4runner 22re Running Like SH!!

Nov 21, 2006 3 Replies

My truck is running like crap! No power, backfiring sounds in the engine, and when I give throttle, it sputters and barely has enough power to move forward. Then sometimes it kicks in and runs normally for a while only to run bad again. I changed the fuel filter but here is my story.



Up until about 4 days ago, it ran perfectly well. I was running low on gas, so I stopped into the nearest gas station to where I was at. I had never bought gas there before, but it was a mom and pop type of shop. I filled up and soon after I bought gas there, my truck started running like it was sick with a major flu bug. I added gas additive, and burned the tank down to about 1/4 before refilling at a station I frequent on a regular basis. I added another 8 oz of gas additive, but it still runs like crap.



Any suggestions as to the best approach to getting my truck back into shape without draining the tank? Plus now it is full. Also, running the engine in this crappy state, with low power and popping misfires due to the gas... will it lead to eventual harm and need for repair? I was hoping that by simply cycling new gas though the EFI system it would solve the problem. I actually had this happen one other time about a year ago. Is the 22re or most auto engines this badly affected by bad gas. If only I had a gas receipt from that station!



It really sucks when you are paying well over $2.00/gallon for stuff that is anything but automotive fuel!



Well, will have to see if performance improves as the new gas cycles...



It sure sounds like you have your problem figured out. I would agree you got some bad fuel as I have had it happen to me in the past. The only advice I can give is to drain the tank. But don't drain the entire tank. Water is heavier than gas so if you let it sit overnight all the water will settle to the bottom. Look at the bottom of your tank for a drain plug. Park the truck so that most of the water will be at the drain plug. Let it sit overnight then pull the drain plug to let the water out. When you no longer see any water coming out put the plug back in. You should be able to get most of the water out this way. Put in some more dry gas and run it as close to empty as possible and you should be ok. You may need to change the fuel filter again as well.

Follow-Up: After three tanks of fuel from a gas station I visit regularly and a few bottles of dry gas, my truck finally runs like a charm! Amazing what some bad gas can do for performance!

I used to have the same problem with my 4runner 22re 4wd the solution was change the Mas Air Filter and the Throttle Position Sensor now is like new. I've test it on glamis.

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Regards.

Bill wrote:

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