2006 4Runner 4wd stuttering on dead stop acceleration

Hey guys. So my 2006 4Runner I recently bought is having some symptoms.

It will inconsistently stutter and hesitate on acceleration from a dead stop, such as a red light. It does not always do it but it becomes more prevalent as the engine warms up.

so far I’ve tried the following to remedy this issue:

1. ran 2 doses of fuel cleaner through the gas tank, with little to no improvement.

2. replaced all the spark plugs (they were rough and probably haven’t been changed since the car was first purchased)

Neither has seemed to help.

before I dive into replacing the fuel injectors I’m thinking maybe to replace the fuel filter and see if it helps.

trying to take care of the less invasive fixes before diving into bigger projects.

has anyone else encountered similar issues and remedied it or have any suggestions? Thank you!

-Josh

 

First off, which engine does it have? I'm assuming the V6?

I'm guessing the CEL hasn't come on and there are no codes?

Fuel filter is internal to the gas tank and requires dropping the tank. Probably more than you're ready to get into just yet.

When you replaced the plugs, did you inspect all the coil packs for cracks? Check the wiring to them as well, incase rats/mice got in there and chewed up wires or any are just broken.

Check and clean or replace the MAF. Make sure the air filter is replaced as well.

Clean the throttle body. Spray brake cleaner into a rag and wipe it down clean on both sides of the butterfly as best you can.

Check the PCV valve, make sure it's good and replace if not sure.

Check vacuum hoses for cracks or any that are broken and replace as needed. Also, lightly spray brake cleaner at the base of the intake manifold, all the way around and see if the engine RPMs change at all when you do that. If the RPMs do change, then you have a vacuum leak between the intake and heads most likely.

Check all connectors going to the engine for broken wires or any damage or something that might be unplugged.

 

awesome thanks for the list! Yes it’s the V6! And you are correct, codes were clear and no CEL light

No cracks in the coils and re-lubed them as they were bone dry. Also checked all connectors for corrosion but the plugs themselves were in great shape. Didn’t check the wiring though…

didn’t know that about the fuel filter, I must have watched the wrong video then of a different year bc it showed the filter was externally mounted under the driver side near the cross member.

I’ll start working my way down the list. Thanks again!