Engine stalled on descent and when I went to crank starter would not do anything. (1996 FZJ80 1FZ-FE engine) (1 Viewer)

[Bellbuster]

Apologies for sounding like a rube, but was hoping for some advice. I have a 1996 FZJ80 and today while on a trail on a slight up hill I turned the engine off. When I went to go crank the engine again it sputtered and stalled out. I fired it up again and throttled it up to get it to some flat ground. Once I got to flat ground it stalled again , but this time when I cranked it I had no issues.

30 mins later I was descending down a fairly steep hill when the engine cut out again. I'm thinking at this point I need a new fuel filter and possibly a fuel pump. I go to try and crank the car again and I get nothing from the starter. It doesn't try to spin the engine, I don't hear the solenoid clicking, nothing. I check the voltage on the battery and it is right where you want it. I have my friend push me to flat ground and try to crank it again. Fires right up and idles perfectly.

This whole time I have the car in High range. I switch the car over to low and for the rest of the day the car ran like a dream. Even switching it back to High it seemed to run fine.

I was going to swap the fuel filter out and possibly put a clear in line fuel filter, but I still don't know why I wasn't getting any noise when I tried to crank it on the downhill. Any input or things I should look into would be greatly appreciated. Please let me know if anyone needs more info.

 

[baldilocks]

An OEM fuel filter replacement is a good place to start. No need for a cheap, see through filter. When you were in the no crank situation did you happen to notice whether or not the check engine light was on with the key in the run position?

 

[Kernal]

Steep hill up and down with swaying back and forth causing issues??
Maybe also check for loose/bad battery connections, grounds, fusible links??

 

[Bellbuster]

An OEM fuel filter replacement is a good place to start. No need for a cheap, see through filter. When you were in the no crank situation did you happen to notice whether or not the check engine light was on with the key in the run position?

I did not notice for certain, but it currently is on for the up stream 02 sensor failure. I have a new sensor, but the stud broke off so I have to have a new 02 attachment plate welded on. I have a code reader that I check it with before driving and it is throwing no new codes. I checked today when we stopped for lunch and all I get is the 02 sensor.

 

[Bellbuster]

Steep hill up and down with swaying back and forth causing issues??
Maybe also check for loose/bad battery connections, grounds, fusible links??

Battery terminals tight and checked around. Everything seems good, but when I have time this week and not in the middle of the woods I'm going to go over it again

 

[baldilocks]

My concern was not existing codes. With the key in the run position, engine off, the CEL should be illuminated. If not, the ECU is either malfunctioning or it’s not being powered. Either way, the engine won’t run.

Confirm that the efi fuse is secure in its slot and not corroded. Cheapo blade fuses have thinner blades and old fuse panels develop wear.

 

[jonheld]

A "no crank" would be battery connections/fusible links/starter.
Has nothing to do with the ECU/EFI circuits.

 

[60 toy ota]

You describe two issues that are usually non-related: engine cutting out and a no-crank. An issue with the starting system would almost never cause an engine that's already running to stop, and any running issue would very seldom keep an engine from cranking.

30 mins later I was descending down a fairly steep hill when the engine cut out again. I'm thinking at this point I need a new fuel filter and possibly a fuel pump. I go to try and crank the car again and I get nothing from the starter. It doesn't try to spin the engine, I don't hear the solenoid clicking, nothing. I check the voltage on the battery and it is right where you want it. I have my friend push me to flat ground and try to crank it again. Fires right up and idles perfectly.

In order to make sense of this and not create any wild goose chases, is it possible that in this scenario you had tried to start the truck while the gear shifter was still in D/2/L? And by the time you had your friend push you you'd moved to neutral, enabling cranking?
If the engine had cut out while in a drive gear and you didn't move the shifter to P or N and tried to crank it, you'd have the exact scenario you describe here.

Also, just a sanity check, when you tried to crank it and didn't get anything, are we to assume that the vehicle still had electrical power? I know you said you checked the battery for voltage, but was that voltage making it to the truck's electrical system?

 

[baldilocks]

A "no crank" would be battery connections/fusible links/starter.
Has nothing to do with the ECU/EFI circuits.

He experienced two different problems.

 

[Bellbuster]

You describe two issues that are usually non-related: engine cutting out and a no-crank. An issue with the starting system would almost never cause an engine that's already running to stop, and any running issue would very seldom keep an engine from cranking.

In order to make sense of this and not create any wild goose chases, is it possible that in this scenario you had tried to start the truck while the gear shifter was still in D/2/L? And by the time you had your friend push you you'd moved to neutral, enabling cranking?
If the engine had cut out while in a drive gear and you didn't move the shifter to P or N and tried to crank it, you'd have the exact scenario you describe here.

Also, just a sanity check, when you tried to crank it and didn't get anything, are we to assume that the vehicle still had electrical power? I know you said you checked the battery for voltage, but was that voltage making it to the truck's electrical system?

Hello! When I tried to crank it I tried in both park and neutral. Vehicle had electrical power as the dash lit up and the radio came on.

 

[jonheld]

He experienced two different problems.

The engine stalling and the starter not cranking screams power source to me.
That's the first place I would look.
Fusible links do go intermittent occasionally.
Cheap enough to simply replace and eliminate if they're original.
Of course I would take a close look at the battery terminals first. Always start with the low hanging fruit.
Having dash lamps and radio is not the same as being able to crank the starter.

 

[baldilocks]

The engine stalling and the starter not cranking screams power source to me.
That's the first place I would look.
Fusible links do go intermittent occasionally.
Cheap enough to simply replace and eliminate if they're original.
Of course I would take a close look at the battery terminals first. Always start with the low hanging fruit.
Having dash lamps and radio is not the same as being able to crank the starter.

This still leaves the random stall and then having the ability to crank but still no start until the vehicle was towed to a not so far away different location. Seems like an intermittent electrical problem. We know nothing of the vehicle use and maintenance history which is why I focused on a problem possibly driven by these things.

I’d be checking all plug and relay connections that make it run (or not) for security, crud and corrosion.

 

[Bellbuster]

New fuel filter and all the bits needed are on the way. Went ahead and ordered a new fusible link and the box because it was cheap enough and why not. I'll get the filter switched this weekend and then use some elbow grease and patience to go through all the connections and make sure everything there is good to go. Hopefully will be smooth sailing from there. Thanks everyone who helped out!

 

[baldilocks]

@Bellbuster

 

[BILT4ME]

New fuel filter and all the bits needed are on the way. Went ahead and ordered a new fusible link and the box because it was cheap enough and why not. I'll get the filter switched this weekend and then use some elbow grease and patience to go through all the connections and make sure everything there is good to go. Hopefully will be smooth sailing from there. Thanks everyone who helped out!

There are two filters. The in-tank "sock" and the inline under the intake manifold. Do both.

You may find a bare wire grounding out on the fuel pump frame when on an incline or it's rusty as can be with bad connections.