Hard starting

Tiny
GREG HAWKINS2
  • MEMBER
  • 1996 TOYOTA TACOMA
  • 2.4L
  • 4 CYL
  • 2WD
  • MANUAL
  • 180,000 MILES
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.
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Thursday, November 3rd, 2016 AT 3:59 PM

3 Replies

Tiny
CARADIODOC
  • MECHANIC
  • 33,699 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.
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Thursday, November 3rd, 2016 AT 4:26 PM
Tiny
JOHNNY G.JR
  • MECHANIC
  • 320 POSTS
Heat destroys electronics every time, outboards, computers stereos, ETC.
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Sunday, November 6th, 2016 AT 7:07 PM
Tiny
KEN L
  • MASTER CERTIFIED MECHANIC
  • 42,553 POSTS
How did it turn out did you find anything? I agree with the crankshaft positions sensor failure.
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Monday, November 7th, 2016 AT 9:18 AM

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