I have posted starting troubles with my 1995 T100 SR5 4x4 (original post 5/16/07) and between the answers from this forum and my Toyota mechanic, I have tried to correct the starting problem but it persists.. The only problem I have is getting it started (extended cycle then a puff of black smoke with an awful exhaust smell). Once started it runs like new and I got 20 mpg on the last tank of gas.. I have changed the plugs, plug wires, fuel filter, fuel pump, air filter, cat converter and O2 sensors.. I have had the MAF sensor cleaned and still the extended starting problem with the black smoke.. No smoke, rough idle, performance loss, anything but the starting issue.. I don't have the problem until I drive the truck.. The first start every morning it fires right up.. My mechanic ruled out the fuel pump check valve due to this and also ruled out the ignitor coils because of how it runs (never misses).. I just don't know what to do and it drives me crazy to have this problem, as you can tell by all the money I have spent to try and fix the problem, although the repairs made were necessary due to either worn out parts or check engine codes (cat converter).. The engine only has 85,000 on it, although the truck has 155,000, due to the original engine being replaced with an exact match due to a cheapo oil change mishap 70,000 miles ago (previous owner).. Any suggestions? I gotta get this fixed and I don't want to get another truck, it was too hard to find this one and I don't want to "throw the baby out with the bath water"...

Any help is appreciated more than you know!

Go to Toyota's website and find the regional folks.

DO tell them your local dealership hasn't worked on the rig (near as what I can tell from your post). Any maintenance history available from the PO?

Also, you and your mech might want to go to www.techinfo.toyota.com to do some downloading to see if there are any relevant TSB's for your situation to explore. $10 well spent.

After that, between you and your mechanic, put together a package for the regional Toyota folks to look at for ideas for your problem; BUT accept they might not do anything for you unless you go to a dealership FIRST.

Make sure your documentation makes sense to someone who hasn't leaned over the fender with you.

You never mentioned this over on the thread where you complained about the hard starting. This is a *very* different scenario than the one you were describing there.

You'll drive people nuts trying to help you if you keep skipping over crucial pieces of information like this.

So now it's a hot restart problem, *not* simply the won't start in the morning you described before.

Btw, that's a hint. It's called heat soak.

Most mornings it fires right up.. Seems to do it more if I drive it, stop briefly, then try to start again.. I would think after sitting all night, the pressure would bleed back and do it every morning..



Here is a quote from the original thread, maybe you missed it.. (I am not the best at adding the fancy quotes from another thread).. I think I did mention most mornings are fine, its after I drive it and start it again.... If it is "heat soak", what is done about that and how can I go on a 650 mile trip and it never has a starting, or re-starting, issue but now the problem comes back? That is what's driving the mechanic crazy.. it comes and goes...

I am just trying to fix a problem, not trying to drive anyone else nuts!

It's all but impossible for a mechanic to find and fix a problem that doesn't exist when he's working on the vehicle. That's what makes transient problems so difficult to correct.

There are some things you can do to help trace this problem, and it involves spark and fuel. The next time it fails to start, stop trying to start it. Check for fuel rail pressure and then for spark.

I don't know where the pressure test port is on your particular fuel rail, but find it. At the least, learn where a fitting is that you can crack to check for the existence of pressure. You want to check and see if gasoline squirts out under pressure. You may want to test it right after it's running right a few times just to see what the gasoline squirts out like under proper pressure. You want to see if it's squirting out like that when it doesn't start.

Next is spark. You want to check for spark at the plugs, or at least one plug, when it doesn't start. You're looking to see if you don't have spark going to the plug(s) when it's refusing to start. If you use a lawnmower type spark tester, it's pretty easy to check.

Don't go "aha!" based on one test. Do it a few times, looking for a pattern. With that pattern, we on this board and your mechanic can continue going on locating exactly what is happening.

Heat soak has to do with things, particularly electrical things, get hot to the point they don't work right. Hall sensors inside electronic distributors for example. It can be quite a problem with components located around exhaust manifolds. Nissan had such a problem with heat soaking on some engines back in the 70/80's, they installed a little electric fan on a timer for some cars. Crude, but effective.

Thanks, Foxtrapper.. Let me go to work!

Somebody better call Dr. House <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Don't forget the code scanner, it could provide a clue, too.

I once tried to start my truck without the MAF hooked up. It still remembered the trouble code months later.

True about the heat soak. My half sister was going crazy trying to see where she was losing coolant in her car; we finally decided the head was cracked. Could run it to the gas station, but to drive the extra five miles to her house would have it spewing.

Good luck; great little thread! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />

I also have this starting problem. Sometimes when hot and also sometimes cold. It will tend turn over to much before starting. Then when it tries to start sometimes it pops like the timings out. Or it will barely start at low rpm and sputter up to idle. A good percentage of the time when it doesn't start the first time it will start quick the next turn of the key. I bought this 95 T100 3 years ago from a dealership with this problem. Besides this problem it's a fine running truck. Truck has 3.4l eng. 406 000Km. I will be interested in any knowledge of this problem.