93 FZJ stalled and died on steep incline (1 Viewer)

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Sep 11, 2014
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Is there a known limit to the grade at which the fuel delivery system will adequately operate?

I was doing some light wheeling, and we went up a short hill at probably 45 degrees. Just after that was a hill maybe one and a half cruiser lengths long, but maybe 60-70 degrees. Got the nose just to the top of the steeper hill and the truck shut off. I did my best to not panic and stomp the brakes, because i was legitimately concerned with flipping backwards.

I was creeping up this hill in 4 Low, with center and rear lockers engaged, and a fuel tank on half. I don't know where the pickup is located on the tank, but is it more likely that the pickup was above the fuel level or that the fuel pump failed to push hard enough against gravity?
 
WHen I go down a hill with 1/3 tank of gas, my gauge goes to empty -- bone dry. When I go up a hill it goes to 2/3. Based on that I would say the pick up is near the center/back of the tank.
 
WHen I go down a hill with 1/3 tank of gas, my gauge goes to empty -- bone dry. When I go up a hill it goes to 2/3. Based on that I would say the pick up is near the center/back of the tank.

^this. Pretty sure the Toyota engineers were cognizant of this issue.
 
That's what i figured about the pickup, for the same reason.

The motor shut off before i started rolling backward, and was in fact the only reason I lost forward momentum.

I'm pretty confident that the grade at the part of the hill where it died was at least 60 degrees. I'll definitely go back there in the future and get a more precise number. But I climb ladders at 60 and 75 degrees on a regular basis, and I've been on my share of 12/12 roofs. It wasn't 75, but it was more than 45. I was concerned about approach and departure angle with my TJM front and stock rear bumpers, even on a 2.5" lift with 35's.
 
Sounds like a fun trail. I found on trails that steep, if I have 3/4 full tank, I get a fuel leak coming out the filler tube pipe, so I try to keep my tank 2/3 to half full.

So, question is if going up the hill and your gauge is at half full, what amount of fuel did you really have?
 
I've experienced this several times after having a full tank but it does fine with a partial tank. Mine had to do with fuel delivery. Like the tank was having trouble venting due to the full tank. It has been a consistent problem when all the way full. I would assume it was a fuel delivery issue of some sort for you too.
 
My tank was 1/2 full on flat ground just prior to wheeling. I never thought about spilling fuel if it were overly full.

I will try to get by there and take a picture of the hill from the side on Sunday or Monday. I just bought this thing a couple weeks ago, and it was our first venture out on a trail. My wife is now addicted.
 
Nice choice of vehicle for a first time wheeler.

What part of the world are you?
 
Yeah, I've been reading here for over a year, waiting on things to line up for buying one. I bought a slightly built cruiser in overall decent shape. Last two owners were kids who never drove it. One didn't even title or register it. I've actually seen it on Craigslist 3 times in the last year or so, so I snatched it up.

I'm in Georgia, an hour east of Atlanta. ACC is in the county for which I work, and Beno's dealership is a half hour drive or so from my house.
 
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Possibility of the wiring harness back by the EGR moving and shorting out????? just throwing it out there.....

Were you on your back bumper on the trail from your description?
 
No, i never touched the bumpers to the dirt. I don't know about any wiring shorts. Would that cause the truck to shut off as if I had turned the key (the key was not displaced).
 
I would look at electrical, the harness at the EGR is a good start. Not that there couldn't be something wrong with your fuel system, but it's not common. We have stood them up on the rear bumper (cut frames/short bumpers) many times and never had one even miss. Most times the power steering is the first to complain, like this: http://shottscruisers.smugmug.com/F...h-the-1/6978363_FBTk6G#!i=446641836&k=GssXKpf

Can't do steep on dirt like you can on rock and Moab is among the best for traction, in some places the rigs look like a picture hung on the wall. These examples aren't that steep, just handy, but still, never miss a beat.


 
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I would check the battery cables, hold down and the fusible links. The battery may have shifted in the tray which could have stressed the fusible links.
 
I think you have a different transmission than I do but I don't think it has to do with fuel delivery. Its more likely to do with the truck stalling. BTW, you sure on the degrees of angle? ;)

Anyway, with the automatic, if you roll backwards while in a forward gear the truck tends to die. For me I lost all power and all brakes. You can read ad naseum here: https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/hungry-valley-trip-and-the-things-i-learned.277095/#post-4312471

I'm also inclined to believe the engine simply stalled. It's the sort of thing that happens when you have too high an rpm on it. I've never understood what was behind the function but I'm guessing it's a way of preserving the engine when some yahoo thinks engines can be heroic.



Kalawang
 
Went back to the spot again yesterday and today. It died again the first time, but I tried it again with no issues. Since then, I've hit other steep hills, one steeper than the original problem spot.

I reevaluated the pitch, and it's probably about 50 degrees. One I found is steeper, but standing on these hills, I'm going to say the steepest is about 60 degrees. Hard to tell the angles from inside the truck.

Anyways, I never figured out the issue, but I'm guessing it's not a fuel delivery issue. Maybe an electrical one, but I haven't started trying to diagnose it, being that it's intermittent and only occurs on steep hills.
 
I my truck's nose stuck into a mud pit once. Back tires were on the ground, but barely. Had half a tank of fuel when I started, but the gauge was showing almost empty. After about 15 minutes, truck wouldn't start, but started right up with some stutters once I got pulled out. At first I thought it was the MAF or O2, but I am pretty sure the angle I was at just starved the engine for fuel.
 

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