- I have a 96 Toyota T100 Pickup truck with the 2.7 l 3rz Fe engine four cylinder. I have difficulty starting it after driving it on a long trip and park it for 20 minutes. The truck starts perfectly well on cold starts. I have changed the spark plugs air filter fuel filter and cleaned the mass air flow sensor. But to no avail it continues to have hot start issues where it cranks for 20 seconds before it starts and runs roughforafewseconds. The truck has no check engine codes and generally runs very well. I have also used fuel injection cleaner for the last 700 miles. What might the problem be?
You could pressure test the fuel pump to see if it's losing pressure after it's warmed up and has sat for a little bit. A quick way to test this without gauges is to switch the ignition to run and let it sit for 3 or 4 seconds, turn it off, repeat 3 or 4 times, then crank it over. Basically you're doing the same thing you would do if you ran out of gas and just put a gallon in, you're priming the pump and letting it build up pressure before starting. If it starts after cycling the key a few times, the fuel pump may be weak.
You could also have a leaky fuel injector that is dripping gas into the intake manifold. When the engine's cold, it needs more gas to start and run, so the leaky injector is "beneficial" in that instance. A hot engine runs more lean and doesn't need extra fuel. Fuel seepage from the injector can "flood" the engine and lead to long crank time, as you're basically using the starter to clear the excess fuel. Back in the day of carburetors, you'd speed the process up by holding the throttle down while cranking the engine. This is still a feature in modern, fuel injected cars. Next time it happens, hold the throttle open and crank. If it starts quicker, then a leaky injector could be the culprit.
Clean the injectors.
Maybe replace the Engine Coolant Temperature Sensor.
Not the gauge sensor, the one in the back of the engine
