Starting 1998 Tacoma 2.4 after sitting for 6 Months, YIKES!

We go away for 6 months each year. When we came back last year, I went to start our 98 Tacoma (I had just changed the oil before we left) and it sounded horrible! knocking, dieseling, sputtering barely idling... Then as it continued idling it started to come around and then ran fine. Really scared me as I thought it was gonna seize. so this time I wonder if I can pull a fuse or coil wires or something to keep it from starting while the motor turns over to at least get oil throughout the motor before firing it? Can anyone think of why it would do that? Fuel drain back into the tank? By the way, our 2010 IS350, did the same thing when we started it up after six months... My other thought is to leave them a quart down and when I come back pour a quart of oil in and at least there would be some oil in the top end? Thanks for any imput

 

Those denso injectors have tiny little holes and probably dont do well with fuel varnish clogging them up...

And storing fuel for 6 months really degrades its quality....


I would consider running fuel stabilizer and maybe even putting infuel injector cleaner ahead of time....
and as little as possible gas left in tank...

Kinda like a loaf of bread......come back and see what it looks like 6mos later.....

 

You should be able to pull the 15A EFI fuse.
That kills power to the fuel pump.

 

Also if you let a toyota sit for some time.....

its a good ideal to soft start it....that is hold the pedal down while you crank...
it will help the troubled cylinders to start without flooding them......
which is probably what's happening to you...

 

I let mine sit for 3mo at a time sometimes......I should do the same...

pull that fuse and crank for 8 to 10 seconds...

and then soft start it...


The high end synthetic oils have anti wear additives to negate this....

 

6 months is nothing try 10 years now that is interesting.

 

Thanks for the replys. I forgot to mention that the gas tanks were filled and stabil added. I have never heard of soft starting? So you hold the pedal all the way down as if you were trying to start a flooded carbureted car from the old days? Also I will pull the fuse. I always use full Synthetic oil as well.

 

Do you live in CA ? Our gas is crap after a month.

 

Remember in Jurassic World where the kids started a Jeep that’s been sitting for longer than 20 years?

 

The Tacomas in Tenn. The IS350 is in Kalifornia...

 

I'm also curious, what exactly does soft starting do?

Cutout - you might also want to make sure it has only non-ethanol gas in it when you put it in storage.

 

None of the old tacoma's should be using ethanol gas.......we all have steel tanks.....

That soft start limits fuel just barely at startup.....until the ecm/crank sensor cycle takes over....

this really helps if you have leaking injectors, hard hot restarts with head gasket failing...
And sometimes when evap system is flooding the TB with fumes when a canister valve or switch is going bad,,,,,
usually right after a fill-up.

 

I am not sure how to do the soft start. Do you completely depress the foot feed like starting a flooded carbureted car? And just hold it down till it starts?

 

Yeah its not like an old V8....should fire right up and have to jump off the pedal instantly......unless you have bigger problems...

Jap engines either start right up, or there's a problem...

5vz you might have to crank a little more.

 

it is great the things one can do in movies.