Cruiser in crawl mode please help (3 Viewers)

[MrErer]

I have a 1997 LX450, with around 178k, and we just had our first major issue and I’m pretty worried.

Like most of the country it’s well below freezing where I am the past few days. Truck has been sitting out in that until today, when I decided to run to the hardware store and get the kids some milk.

Start up was a little slow, but fired up after a few short cranks.
Gave it time to warm up until Temp gauge was off cold and approaching that mid point.
Started off down the street, a hundred yards down, hesitated, stumbled, wouldn’t accelerate.
Okay, you’re not ready, pulled over and let warm all the to mid point on gauge.
Gently back down the street, seems okay. Turn onto bigger street, little stumble, so kinda floored it and it got up into high revs and higher gear fine, made it to hardware store.
Some concerns in there, but again 0 degrees here past 4 days.
Shut down truck and went into shop quick.

Now it gets real bad.
Started back up, no issues there.
Drive out of parking spot and boom; big hesitation, no acceleration, low rpm’s, and even a knock (don’t think from engine bay tho) sounded like it was from transmission, differential, or maybe even cat.…
Back into park, it was warm, but let it fully warm; then let it settle at idle for a few.
Another try…Wont move, can’t drive, zero gas pedal response. Although putting it into low I was able to lurch it back into a good spot; lots of hesitation and sluggishness that gear too tho.
Called my wife to pick me up, it was rough idling while I waited.

Back home now, gonna grab my scanner and some warmer clothes, and head back to her soon.

Aside from looking for some codes, and checking for snapped frozen vac lines…can anyone give me some ideas of what might be happening? The knocks are a concern(again I don’t think from engine tho), and it just won’t move, I can only limp it and crawl around inch by inch.
Has anyone experienced something like this to be able to assist, or give me some ideas?

thanks,
MrErer

 

[BILT4ME]

I have a 1997 LX450, with around 178k, and we just had our first major issue and I’m pretty worried.

Like most of the country it’s well below freezing where I am the past few days. Truck has been sitting out in that until today, when I decided to run to the hardware store and get the kids some milk.

Start up was a little slow, but fired up after a few short cranks.
Gave it time to warm up until Temp gauge was off cold and approaching that mid point.
Started off down the street, a hundred yards down, hesitated, stumbled, wouldn’t accelerate.
Okay, you’re not ready, pulled over and let warm all the to mid point on gauge.
Gently back down the street, seems okay. Turn onto bigger street, little stumble, so kinda floored it and it got up into high revs and higher gear fine, made it to hardware store.
Some concerns in there, but again 0 degrees here past 4 days.
Shut down truck and went into shop quick.

Now it gets real bad.
Started back up, no issues there.
Drive out of parking spot and boom; big hesitation, no acceleration, low rpm’s, and even a knock (don’t think from engine bay tho) sounded like it was from transmission, differential, or maybe even cat.…
Back into park, it was warm, but let it fully warm; then let it settle at idle for a few.
Another try…Wont move, can’t drive, zero gas pedal response. Although putting it into low I was able to lurch it back into a good spot; lots of hesitation and sluggishness that gear too tho.
Called my wife to pick me up, it was rough idling while I waited.

Back home now, gonna grab my scanner and some warmer clothes, and head back to her soon.

Aside from looking for some codes, and checking for snapped frozen vac lines…can anyone give me some ideas of what might be happening? The knocks are a concern(again I don’t think from engine tho), and it just won’t move, I can only limp it and crawl around inch by inch.
Has anyone experienced something like this to be able to assist, or give me some ideas?

thanks,
MrErer

Can you move the transfer case shift lever to LOW RANGE?

If so, will it move then?

When you say no acceleration, does the engine rev up and the truck doesn't move? or will the engine not even rev up?

What recent work was done?

 

[MrErer]

No recent work done, oil change in October.

Yes moved it into Low and it crawled a bit better than High.

Engine is revving, for the most part yes. Sometime even in P or N tho it’ll hesitate or be unresponsive while revving.

 

[MrErer]

Update, back to truck and just scanned. Misfires on 1 to 5 cylinders. And a PO402 but that one has been around for awhile.

What is happening here…what can I do?

 

[BILT4ME]

No recent work done, oil change in October.

Yes moved it into Low and it crawled a bit better than High.

Engine is revving, for the most part yes. Sometime even in P or N tho it’ll hesitate or be unresponsive while revving.

Is the CEL on? Showing any codes?

Try pulling the EFI fuse in the big box next to the battery. Keep it out for a few minutes to clear anything. Reinsert and restart.

Misfires like that indicate a possible ground issue.

Check the plug on top of the distributor for a loose wire or loose connection.

Only do one of these at a time then check it. Otherwise you won't know which one fixed it.

 

[MrErer]

Update, back to truck and just scanned. Misfires on 1 to 5 cylinders. And a PO402 but that one has been around for awhile.

What is happening here…what can I do?

Is the CEL on? Showing any codes?

Try pulling the EFI fuse in the big box next to the battery. Keep it out for a few minutes to clear anything. Reinsert and restart.

Misfires like that indicate a possible ground issue.

Check the plug on top of the distributor for a loose wire or loose connection.

Only do one of these at a time then check it. Otherwise you won't know which one fixed it.

 

[BILT4ME]

 

[BILT4ME]

View attachment 3533947

 

[MrErer]

View attachment 3533953

Thanks for this, think it’s the road I need to go down.

Would an overheating catalyst be my knocking sound…? (Hope so, then I can kinda sleep well tonight)

 

[Marvelicious]

If you're getting enough misfires, it could be almost anything shaking from the engine running rough. I wouldn't sweat that too much just yet, I'd bet it all has something to do with the weather somehow.

 

[BILT4ME]

Thanks for this, think it’s the road I need to go down.

Would an overheating catalyst be my knocking sound…? (Hope so, then I can kinda sleep well tonight)

You have an excessive flow on the EGR which could be a plugged cat, that could cause the misfire on all cylinders, but that is an unusual thing and typically comes on gradually, not a sudden thing.

You didn't mention knocking sound. You said "boom". I didn't know if that was literal or a figure of speech.

If you had an injector stick open and fuel hit the catalytic converter, it could have ignited, causing that "boom".

Again, go back to the distributor to check the rotor, cap, plug wires, plug on the top of the distributor.

Any rodent damage? It's not uncommon in cold like this for animals to get in there and chew on wires in a warm environment.

Do you have a FSM? If not, download it and also fix your P0402 code on the EGR.

 

[MrErer]

You have an excessive flow on the EGR which could be a plugged cat, that could cause the misfire on all cylinders, but that is an unusual thing and typically comes on gradually, not a sudden thing.

You didn't mention knocking sound. You said "boom". I didn't know if that was literal or a figure of speech.

PO402 has been around maybe 3 months now..so I guess that has been gradual. And yes my “boom” was figurative, it was a literal knock along with the hesitation and no acceleration problem.

If you had an injector stick open and fuel hit the catalytic converter, it could have ignited, causing that "boom".

Again, go back to the distributor to check the rotor, cap, plug wires, plug on the top of the distributor.

Had to finish that milk run, but gonna head back later and will check all things distributor.
I did pull the fuse as you mentioned and the cleared codes, restarted and the rough idle went away. It drove a bit better, still low end hesitation then I hit some rpm level and it jumped….again going back in a couple hours to run thru distributor and hopefully nurse home.

Any rodent damage? It's not uncommon in cold like this for animals to get in there and chew on wires in a warm environment.

Do you have a FSM? If not, download it and also fix your P0402 code on the EGR.

Will check but don’t think so, drove it 100 miles on Friday. Then sat outside Saturday Sunday and most of today in 0 and negative temps.

 

[MrErer]

If you're getting enough misfires, it could be almost anything shaking from the engine running rough. I wouldn't sweat that too much just yet, I'd bet it all has something to do with the weather somehow.

Really hoping so…I think we get a break on Wednesday with a high of 35 :/

If I took my rack off it’d fit in the garage, that might have to happen soon and for future winters haha.

 

[manofthewoods]

I have a 1997 LX450, with around 178k, and we just had our first major issue and I’m pretty worried.

Like most of the country it’s well below freezing where I am the past few days. Truck has been sitting out in that until today, when I decided to run to the hardware store and get the kids some milk.

Start up was a little slow, but fired up after a few short cranks.
Gave it time to warm up until Temp gauge was off cold and approaching that mid point.
Started off down the street, a hundred yards down, hesitated, stumbled, wouldn’t accelerate.
Okay, you’re not ready, pulled over and let warm all the to mid point on gauge.
Gently back down the street, seems okay. Turn onto bigger street, little stumble, so kinda floored it and it got up into high revs and higher gear fine, made it to hardware store.
Some concerns in there, but again 0 degrees here past 4 days.
Shut down truck and went into shop quick.

Now it gets real bad.
Started back up, no issues there.
Drive out of parking spot and boom; big hesitation, no acceleration, low rpm’s, and even a knock (don’t think from engine bay tho) sounded like it was from transmission, differential, or maybe even cat.…
Back into park, it was warm, but let it fully warm; then let it settle at idle for a few.
Another try…Wont move, can’t drive, zero gas pedal response. Although putting it into low I was able to lurch it back into a good spot; lots of hesitation and sluggishness that gear too tho.
Called my wife to pick me up, it was rough idling while I waited.

Back home now, gonna grab my scanner and some warmer clothes, and head back to her soon.

Aside from looking for some codes, and checking for snapped frozen vac lines…can anyone give me some ideas of what might be happening? The knocks are a concern(again I don’t think from engine tho), and it just won’t move, I can only limp it and crawl around inch by inch.
Has anyone experienced something like this to be able to assist, or give me some ideas?

thanks,
MrErer

I'd dump 2 bottles of "heat" in the tank. Stand on the bumper to slosh it around. Frozen gas lines used to be more common. But condensation can still add up. Cheap and easy; saved my cold butt more than once

 

[MrErer]

I'd dump 2 bottles of "heat" in the tank. Stand on the bumper to slosh it around. Frozen gas lines used to be more common. But condensation can still add up. Cheap and easy; saved my cold butt more than once

Thanks. I read that on a couple other threads, I’ll grab a couple bottles in the am.

 

[MrErer]

Update.
Did the EFI fuse pull that @BILT4ME mentioned; and that got the truck home. I was able to get out of creeping and crawling only, and in High gear. I cleared the misfire codes, pulled the fuse, and they did not comeback on for my 10 min trip home.

From a stop or standstill tho it still really hesitates and delays for a few seconds when I’m pushing down on the accelerator pedal. Then it’ll just snap out of it, rev up well and accelerate along as normal….

Also Im gonna update my strange noise: from knock to more of a hollow clunk, still kinda hard to tell where it’s coming from tho.

When it’s mildly warmer tomorrow, aka not 0 I’m gonna try some Heet additive and run thru all the distributor and wires again in daylight.

thank you all tho for helping getting her home

 

[cruzinfj1]

When was the last time you did a fuel filter?

 

[MrErer]

When was the last time you did a fuel filter?

 

[MrErer]

Not in my 5 years of ownership actually…thinking it wouldn’t hurt to order fuel filter and pump, both reasonably priced far as I see.

 

[jonheld]

Truck struggles in high range, but moves without issue in low range.
Sounds like an open in the driveline to me. In high, you're relying on the VC in the transfer case to move the truck, which is going to slip. In low, the center diff is locked so you now have power to the wheels.