. I will check it out when I get home.

Mine started over the weekend when I had it jacked up to replace the pads and rotors this weekend. Wonder if the torque from jacking up one side at a time did something. I already cleaned the brake cables with a wire brush.
 
I want to give a round of beers to everyone!

bumping this old thread, This saved my bacon today.

changed the front bank 1 sensor 1 02 sensor, got the following codes:

P0101 P0031 P0051 P0037 codes. thinking it was the MAF sensor, i ordered it. did a little digging, threw all the codes into google found this thread, called up my mechanic, we pulled number 2 EFI fuse as recommended here, saw it was burnt!



BAM! started right up!

thank you everyone!
 
2008 4Runner cranks but won't stay on...

Hello all, I am having an odd issue with my 2008 V6 4Runner not starting.
The starter keeps going even after I stop turning the key!! It acts as if it isn't getting any gas. I did disconnect the battery (both poles for 10 minutes) to reset the computer as suggested in another thread. I did check the EFI fuse(es). The Check Engine Light is on as well as the Oil Temp A/F and the Oil Light. Just 3h earlier I drove the car and it was fine. A few days back I jumped another car. I also noticed that my clock would sometimes reset as if the battery disconnected. I'd hate to have it towed to a shop just to find that it's some stupid fuse or so... Anyone have a idea what else this could be?
It is late but tomorrow I might try pulling and testing ALL the fuses. Thanks for your help guys!
 
I’m about to post question on something similar re our 08

OverlanderSA said:
Hello all, I am having an odd issue with my 2008 V6 4Runner not starting.
The starter keeps going even after I stop turning the key!! It acts as if it isn't getting any gas. I did disconnect the battery (both poles for 10 minutes) to reset the computer as suggested in another thread. I did check the EFI fuse(es). The Check Engine Light is on as well as the Oil Temp A/F and the Oil Light. Just 3h earlier I drove the car and it was fine. A few days back I jumped another car. I also noticed that my clock would sometimes reset as if the battery disconnected. I'd hate to have it towed to a shop just to find that it's some stupid fuse or so... Anyone have a idea what else this could be?
It is late but tomorrow I might try pulling and testing ALL the fuses. Thanks for your help guys!
Click to expand...
 
OverlanderSA said:
Hello all, I am having an odd issue with my 2008 V6 4Runner not starting.
The starter keeps going even after I stop turning the key!! It acts as if it isn't getting any gas. I did disconnect the battery (both poles for 10 minutes) to reset the computer as suggested in another thread. I did check the EFI fuse(es). The Check Engine Light is on as well as the Oil Temp A/F and the Oil Light. Just 3h earlier I drove the car and it was fine. A few days back I jumped another car. I also noticed that my clock would sometimes reset as if the battery disconnected. I'd hate to have it towed to a shop just to find that it's some stupid fuse or so... Anyone have a idea what else this could be?
It is late but tomorrow I might try pulling and testing ALL the fuses. Thanks for your help guys!
Click to expand...

The starter staying engaged once you turn the key to start is normal the starter will stay engaged until it starts, the only way to stop the starter is to turn the key to off or the engine starts.

When you jumped the other vehicle are you sure the cables never got connected incorrectly, if that happens it can and will cause many problems.

For starters I would have the battery load tested from what you say about the clock resetting, it's possible that if the battery is on it's last leg it can cause the non-start issue, also check all ground connections as well as the positive cables/wires for being clean, clean them to bright clean metal then re-tighten them.
 
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Had it towed to a shop. They replaced the fuel pump and it ran again.
A few days later the same problem comes back.
I take it to a different shop. They measure the fuel pressure. It's too low.
They drop the tank, take apart the fuel pump assembly and find a broken o-ring.
They replace the o-ring and it's been running fine ever since.
 
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