Sputtering No Start

Hello All,

Recently picked up an 04 DC 4x4 with 200k miles. I did some maintenance yesterday and replaced the old plugs/coils/radiator. After this I turned the truck on, and drove around a bit making sure the gauges looked good. On the start up after the maintenance it took a few seconds, but was still able to go through. The old plugs/coils were pretty old, and 4 of the old coils bottom rubber 'boot' broke off and were attached to the old plugs. I figured this is why it took a second to start with the new plugs/coils. Either way it drove around fine, so I parked it for the night singing sweet victory.

The next day I go to turn the truck on, and I am getting a bunch of sputtering for a couple seconds then it dies. I took out the old plugs to check what happened, and they reek of fuel. I'm also not getting any codes that I can refer to. I tried a few things, but wanted to post here to see if anyone had suggestions.

Things I've tried:

• Used the old plugs with new coils
• Checked air filter but saw no debris. Unplugged MAF sensor and tried starting but no luck.
• Turned key once to the right to turn 'on', banged on gas tank with rubber mallet for a minute, and tried turning it on fully, no dice.
• Holding the accelerator while starting. Idk what the logic here was, it started revving but when I let go it died. Also the exhaust smelled like ass.

Going to try:

• Buying an in-line ignition tester to make sure the new plugs/coils are good. Coils are DENSO, and plugs are NGK. I gapped the plugs as close to .031 as I could per the manual.
• Spraying soapy wooder on any air hoses to check for leaks
• Check the timing belt. I checked it about a week ago and it seemed good enough until I replace it later this month.

I don't think it's the fuel pump, but can't be certain. Does this point to the starter potentially? Did my coils go bad after just 1 use? Pretty stuck rn



TYIA

 

Is the check engine light blinking while it's sputtering?

Any codes? Please scan and get back to us.

Remember Occam's razor.

 

Did you unlug the battery to reset the efi learning?

 

Not that they are the cause but where did you purchase the coils. Our 1st Gen Tundras love OEM engine control parts and cringe at knock offs.

 

No blinking, and no codes. I can hold the accelerator and it comes alive, but upon releasing it dies again.

Trying to use the KISS method.

Yes battery was unplugged, and plugged back in. Made sure no cables are loose.

Bought from Rockauto, DENSO coils.

 

Little update, was able to get the truck idling after holding the accelerator to around 8-1k rpms on startup for about a minute. I let it run until all temps were up and it didn't die which is good. I saw a similar video relating to my symptoms and this made me check the throttle body. Does this look bad? I plan on buying throttle body cleaner and just cleaning as much as possible without completely taking it off, and hopefully that will help.

 

Yeah, that throttle body is pretty gross. I don't think that the dirty throttle body would cause a no-start situation, but it'll definitely effect your idle quality and MPGs.

Make sure you don't spray the cleaner directly onto the throttle body. Spray it on a rag and then wipe it on. Might take a few minutes of scrubbing to clean off all that gunk.

 

I would suggest CRC throttle body cleaner and once you undo battery for about 10-30 min, once hooked back up the ECU will then go thru a re-learn process.
In fact, if you did not unhook battery after changing plugs, coils etc previously, could be the reason for needing to help keep it running.

 

And don't spray the TB cleaner (or any other liquid) into the throttle body. Saturate a cloth and get wiping. Don't let the butterfly (plate) slam shut. And only use cleaner marked "throttle body cleaner". Before you start cleaning, remove the negative battery cable, so that when you finish cleaning, the vehicle should already be reset back to 'relearn' state.

 

Thanks ya'll for the advice. I cleaned it as much as possible with a clean rag and throttle cleaner and she fired right up after buttoning it up and connecting the battery.

I also noticed the idling is a lot better. Prior when I had got it running using the accelerator, it was hovering around 500 rpms, now its around 800! I'm not sure if the cleaning actually did anything for the no start, or if just disconnecting the battery for a little bit did the trick; either way we're up and running now

Also here is the YouTube video I referenced my symptoms to. Mine didn't die when it got to temp, but everything else was pretty much the same.

 

Glad you got it figured out. Cleaning the throttle body seems to be one of those things that gets overlooked but can make a huge difference in how our trucks run. At least in my experience.

 

That was a hell of a lot of buildup. Almost looks like someone made the mistake of installing an oiled filter, like what K&N and other brands sell. It'll contribute heavily to buildup in the throttle body. May seem like better performance at first, but then it gradually degrades.

Anyway, you shouldn't need to clean again for a long while if using standard (ideally OEM) air filters. And FYI, now you've forced a re-learn situation by pulling the negative battery cable, it may take a few trip cycles before it stabilizes.

We most often see this "sputtering at idle" after someone's battery has been off and the throttle body is dirty. Basically, battery being off forced the ECU into re-learn, where it's using factory defaults on throttle position, but having the throttle plate unable to close properly due to buildup, it screws with the engine. It'd eventually make it to running normal again, but ...

Glad to hear you're working again.