Cold start issues

Every morning when it's cold out around 45 degrees or lower and truck has been sitting on the first Initial start it just cranks it wont start. After trying it a few times it finally kicks over , once started and warmed up I dont have any issues throughout the day even if its sitting for a few hours. All I have done to try and fix the problem is change out the battery but that didnt do anything I still have same problem. My truck is a 2014 Tundra sr5. It just cranks , I turn back off about 4 or 5 times then finally it starts but it kind of stutters when it gets started till it runs about 20 seconds , a little white smoke comes out of muffler.

 

1st. Welcome to the forum! Go to the new member introductions and post a message and pic of your truck. 2nd. Sounds like the fuel pump going out. Turn on the truck,do not start it. Can you hear the fuel pump running? Give it a few seconds now try to start it. 3rd. The white smoke is normal, just condensation.

good luck, hope this helps. john

 

Could be a SW issues, do you have a flex engine? If so, you may need a ECM SW update.

 

^^^^^^^^THIS.

 

Agree with @14burrito. Modern fuel-injected engines run very near optimum F/A ratio (lean). On cold mornings, a little extra shot of fuel is required to get them started. On the old fuel-injected 22REs, that extra shot of fuel was handled by a dedicated "start injector". It was nearly imposssible to start one if the start injector quits working. In the new trucks, that extra fuel is programmed and administered by the ECU through the service injectors. The risk of the starting F/A ratio getting messed up is much higher with an FFE because of the fuel blend sensing.

 

I just dropped off my truck at the dealership this morning for this same issue. Initially I was told about an update for our trucks. After an hour and half tech reported that the fuel pump was bad and needed to be replaced.

 

How many miles do you have on the truck? I have a 2015 1794 that is flex fuel, and the PO was using E85, I have 22k on my truck and ran into the exact same issue. Here in Denver the mornings are get pretty cold. I did a BG throttle body/injection service, added 44k to the gas, and added the BG Ethanol Drier and fixed my issue right up. Talked to my tech and he was saying that a piece of carbon could be stuck in the injector not allowing it to close all the way and you would lose fuel pressure over the night and would needed to prime in the morning; that's why it takes a few tries. Hope this helps.

 

I have just over 25,000 miles on it. The problem started this past Saturday and seemed like it was getting better. This morning when I started it up it started rough but right away, unlike Saturday when it took four tries.

 

Yeah I would recommend a fuel injection service/throttle body intake service and some fuel system cleaner. It really helped me out and it can only help clean out those dirty pesky carbon deposits

 

Carbons more popular in DI (direct injection) than the MPIs we run. Curious if there is any documentation out there on some higher mileage 5.7l actually showing issues with carbon build-up.

 

Agreed!!, would love to see any scopes. However the gasolines now days can produce hydrocarbons that still need to be cleaned

 

FWIW I did a seafoam cleaning through a vacuum line, not so much as the slightest bit of smoke was seen upon restart. 75k miles on the odo. I toggle between frys/Kroger fuel and top tier QT

 

Great to know. I hope @santa-fe_tundra can find what the issue is and report back.

 

Did you have any stored codes after trying to start it? It might not pop a CEL but with a good Snap On Scan Tool you should be able to see if there were any previous misfires, like one cylinder is not getting enough gas. You should be able to see real time on what the injectors are firing off and see if one is open more, or longer than the others. You can also do a pressure test on your fuel line to see if you're loosing pressure somewhere. You might be able to narrow it down to one of the banks if it is.

 

So I just heard from the service dept. apparently the fuel pump is on backorder until Jan. 14, and what they said is that this is a common problem, and that's why it is on back order.

 

It has 48,745 miles , took my truck to toyota they said it's a bad fuel pump but I have to wait till they get the order in. Now I have to trouble start it every morning till then cause this is my only vehicle , but now doing this so many times my exhaust pipe smells like gas once it cranks a few times till it starts, will the new fuel pump fix this issue or am I getting another issue ?

 

Yes found out it is the fuel pump, but i have to wait for toyota to get the part in, since this is my only vehicle I have to crank it a few times till it starts but now exhaust pipe smells like gas once it starts up is this due to the bad fuel pump or am i running into another issue

 

Update.
Got my truck back yesterday. The fuel pump came in earlier than what I was told, hell yes because they gave me a Corolla as a rental.
Here is what the print out from Toyota that was given to me had on it.

Invoice has,
upon inspections found vehicle had a hard start. checked for dtc. dtc p1604 was present. followed repair manual for T-SB-0166-19. reprogrammed engine ecu. new update. 30CM5201. REMOVED AND REPLACED FUEL PUMP ASSY. REST LEARNING VALUES FOR FUEL DENSITY. ROAD TESTED. OP CODE. EG1904, 2.2HRS. T1-01 T2-74.

Also was showed other codes that may show.
Extended Crank and/or MIL ON With DTC P0171, P0174, P0172, P0175, P1604 (Flex Fuel)

 

I’ve got the same issue on my 17’ with ~17k miles. Randomly and on cold first starts, it will crank a lot, but usually turns over. I guess I’ll be making an appointment to check the fuel pump. Had my battery tested the other day and it’s fine.

 

0171 - was running very lean...

For those interested in a quality decarbonizing agent look into Startron:
http://www.starbrite.com/startron

I get it on Amazon by the quart ($28)and add 1oz per 20 gal tank of fuel. Started using it originally for small engine alcohol treatment then noticed how much better they ran and then started using on autos.

Spark plugs look clean and are burning hot. Luck and enjoy those Toyotas. : ^ )))

 

2nd Gens are having the same FFV issues and that T-SB is the recommended fix.

FFV problems!!!!

 

2017 SRV FFV w 27,xxx mi.

I’ve had a few cold no-starts this week. First start of the day, the truck just sounds ill. And not the fun Beastie Boys kind of ill.

Also getting a faint smell of gas when it does fire (usually on 2nd/3rd try).

Just checked and got code P1604. Sounds like the same issue detailed above.

Will update as this progresses.

 

Dealer diagnosed my issue as the same issue as @Rider39 and @santa-fe_tundra. It’s the TSB 0166-19 issue.

They reflashed the ECU to reset the alcohol reading (temp fix), told me to run 91, and put me in line for a fuel pump. They said it could be months until a fuel pump arrives.

 

Has this fixed your issue? Any difference with how the truck performs? I'm getting this done on Thursday 12/8/20 and was curious. thank you

 

Interested as well. I was having this issue with my tundra last winter and took it to the dealership in March. They told me I needed the tsb and new fuel pump but the FP was on back order and they would call me when one was available. I never received a call and the issue went away when temperatures went up through out the spring and summer. Now that it is cold again the truck is back to starting rough after sitting for a while. Has anyone had fuel pump replaced recently? Are service departments able to get the parts in now?

 

Just had my truck done yesterday...TSB 0166-19 and WOW, like a new truck again, seems to have more torque and starts right up! MPG has gone up at least 1.5 mpg also. Highly recommend you get it done, if your truck falls under the TSB.

 

Hey Coach,

Same story here in CO. Same diagnosis, same time, just before the stay-at-home orders and such. Was told FPs are BO’d and they’d call me. Summer was fine, starting to get some sluggishness now that it’s cold.

I called to follow up 6mo later in September, they had them in stock, and were willing to install. I scheduled, then got deployed to 2 more fires after that, so had to cancel.

Haven’t had a chance to get back yet to get it fixed yet though. But as of Sept, they had them in stock here.

 

This literally happened to my 19 tundra today and can’t believe this. It’s not cold outside here in west Texas it’s 78 outside so it’s not a weather thing

 

Mine does this as well. from time to time. cold and warm weather. seems to be no pattern as to when it will do it.