Intermittent starting issues *Resolved*

Last week I had a short start on my truck. ( Pushed the button glug glug glug then turned off) sounded like she wanted to start. Second try and she fired right up. Figured it was the battery. Went to AutoZone and they said the battery was on its way out. So I swapped the battery. Today I experienced the same thing with the new battery. Both times the truck was parked in the sun for about 6 hours. Weather was 87-90ish both times. This never happened when it’s cooler out. Thoughts suggestions experiences? Much appreciated, take care now.

 

Throw a code?

 

Nope. No code no lights.

 

If the truck sounded strong on each fire, and it always fires on the second attempt. Then I'd lean towards a fuel flow issue.

 

Alrighty I’ll get it checked out. Strange. What would cause the fuel flow issue?

 

I tagged you in another thread that speaks to a similar problem.

https://www.tundras.com/threads/extended-crank-not-enough-fuel-pressure.37329/
Did you read through that post?

 

No not until now. Thanks for the tag.

 

Update: took it in. It had three codes for battery issues. Mind you I replaced the battery the week before. Codes were cleared and a computer reset was done. I was told it will just take time for the computer to figure itself out. 2 days later. Same issue. Same place same conditions. Cold start after sitting out in 88* weather. This never happens when starting on a cool day/ morning.

 

Did you try turning the truck to "on" for 15 seconds 9r so and then crank it? I believe that primes your fuel pump.

 

Nope haven’t tried that

 

Did they recheck the battery when you took it in? I had that happen on a previous truck. Got a new battery, put it in, had the same issue I was having previously. Took the new battery back in and it turned out it the new battery was also bad.

 

Took it to autozone again. Battery starter and alternator checked out just fine. We had a cooler last three weeks and no issues. Then we hit 90 yesterday and bam short turn over then died again. Always starts on the second go. ‍Again this only happens after parked in the sun for a few hours.

 

Cleaned the throttle body ( it did have some build up) , MAF sensor looks clean as a whistle. Two days later same issue. This sh!t is driving me crazy. ‍♂️ and yes battery is still good.

 

I am able to recreate the issue by disconnecting the battery, waiting a few minutes, reconnecting it then trying to start. It’ll stall out on first start exactly the way it would if it were sitting in the sun.
I am rackin my brain what would the heat from the sun and disconnecting the battery both cause? Ideas?

 

Our trucks always usually stall the first time after disconnecting the battery, that's just the way they are for some reason. Also, your condition sounds exactly like vapor lock, but I've never heard of anyone else here having that problem.

 

This. Mine does it every time I disconnect the batt when working on electrical components. It’s normal for these trucks. Other threads have mentioned it as well. Sorry I’m not much help besides agreeing that this should not be considered part of the problem.

edit: it’s been a little while, since I read the beginning of the thread, and all the troubleshooting stuff you already did, but have you checked all of your Ground connections? I would disconnect the ground connection, and wire brush the contact points.
Actually, before messing with the ground connections, I would wire brush the contact points of your battery clamps & batt posts (even though it’s a new battery). Get them all nice and shiny. A couple different times over the years, my truck wouldn’t start after disconnecting the battery, and the solution was wire brushing those contact points. And it would do exactly what you’re saying, starting then immediately stopping. You may just need to shine those bad boys up.

 

To build on this when disconnecting the battery, then reconnecting, and starting with the remote starter, it WILL NOT cut out and stall. But when reenacting but starting using the interior push to start button it WILL cut out and stall.

 

that's freaking weird

 

Welcome to my world, years ago. Toyota batteries are trash passed 80 degrees, lived in El Sweto and went through 9 toyota batteries and 2 Optima batteries in about the same time frame, and some aftermarket batteries have sat for too long on the shelf, making their use limited. If you're having issues with the push start, your best bet would be is to drop that lower panel and check the wiring. Maybe a connector with vibration is starting to slip out and losing connection at the push start portion, or a wire has been clipped or damaged some way some-how.

 

So I took the truck in for a total of 4 times to 3 different places, 7 days with no truck (2 were Toyota Dealers) none of them could duplicate the starting issue that was happening. So I thought how how how? Then the realization of stupidity hit me.

1. The issue would only happen when parked at work.
2. This only happens in the heat.

So I thought what is the truck doing differently in my possession?

Turns out when the weather was warming up I would go outside to my truck on 2 breaks a day and roll my windows down. Only when it was warm out, WITHOUT STARTING the vehicle I would push the “start” button twice to access accessory mode and roll the windows down then push it a third time to turn off the truck’s accessories mode. 30 minutes later I would duplicate the same process in order to put the windows back up. Turns out rolling the windows down then back up twice per working shift and not starting the truck was causing this starting hiccup. The truck starts up just fine if these steps aren’t duplicated. I don’t know if this is a theft/safety feature but I have never experienced this in any other vehicle I’ve owned in the past. So the long and short of it was operator error on my behalf of excess use of the accessories mode. Thanks for those who’ve followed along.

 

Would that mean you're probably draining your battery? Just short of killing it?? I can't charge my phone on a 10 minute break without turning it on, otherwise I'd be stranded.

 

I for one don't understand how what you explained could result in your truck not starting, it makes no sense.

 

I for two...
Maybe because it's white and not MGM....

 

It’ll definitely start but on the first attempt it cranks over and shuts down. (same as when disconnecting then reconnecting the battery then starting) Has always started up on second crank just fine. So it’s either a battery drain by rolling the windows down then back up OR some stupid safety/ theft feature.

 

I am not sure if it’s that or some safety feature? Rolling the windows up and down a couple times over the course of a shift shouldn’t do this in my opinion but it’s one of those things that just “is” haven’t had the issue since. Now I start the truck crank the AC and no problems.

 

Ever since my wife stalled out in high water, I have to do the two start thing. I find that if I turn on the accessories a 5 seconds then it'll start in the first shot. I think it's a fuel prime thing so I may put a third party regulator on