Hesitation on cold start

I’ve got a 2017 5.7 with 38k on it. It does not matter if it is cold or hot outside. If the truck has been parked over night or a few hours, when you start it, it sounds like it kicks over fine then there is a hesitation like it’s starving for fuel then it roars to life. After the first initial start up it doesn’t do it again. You can cut it off and start it 10 times and it never does it. I have tried turning the key on and letting it sit for a few seconds and starting it, sometimes it works sometimes it does not. I am wondering if I need to contact my dealer or if this is just normal. Like I said, it will not hesitate after it’s been started for the first time. I’ve never had a truck do this before so I am not sure.

 

Help?

 

I’ve noticed the exact same thing with my 18. Not sure if it went away or i just got used to it

 

These trucks start acting weird when the battery gets weak. Mine was acting similar for a while and then just one day randomly wouldn’t start. New battery solved it.

 

I replaced the battery on mine last September. I had the same
Experience when it went out. I had driven it to town, for home, came out and boom dead.
I guess it just could be normal? Maybe it’s done it all along and I’ve just now noticed it. I don’t know. I have had it two years this year

 

Can you attach an audio clip?

 

I have got the two videos but it won’t let me upload. Any tips? It says error occurred it does not have an allowed extension

 

Have you gotten any codes from the ECU?

The 2017s have a fuel pump issue that hasn’t been recalled like the 2018+s. Codes will help you determine if that may be it.

 

Zero codes, warning lights, nothing

 

Huh. I’m no help then. Good luck.

 

I’m really not convinced it’s the fuel pump. The reason I say that is, the truck runs fine, drives fine, doesn’t die, idles perfect and does not stall while driving. I just checked all connections and everything is right and tight and clean. I think it may just be my imagination... me looking for something to go wrong when there is nothing. This quarantine has got me going crazy

 

I've never uploaded anything here. I think you have to upload to another site and then to here. Not sure.

Mods would know. maybe @ColoradoTJ can help.

 

Thank you

 

I know what the issue is and let me tell you your going to love your free rental from toyota. This only applies to the flex fuel tundras. I had the same thing going on with my truck (2015) tundra with 72k miles. Did some deep research and found the fuel alcohol density level needed to be reset by the dealer. Set a appointment with the dealer and got a phone call saying not only was my alcohol density level reading around 80% but my fuel pump was going out and to top it off the service advisor told me Toyota is going to take care of it 100% due to it falls under our 8year 80k miles emissions warranty. All you need to do as long as it is the flex fuel engine is call your dealer and schedule a appointment for the alcohol density level update and explain the issue your having with your truck. When they get it in they will not only read where your density level is sitting but they will test your fuel pump and pressure as well. Only down side is this- the fuel pumps are on national back order and I had my truck parked on there lot for 3 months but they did provide me with a nice commuter 2020 Tacoma for free during those months of waiting. Ever since I got my truck back I have not had this starting issue. From what I was told by the advisor is that our fuel pumps will not throw any codes due to our trucks do not monitor the pumps. If your not sure if you have the flex fuel engine look at your vin number and count from left to right your 5th digit in will be a (W) if it is a (W) then you have the flex fuel.

 

But Mine is a 17. I thought the fuel pumps were recalled only 18 and up year model?

 

The recall does not matter. My truck is a 2015 and I got it covered under the emissions warranty. Open your owners manual and read your warranty. 8 years or 80k miles emissions warranty. TOYOTA covers the fuel pump under the emissions warranty. You don’t need to worry about needing a recall. If your tundra has a high alcohol density level and they verify your fuel pump is going out then they will cover it under the 8 year 80k emissions warranty.

 

Pretty sure my 2016 does the same thing but it’s sporadic. It’s always fired up once it goes through it’s morning yawn and so I just never really thought it was that big of a deal.

 

Take my advise and go get yourselves a free fuel pump lmao. The issue I had with my truck was as followed. Starting the truck in the morning it would crank/start but the engine did not roar to life right when it fired it slowly started firing and then after 2 seconds it would gradually increase the engine roar. This drove me nuts. Not only would it do this in the mornings but after I left work it would do it when started. Also when coming out of the store or restaurants I noticed it would start as normal with no issue but once I left it for over 3 hrs or more/overnight it would happen again. I knew something was not right because I’m a service advisor at a used car dealership and I see mostly every year and make come through here and can tell when something is not right. I found a TSB through my alldata repair center online for this issue/concern which led me into scheduling my appointment with Toyota. Toyota told me this is such a common problem with the flex fuel engines and that is why the fuel pumps were on national back order for a few months. While my truck was parked on there lot for 3 months the service advisor called me every week to give me updates on the fuel pump eta. Every time he would call he would tell me that there were more customers coming in for this issue and more customer tundras were parked on their lot waiting for there fuel pumps. I got my loaner for free and got Toyota to cover it by telling my advisor at Toyota after he insisted I come pick my truck up and to bring it back in when the fuel pump arrived I told him absolutely not due to I did not want to get stranded somewhere when or if the pump failed and asked him how am I suppose to get to work now. That is when he told me due to the emissions warranty repair through Toyota there is rental coverage that will be covered. If you procrastinate on getting this issue looked at or repaired your most likely more prone to be stranded somewhere as I was told by Toyota.

 

Is the problem only in flex-fuel engines? Mine isn’t a flex.

 

x2

 

Open and read page 18 of your warranty and maintenance guide. And no it does not need to be a flex fuel the emissions warranty applies to flex fuel and non flex fuel.

 

Just found this thread after starting my own thread. Mine as a 2016 FFV.
My truck just started doing this after the cold snap we had last month.
Anybody else take theirs in for this situation?

 

Mine sort of does this, interesting thread with a detailed potential fix. Will have to look into it.

 

Yes, mine did. Took it in for the same problem. Dealer checked the fuel pump and rail pressures after an overnight stay. Yes, my battery cranking amps were low. Replaced the battery and they had to relearn the alcohol fuel density mixture. I figured it was a computer glitch, but they blamed it on bad fuel. Not!! Never ran bad, ie bad fuel. Not my fuel pump, so I paid for it and moved on. Truck runs fine, and this was during the month of January this year.

 

For y'all that got the TSB-0166-19 done. Were y'all throwing any coeds? Mine is not but it's definitely getting worse. I went to take it to the closest Toyota dealer but they said I'd have to leave it & rent a car. They said they don't offer loaner vehicles for any reason. What?!?!?! I've never heard of such a thing. I've used this dealership multiple times over the years, when it was owned by multiple different owners than it is now, & always got a loaner.
I'll take it to another dealer but the next closest is 45 minutes away. I don't want to take it & they deny a loaner in the beginning because no codes are showing & it has to sit for ~5 hours or more for it to start problematically.

 

I read your story! Sucks you had to go thru all that bullshit. Thanks for your input.

 

Thank goodness for this forum.....something I say most of the time. I was just killing time this morning and found this thread.

I've been experiencing the same issue with my 2017 CM now for about two years. It has that slight hesitation on the initial start. I addressed it with the dealer and they replaced the battery about a year ago. It continued to do it so a couple months later I stopped by Interstate Battery. They completed their testing and found nothing wrong with the battery of course. After two years experiencing this, I said ok that's it. HaHa! I bought an X2 AGM Battery, which I waited after ordering it, for 2months and 1day. The following morning, got in the truck and couldn't wait to hear that immediate roar of that 5.7 Liter V8. Well you know what the result was.

So thank you for making this know to us who sometimes have no clue and leave it up to our trusted technicians. I just contacted the dealer and questioned the TSB-0166-19, he mentioned the 8 year 80k emissions warranty................Going to drop it off the first chance I get.

And kudos for mentioning the W as the fifth digit from the left of your vin number signifying a Flex Fuel engine.
And yes, I will mention it may not throw any codes. Thanks again. Grrrrrrr!!!

 

Go to rough cold start forum / bunch of people with this also!

 

Got my 18 dc fixed finally and are resolved.after 14 months of playing with them . Check out rough start thread