YACT: My toyota truck sputters and dies when cold

[d33pt]

1989 Toyota truck 2wd carbuerated 22r 2.4L inline 4cyl ..stock

ok the problem: EVERY time i start the truck from cold within 5 minutes, if the engine is idling, it will sputter and die. Then when I try to start it again, it would take a little bit longer to start than usual, then run perfect from then on until i let the engine get cold again. If I am quick and blip the throttle while it's sputtering, then it will be ok and won't do it again. If I start it cold and get on the freeway right away or keep the revs up so it's not idling, then it will not die either and will be fine. I am not really sure where to start with this. Spark plugs are new, but that's all i've changed so far. I am thinking maybe fuel filter, but not really sure about that either.

Also, sometimes the gears grind when I am going into reverse, but I've heard that this is normal for older toyotas especially trucks and celicas... can anyone else confirm? Thanks for sharing the knowledge

 

[Heisenberg]

Possibly a problem with the choke. It's most likely electronic, and just not opening as far as it should.

 

[d33pt]

i will look into this, maybe try cleaning the carb? i am not too familiar with carbs but that would make sense to me...

 

[woodie1]

Sounds like you need to adjust the choke so it stays on a little longer or increase the idle-up speed a few RPMs.

 

[Heisenberg]

It's worth a shot. It could be that the choke is mis-adjusted or the electric motor is going out, so just cleaning may not fix it, however. I don't know a whole lot about carbs either - those were a little before my time. All my knowledge is fuel-injection based. What you describe certainly fits with the choke being off - the fact that it does it at idle only when it's cold, and if you give it gas it is fine. I'm not a mechanic, so it's best to have someone qualified look at it if you have doubts (as with everything).

 

[Rivergater]

Originally posted by: d33pt
1989 Toyota truck 2wd carbuerated 22r 2.4L inline 4cyl ..stock

ok the problem: EVERY time i start the truck from cold within 5 minutes, if the engine is idling, it will sputter and die. Then when I try to start it again, it would take a little bit longer to start than usual, then run perfect from then on until i let the engine get cold again. If I am quick and blip the throttle while it's sputtering, then it will be ok and won't do it again. If I start it cold and get on the freeway right away or keep the revs up so it's not idling, then it will not die either and will be fine. I am not really sure where to start with this. Spark plugs are new, but that's all i've changed so far. I am thinking maybe fuel filter, but not really sure about that either.

Also, sometimes the gears grind when I am going into reverse, but I've heard that this is normal for older toyotas especially trucks and celicas... can anyone else confirm? Thanks for sharing the knowledge

had this problem with my prelude. it was the fuel pump. for some reason when the weather was really cold, the fuel pump wouldn't start for a while. was a biznautch to start the car every morning before school. but in the afternoon, i had no problems starting it. i think there was a kink in the fuel line that actually made the pump die prematurely but thats another story.
edit:i just reread your thread about the truck running fine if you keep the revs up... that sounds like a carb problem.
as for my car, my carburetion was all screwed up, had vacuum leaks, and my fuel pump was whack. so even after the fuel pump kicked in, i would have to rev it pretty high until the engine warmed up. tried adjusting the choke but no dice.

good luck.

 

[Bignate603]

Have you ever even checked your filter? That's an OLD truck and if the filter is really clogged it may have trouble getting enough air, so when it's cold and has more resistance (oil isn't up to operating temp and is a bit thicker and stuff like that) it may be enough added resistance trying to suck air in that it would stall. If you've never done it you should anyways, a clean filter gives more power and better mileage. It cured a similar problem on my old caddilac (that filter was NASTY when I got the car, pure black). It may not be it, but if it's something that simple and if you should do it anyways why not just go for it.

 

[d33pt]

sorry, i forgot to say i put in a brand new air filter..

 

[Eli]

Almost certainly a choke problem..

 

[Ladies Man]

I see your problem already

toyota and truck in the same sentence

after you fix that your truck problems will be cured.

 

[d33pt]

hey man i would love a new ram with cummins too, but my toyota does what i need and it cost me $700! so please don't bash my truck

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: Ladies Man
I see your problem already

toyota and truck in the same sentence

after you fix that your truck problems will be cured.

Uh, okay. Toyota trucks are just as reliable as any american hunk of pot metal..

 

[Thegonagle]

I don't know about the carb. I hate them and I don't understand how the newer ones work. You can try cleaning it inside and out with carb cleaner spray. Also, make sure that no vacuum lines are cracked, disconnected, or missing. Take off the air cleaner cover when it's cold. Press the gas once to set the choke and look inside. The choke should be fully closed (the choke looks like a throttle plate, but it's at the top of the opening). If it's not, there's a problem.

As for the grinding reverse, this is normal for all cars and trucks with an unsynchronized reverse gear. This happens because of the momentum of in the transmission's input shaft after you depress the clutch. The stationary reverse gear meshes with the still spinning input shaft and grrrunch! You can avoid the noise problem by quickly shifting to third (or any other forward gear) before you shift to reverse, by waiting 5 seconds or so for the input shaft to stop on its own after you step on the clutch before you shift to reverse, or, if you're just starting the engine, starting the engine with the clutch depressed and not letting it up before you shift into reverse.

 

[Thegonagle]

Originally posted by: Eli

Uh, okay. Toyota trucks are just as reliable as any american hunk of pot metal..

Pot metal? Does that reefer back to when one of the local news crews shot footage of workers at the St. Paul Ford assembly plant (Home of the Ranger!) getting high on their lunch breaks at the picnic tables outside?

 

[d33pt]

thanks for the tips..this gives me some leads and hopefully i can get this fixed cheap..it's not too bad of a problem but it's annoying and gets me honked at once in a while when it dies at a light