My tundra cranks for a while when hot

If I start my tundra when it has been sitting for a while it will crank great or even on a cold day. But for some reason when I start driving it and use it more often and the engine gets hot it just takes a while to crank. I’ve seen others post about it on here but can’t seem to find the answer. Please help me I’m tired of the long cranking.

 

In newer trucks long cranking is often a symptom of incorrect ethanol fuel trims. Do you have a CEL or any codes? Have you cleaned the throttle body and MAF sensor? What do you plugs look like and when we’re they last changed? Are any vacuum lines disconnected? Are the battery terminals and cable free of corrosion?

 

No idea where you are at on the maintenance for this truck. All up to date? Neglected it and just drive it till it breaks?

 

There was a service letter for the later year vehicles with this issue and the fix was replacement cam position sensor. Don't know if it applies to earlier 2UZ engines.

Any recent repairs or modifications? Any pending or firm check engine lights?

First thing you should do is disconnect battery for 10 minutes to force a fuel trim re-learn.

Second thing I would check for any vacuum leaks when the engine is hot. Spray carb or brake clean around vacuum hoses and intake manifold area, if engine speed changes you found a leak. Early trucks had aluminum intake manifolds. Metal expands when hot so a failing intake manifold or throttle gasket may show up when the engine is hot.

Third thing I would do is clean the throttle body and MAF.

 

Is this a case where the truck was sitting for 30-60 minutes, then it does long cranks before it stays running?

Do you ever smell gas after it starts?

Could be leaky injectors.

 

Sorry but I didn’t mention it is a 2001 Toyota Tundra.

I do smell something but can't distinguish if it is gas or not but it is when it cranks for an extended amount of time. And I do have one firm engine check light.

I haven't cleaned MAF sensor nor the throttle body. But I will check vacuum hoses to see if it is that. But once I have an answer I will be sure to post it.

 

What is the check engine light?

Where is the smell coming from, primarily, like where is it strongest?

Knowing heat is a factor, have you attempted to bypass the fuel pump resistor? (in your earlier year, it's a silver finned thing mounted on top of the driver fender, between battery and brake booster)

Have you already inspected the routing of the crank position harness wire hasn't gotten damaged by pulley or belt?

Have you checked for signs of rodents with a mirror, looking on top of the gas tank?

How many miles on this thing?

 

Leaky injectors do not throw a code.

We are waiting for your update.

 

My truck has 240,000 miles. Ive kept up with it for the most part changed fuel pump, alternator, new battery, ignition switch. Ive kept up with oil changes for the most part. Today I cleaned out the Throttle body ( it was very dirty) I also switched one vacuum line because it was very loose but it still takes a while to turn over. The smell isn't gasoline, it a distinct smell. I can smell it inside the truck. I've cleaned the MAF before so I don't think it is that.

I haven't tried full pump resistor, nor crank position harness. I haven't checked the code for the engine light. Its been on since I got it 3 years ago.

 

I also changed sparked plugs about 2 years ago but I changed them for that same reason but the truck continued to do that shortly after that.

 

I've never changed ignition coils but I'm like the 3rd owner of truck

 

If you haven't scanned the truck to find out what codes are thrown, we are really just shooting in the dark here.

Stop by AutoZone and have them scan the truck( it's free).

Report what codes are shown on the scanner.

We can give you a much better idea what is going on.

Until then, I don't think any of us can really help you.

Please report back. Many of us love a good mystery, but we kinda need to see the picture.

 

That's pretty important info there. Specifically the fuel pump. What brand did you use?

Store brands tend to die within 3-5 years (fuel pump, starter, alternator, all three). We've seen some install DOA, much to the Tundra Owner's chagrin. We've also seen quite a few die within weeks or a couple months of install. Store brand parts are utter shit these days. If the truck is turning over strong, but isn't catching, and you replaced the fuel pump with a store brand pump, that's going to be my first suspect every time. BUT if you want to confirm that with almost no $$$, go to the parts store and buy some starter fluid. Spray it in the intake while the truck is in a normally-slow-start state (i.e. get the fucking truck hot so it'll start slow). Pop the intake off the throttle body. Spray ether into the throttle body. Put the intake hose back on the throttle body. If the truck turns over fast, you have one of two problems:

• Fuel pump is dying/failing/shitty part
• You're losing fuel pressure when the truck is hot, which means you're leaking fuel somewhere (as @koditten suggests, may be at the injectors, although that seems to be pretty rare with 1st gens w/2UZ-FE)

And despite your battery being new, budget and even mid-grade batteries are pretty much shit these days often times too. It only takes a minute at any major auto parts store chain, they'll test it for free!

 

When getting scanned at AutoZone, just get the code and report back here. Ignore everything else on their printout. Back when I got a CEL, I went to AutoZone for a scan. Their readout showed that one of my SAIS valves was stuck and recommended I replace the manifold gasket as a remedy. I came here with the code and learned that wasn't the case.

 

Hey guys sorry I took a while here is what I got.

Code P0174 at oreillys

and same code at AutoZone.

 

P0174 is suggesting you're running lean on the passenger side bank 2, i.e. the 4 cylinders on the passenger side bank. That means you're either getting too much air, or too little fuel to the passenger side of your engine.

On many EFI engines I've dealt with over the years (quite a few), fuel pump connects to the driver's side rail, and the driver's side rail routes to the passenger side from there. I'm quite certain the 2UZ-FE in your truck is the same, as shown below for fuel path, where the passenger rail gets the dregs. It has to have enough power/pressure to push the fuel to the point it gets consistent pressure all the way to the end of the line, and has enough pressure to return undelivered fuel to the tank. thankfully, there are pressure regulators along the line to make sure the pressure never gets too high.

If that's accurate, let me ask you what you think:

• If the passenger side fuel rail is at the end of the line,
• and the ECU is telling you you're running lean on the passenger side of your engine,
• which means you're likely either getting too much air or too little fuel/fuel pressure to the passenger side of the engine ...

What do you think the problem is in this case? What do you think would cause a case where either of those two things could be true, either getting too little fuel or too much air into ALL the cylinders on the passenger bank?

And will you please answer the question about what brand of fuel pump you bought and where you got it? Because the two answers may be one in the same.

 

To be honest I wouldn’t be able to tell you. Maybe the mass airflow sensor?

 

I was told also by AutoZone their was a misfire in cylinder 6

 

Quick Google search kinda debunks that. Now tell me more about the fuel pump, I'm asking for the 3rd time now and really want to help but I need info to help.

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BTW: Small hint, MAF detects air flow for ALL cylinders (both banks). If it was reading off, it would impact both banks, not one.

 

Interesting.

 

The fuel pump went out on me about two years ago what fuel pump the mechanic put im not sure must of been a store bought but I wouldn’t be able to tell you. But that check engine light has been on before that fuel pump went out. It has always had that problem with cranking when over used.

 

My bet is the fuel pump. Replace with OEM or Denso.

 

My bet is O2 sensors

 

I already replaced o2 sensors that was my first replacement

 

Replaced them with what

 

One thing I haven’t replaced is fuel injectors

 

When they scanned the truck at Autozone, was there just the one code P0174? Or was there also a cylinder 6 misfire code? Just curious why they would have mentioned that

 

Not sure what brand but the mechanic that did it is pretty honest I’m sure he got good parts

 

I just saw one code on paper then he just said it’s cylinder 6 misfire not sure where he got that from.