Weird Starting Problem with my 03

Mark86

Mark86

Super Moderator
I have been having this intermintent problem starting my 03. It began this past Friday after I filled up with gas. I always turn the engine off, but I had to turn the key to ON to check if I was full. When I turned the key, I heard the starter crank and the engine stuggle to turn over. It almost sounded like one of the spark plugs didn't fire. When I went to restart it, it started perfectly. I didn't think anything of this and figured it was a bad tank of gas or I just started it wrong. Today it happened again. I am not sure if it is a coincidence, but I was at the same gas station today and it wouldn't start after getting gas. I once again turned the key to ON a couple of times to make sure I was full. It was the same sound and it started after the second time. I have gotten gas one time in between these two episodes and for the 10 months I had the truck with no problems. I always use the same gas station and the 93 Octane. Does anybody else have this problem? What could this be? I hope it isn't a sign of something going bad and one day I will be stranded because it won't start. :sobbing:
 
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Mark86 said:
I have been having this intermintent problem starting my 03. It began this past Friday after I filled up with gas. I always turn the engine off, but I had to turn the key to ON to check if I was full. When I turned the key, I heard the starter crank and the engine stuggle to turn over. It almost sounded like one of the spark plugs didn't fire. When I went to restart it, it started perfectly. I didn't think anything of this and figured it was a bad tank of gas or I just started it wrong. Today it happened again. I am not sure if it is a coincidence, but I was at the same gas station today and it wouldn't start after getting gas. I once again turned the key to ON a couple of times to make sure I was full. It was the same sound and it started after the second time. I have gotten gas one time in between these two episodes and for the 10 months I had the truck with no problems. I always use the same gas station and the 93 Octane. Does anybody else have this problem? What could this be? I hope it isn't a sign of something going bad and one day I will be stranded because it won't start. :sobbing:
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Not sure what is going on, but from your description, I would doubt is had anything to do with the gas. If you had just finished filling up, the 'new' gas didn't have time to make it thru the lines to the filter and into the injectors on the first start. I'm not sure why you have to turn the key on to check the gauge to see if it's full? The fuel gauge on the toyota, like many others has somewhat of a delay built into it. The computer continually samples the level and uses an average of readings to set the dash display. This is supposed to prevent rapid needle swings when cornering, stopping and starting. So, when you fill the tank, it will take a few miniutes with the key on before it shows the true full reading. Maybe the ECU is getting confused by the extra cycles to the on position without actually starting the engine and this is causing the stumble when you actually do try to start it.
 
It hapened again yesterday while getting gas yesterday. I turn the key to ON to make sure that the guy topped me off. The gas nozzle always pops out and I just want to make sure. Thanks for the help.
 
Mark86 said:
It hapened again yesterday while getting gas yesterday. I turn the key to ON to make sure that the guy topped me off. The gas nozzle always pops out and I just want to make sure. Thanks for the help.
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Are you doing anything differently recently? Do you have the gas cap back in place when you are starting or is it still off? Have you tried to duplicate what you are doing someplace different to see if it happens other than at the gas station?
 
Starting problems

Is this only problems when starting or also when the vehicle is running or under load?

If this is only when starting, it is highly unlikely that it is a fuel problem.

If this happens when starting and under load (accelerating), then you could have a fuel problem. I encountered a problem filling up my Jeep a few years back putting the best gas in the tank just after a tanker filled the underground tanks. The rust and debris floating around the underground tank made it into my Jeep and clogged the fuel pump. I also had a recent tune up on my old honda, and the mechanic didn't torque one of the plugs correctly, so the car ran really rough at low idle and had a hard time starting (plug actually popped out of its socket).
 
This is the only time that I ever had a problem starting it. I am not doing anything different this time than any other time I fill up with gas. I always wait until I hear the gas tank close and then I start. That is a good idea TechWrench. I will try to duplicate it in my driverway tomorrow. I sometimes turn it to ON to listen to the radio, but it never happened.
 
Sorry to resurect this thread, but I just had a similar issue with my 04 yesterday, and I was curious if this problem persisted?

It started fine in the morning, went to go get lunch and it seemed to crank a really long time, and then just barely ticked over and slowly built up RPMs. It did it again when I was leaving work to go home. Shut it off when I got home, and immediately restarted, and it started normally. It started normally again this morning after sitting all night.

I just passed it off to bad gas too, since I had just filled up the night before. We have been getting nothing but rain for the last three or four weeks here, and I thought maybe the station got some water in it's gas. But I saw your post and it sounds exactly like what mine did.

Let me know.
Thanks,
Mike
 
It only happens to me when I turn the ignition to "ON' for a short period of time (to close or open a window) and try to start it up later. Otherwise, it starts normally.
 
JungleJim said:
Modern vehicles don't like to be "topped off". When the pump stops, don't add more.
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i never top off after the pump stops and my gas gauge needle goes wayyy past the full mark. can you tell if they top it off by looking at the needle??
 
tkr128 said:
It only happens to me when I turn the ignition to "ON' for a short period of time (to close or open a window) and try to start it up later. Otherwise, it starts normally.
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The problem that I originally described in the thread happens exactly the same way on mine as you described. It makes the cranking noise but just stalls.

mjfrank said:
Sorry to resurect this thread, but I just had a similar issue with my 04 yesterday, and I was curious if this problem persiste
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Mine does this too. It sounds like it struggles to turn over and finally does. Mine does this in the cold weather usually after I drive and then stop for awhile. I chalked it up as a normal problem even though it sounds scary!
 
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when you turn the ignition on the fuel injector are pumping gas,
It looks like It's getting flooded.
By the way, every time you turn the ignition on without cranking the engine it short the timing and igniton life.
 
The starting problem occured on mine without leaving the ignition in the on position. I was just starting it normally.

Unless there is a bad/leaking injector, there's really no way a fuel-injected vehicle can be flooded by turning the ignition to on or pressing on the accelerator pedal. The pump should run until the max pressure is hit, and then stop. There is a bypass/return line that will send any extra gas back to the tank.

That can happen though, my brother had a Firebird that an injector failed, filled the cylinder with gas, and hydrolocked the engine. The whole crankcase was full of gas when the dealer opened it up. Quite a mess.

Well, it's been two days now, and it hasn't happened again. I guess I'll just monitor it, and take it to the dealer if it gets worse.

Thanks,
--Mike
 
I would check the battery. If it is cold and you are ;eaving the car on with no engine running or you come back after sometime and the car is hard to start, sounds like a low cranking amps to me. Check that battery!!

Brian
 
Turning the key to the on position pumps fuel for 5 seconds (it is in the manual somewhere i believe). If you turn to On, switch back and then you turn to start you are probably flooding it as mentioned above.
 
I didn't turn the ignition on and off when this happened, I turned right though the on position to start, like you would normally start a vehicle.

The fuel injectors are actuated by an electronic impulse from the computer. The computer won't fire the injector unless you are cranking the engine. That is the only way to get fuel into the engine, and therefore flood it, unless the injectors are leaking.

The pump running for 5 seconds is just it pressurizing the fuel injector rail. Many engines keep the fuel rail pressurized even after the ignition is turned off. If they sprayed fuel as soon as the pump started, there would be a lot of hard starting engines out there.

This sounds more like a fuel starvation problem, like the injectors didn't fire right away.

Like I said, it's only done this twice, and had started fine since, so I guess I just wait until it happens again.

--Mike
 
I am sorry to bringing up an old thread... rather than creating a new one, I am have the same random starting issue. When it occurs, it sounds like the car is cranking for at least 5 seconds until it fires up.. it happens randomly.
Has anyone found out a solution or cause to this problem?
Thanks, Paul
 
What are the symptoms of a leaky injector besides hard starting? Is an intermittent fast idle that lasts about 10 seconds when you start the vehicle when already warmed up a symptom? I know that you are supposed to have a fast idle when the engine is cold.
 
Hi, I do not know if anything is leaking. The last occurance was in about 1 hr 15min intervals after the car has been turned off... Maybe its just the cold weather?
 
My 04 4Runner had a similar symptom recently, just like starting a flooded engine --- slow crank and rpm builds up slowly in a cold morning (< 40F). It was after I forgot to put back the gas cap in a rain after putting in gas..... A tankful or two later when CA had this cold snap this past Jan, this symptom started, at the time I wasn't sure if it was water in the gas line or the cold weather exposed a "hidden" problem. I sent it to the dealer for a check up (still under warranty), they said no problems.....

At this point I had to do something myself; I put in some fuel injector cleaner, the problem became less severe (though I did not know if it was the cleaner or the warmer weather). The problem was gone after a 500 mile continuous freeway driving. After overnight temp of 20+F, no problem.

What I don't understand is the check engine light did not come on.
 
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