1. Welcome to Tundras.com!

    You are currently viewing as a guest! To get full-access, you need to register for a FREE account.

    As a registered member, you’ll be able to:
    • Participate in all Tundra discussion topics
    • Transfer over your build thread from a different forum to this one
    • Communicate privately with other Tundra owners from around the world
    • Post your own photos in our Members Gallery
    • Access all special features of the site

Tundra cold start issues

Discussion in '2nd Gen Tundras (2007-2013)' started by Johnny Dangerfield, Feb 23, 2020.

  1. Feb 23, 2020 at 7:52 AM
    #1
    Johnny Dangerfield

    Johnny Dangerfield [OP] New Member

    Joined:
    Feb 23, 2020
    Member:
    #43026
    Messages:
    7
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Johnny
    Vehicle:
    2012 Toyota Tundra crew max
    Level kit, exhaust
    Hi out there. I have a 2012 Toyota Tundra crew max flex fuel that is having cold start issues. When I start it in the morning it barley turns over. I have to floor the gas pedal and white smoke bellows from the exhaust. It started a couple of years ago. It only happens once in the morning and not for the rest of the day. I do not use the flex fuel. It only happens in winter months. It’s not the battery, it’s not the spark plugs. The Toyota dealership tells me they have no idea what it is and are trying to charge 2k just to look at it.
    Any advice is greatly appreciated! Thank you.
     
  2. Feb 23, 2020 at 11:17 AM
    #2
    rebmo

    rebmo 2020 Crewmax Limited 4wd Silver/Black

    Joined:
    Dec 24, 2014
    Member:
    #827
    Messages:
    411
    Gender:
    Male
    Rural SE Wisconsin
    Vehicle:
    2020 CM LImited 5.7L V8 4WD
    How old is the battery? Clean tight terminals?
     
  3. Feb 23, 2020 at 11:29 AM
    #3
    Johnny Dangerfield

    Johnny Dangerfield [OP] New Member

    Joined:
    Feb 23, 2020
    Member:
    #43026
    Messages:
    7
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Johnny
    Vehicle:
    2012 Toyota Tundra crew max
    Level kit, exhaust
    1.5 years old. Clean tight terminals. That was one of the first things I tried as well. (New battery)
     
  4. Feb 23, 2020 at 11:43 AM
    #4
    bleach

    bleach MEME Fiend

    Joined:
    Jan 19, 2020
    Member:
    #41465
    Messages:
    1,406
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    DJ
    Battle Ground, WA
    Vehicle:
    1991 White Xtra-cab SR5 4X4 V6 5 speed 148K
    Why would the dealer want to charge $2000 to just look at it? There could be some warranty coverage.
     
  5. Feb 23, 2020 at 11:54 AM
    #5
    Johnny Dangerfield

    Johnny Dangerfield [OP] New Member

    Joined:
    Feb 23, 2020
    Member:
    #43026
    Messages:
    7
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Johnny
    Vehicle:
    2012 Toyota Tundra crew max
    Level kit, exhaust
    It’s just a quote the Mgr gave me. It’s a 2012. No more warranty.
     
  6. Feb 23, 2020 at 12:03 PM
    #6
    bleach

    bleach MEME Fiend

    Joined:
    Jan 19, 2020
    Member:
    #41465
    Messages:
    1,406
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    DJ
    Battle Ground, WA
    Vehicle:
    1991 White Xtra-cab SR5 4X4 V6 5 speed 148K
    Is it throwing any codes? You should start there. Maybe someone can help you with that.
     
  7. Feb 23, 2020 at 12:45 PM
    #7
    Johnny Dangerfield

    Johnny Dangerfield [OP] New Member

    Joined:
    Feb 23, 2020
    Member:
    #43026
    Messages:
    7
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Johnny
    Vehicle:
    2012 Toyota Tundra crew max
    Level kit, exhaust
    I’m not sure. Good idea. I’ll have to find a mechanic to see if it is. Ive heard of this happening before with other tundras. I just wanted to see if anyone else has experienced this and what their fix was.....
     
  8. Feb 23, 2020 at 12:51 PM
    #8
    JohnLakeman

    JohnLakeman Burning Internet Daylight

    Joined:
    Feb 21, 2019
    Member:
    #26430
    Messages:
    3,008
    Gender:
    Male
    Outside of Weird, TX
    Vehicle:
    2017 MGM DC TSS 4.6L
    TRD Pro grille, 2018 LED Headlights, Undercover Flex bed cover, Neoprene seat covers, Bed/tailgate mats, Power tailgate lock, auto headlights, illuminated key switch
    I'm guessing you park it outside overnight. The "white smoke" is likely caused by water vapor made in the combustion process. It's normal for cold starts in the winter, and usually persists in cold climates, not just on start up.

    Flooring the gas pedal likely does nothing but open the throttle valve completely imo; starting fuel is controlled by the ECM. Opening the throttle valve would help if it was flooding, but an over-rich condition would yield black exhaust smoke. I'm thinking you're on the lean end of the fuel-air ratio.

    With the flex fuel, you're going to need expert help. Find another dealer, diagnosis should be maybe one tenth of what he quoted you. Ask them if there is any record of corrective ECM reflashes for your VIN.
     
    Failure2comply and Black Wolf like this.
  9. Feb 23, 2020 at 12:56 PM
    #9
    Johnny Dangerfield

    Johnny Dangerfield [OP] New Member

    Joined:
    Feb 23, 2020
    Member:
    #43026
    Messages:
    7
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Johnny
    Vehicle:
    2012 Toyota Tundra crew max
    Level kit, exhaust
    All good advice. Thank you.
    The reason I throttle it is because it won’t start if I don’t. I’ve tried just starting it and nothing else & it just spits, sputters and spazzes out. If I throttle it, it’s starts every time.
     
  10. Feb 23, 2020 at 12:59 PM
    #10
    bleach

    bleach MEME Fiend

    Joined:
    Jan 19, 2020
    Member:
    #41465
    Messages:
    1,406
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    DJ
    Battle Ground, WA
    Vehicle:
    1991 White Xtra-cab SR5 4X4 V6 5 speed 148K
    Sign up here: https://www.toyota.com/owners/register.
    You can find out what kind of work has been done by the previous owners at any dealership.
    I'm wondering if that's a symptom of the AIP system malfunctioning. It sounds like it hasn't failed yet. You'd get a check engine light and the truck would run badly. Toyota extended the warranty for this to 10 years/150K miles.
     
    Failure2comply likes this.
  11. Feb 23, 2020 at 1:06 PM
    #11
    Johnny Dangerfield

    Johnny Dangerfield [OP] New Member

    Joined:
    Feb 23, 2020
    Member:
    #43026
    Messages:
    7
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Johnny
    Vehicle:
    2012 Toyota Tundra crew max
    Level kit, exhaust
    Copy that. Thank you. I am the OG owner. Bought the truck with 90 miles on it in 2012. This just started happening a couple of years ago and only in the winter. Has never happened for the first 6/7 years.
     
    bleach likes this.
  12. Feb 23, 2020 at 1:22 PM
    #12
    BTBAKER

    BTBAKER DIFFERENT NAME. SAME JUNK.

    Joined:
    Nov 26, 2017
    Member:
    #11185
    Messages:
    5,424
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Brad
    Castle Rock
    Vehicle:
    2023 Ram Rebel
    You need them to flash the fuel mixture. It’s pretty common. Mine did it. The computer was telling the truck it was running E85 even though I never have. Once they flashed the ECU it has started perfectly. Surprised your dealer doesn’t even know that...
     
  13. Feb 23, 2020 at 1:27 PM
    #13
    bleach

    bleach MEME Fiend

    Joined:
    Jan 19, 2020
    Member:
    #41465
    Messages:
    1,406
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    DJ
    Battle Ground, WA
    Vehicle:
    1991 White Xtra-cab SR5 4X4 V6 5 speed 148K
    Don't go back to that one then.
     
  14. Feb 23, 2020 at 1:42 PM
    #14
    Johnny Dangerfield

    Johnny Dangerfield [OP] New Member

    Joined:
    Feb 23, 2020
    Member:
    #43026
    Messages:
    7
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Johnny
    Vehicle:
    2012 Toyota Tundra crew max
    Level kit, exhaust
    -BT BAKER thanks man that’s exactly what I was looking for and now that you mention it, I remember hearing a couple of others say that was the fix.


    -bleach, duh dude.
     
    BTBAKER likes this.
  15. Feb 23, 2020 at 3:46 PM
    #15
    BTBAKER

    BTBAKER DIFFERENT NAME. SAME JUNK.

    Joined:
    Nov 26, 2017
    Member:
    #11185
    Messages:
    5,424
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Brad
    Castle Rock
    Vehicle:
    2023 Ram Rebel
    Sure thing. Let me know what they try to charge you for the flash. Mine was under warranty.
     

Products Discussed in

To Top