Sputtering engine

Hi mehaffeyb. First check the air intake hose that connects the air filter box to the throttle body. Any lcrack or splits in this hose will allow un-metered air into the engine causing it to run poorly. The cracks or splits you are looking for are large enough for you to see inside the air intake hose. Sometime these splits are only open when the engine is twisting or torqueing under acceleration. You may want to remove it to thoroughly check it. The MAF sensor is mounted in the hose with 2 screws. Remove it, flip it over and spray some aerosol electrical contact cleaner in there. Don't jam anything in there-there is a delicate wire and air temp sensor somewhere under the crud. If the air tube and MAF are OK, look at the condition of your spark plug wires. When these go bad they often break up under accel- if your condition is worse when its raining, start with a wire set and some plugs.

98' 4Runner 4x4 with 145,000 miles automatic trans and a V6 engine.
From time to time and more often lately after starting engine it will putter out and stall. It usually will fire up and stay running the second time but will often take two or three attempts before it will run fine. This happens on level ground as well as hills. It seems that short juants, say to the store 1or 2 miles, frequent the occourance more so than longer distances. My first thought is a fuel problem but I really don't know.
If you have any ideas and/or suggestions please let me know. Thank You very much.

94, 4runner, has recently started having trouble keeping a steady idle, will start and and idle fine, but after heating up, it jumps and will stall. Have tried adjusting the idle. At around 3000-3500 rpm's the engine will sound as if stuttering or possibly not receiving enough fuel. Acts incredibly sluggish. Also will use almost full five quarts of oil around two thousand miles, with no visible leak or drip. Also has eradic high pitched whine when accelerating. Any ideas on where to start looking?

I had this same problem with my '04 Xterra a while back and with my '94 4Runner just recently. Try checking your mass air-flow sensor, MAF. If it is dirty or blown your ECU won't get correct oil/air/gas readings which makes your car think that you are either getting too much of something, or not enough.