Hard starting

1996 TOYOTA TACOMA
180,000 MILES • 2.4L • 4 CYL • 2WD • MANUAL
Avatar
GREG HAWKINS2
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
The truck fires right up when the engine is cold and runs fine. But after driving when the engine is warm (normal operating temperature) and you shut it off, if you go to start it again within five minutes or so it will fire right up. But if you wait much longer than that it is difficult to get it to fire up. Then it takes a prolonged period of cranking it over to get it to fire up and run. (If it is a hot summer day it may not even fire up with prolonged cranking) If you wait for the engine to cool off for say forty five minutes, it will again fire right up just fine. The longer it takes to cool off the longer you have to wait. So on a hot one hundred and five degree day you may set a while. Any thoughts? New good quality plugs, wires, cap, rotor installed, fuel system cleaner used, etc.
Nov 3, 2016 at 3:59 PM
Advertisement
Avatar
CARADIODOC
  • CERTIFIED EXPERT
  • 34,306 POSTS
You described perfectly the classic symptom of a failing crankshaft position sensor or camshaft position sensor/distributor pickup. They often fail by becoming heat-sensitive, then they work again once they cool down for about an hour.
Nov 3, 2016 at 4:26 PM
Avatar
JOHNNY G.JR
  • CERTIFIED EXPERT
  • 320 POSTS
Heat destroys electronics every time,outboards,computers stereos,ETC.
Nov 6, 2016 at 7:07 PM
Advertisement
Avatar
STRAILER
  • CERTIFIED EXPERT
  • 53,854 POSTS
How did it turn out did you find anything? I agree with the crankshaft positions sensor failure.
Nov 7, 2016 at 9:18 AM