Experiencing a ‘crank no start’ issue with your 1997 Toyota 4Runner, especially the 5VZ engine, can be frustrating. You’re turning the key, the engine cranks, but it just won’t fire up and run. Let’s dive into diagnosing a no-start condition, and consider if the 4runner Run Obd2 Port is part of the initial troubleshooting process.
First, a fundamental check: fuel delivery. Upon inspecting the fuel line in the engine bay, it’s bone dry, despite having fuel in the tank. This immediately points towards a fuel supply problem. To investigate further, the next step is to check for voltage at the fuel pump. Testing the blue-orange cable at the fuel pump connector while cranking reveals no voltage. Similarly, checking for voltage at the Circuit Opening Relay (COR) on the blue-orange wire during cranking also shows nothing. This absence of voltage suggests an electrical issue preventing the fuel pump from receiving power.
To rule out basic engine timing issues, a quick check of the camshaft position sensor was performed. Using a multimeter in ohms setting across the sensor pins resulted in a reading of 1.147, which is comparable to a reading of 1.160 from a running 4Runner. This suggests the camshaft position sensor is likely not the primary culprit. Confirming this, spraying starter fluid into the intake while cranking causes the engine to rumble briefly. This indicates that the engine is capable of running and the issue is indeed fuel related, not spark or compression.
A common diagnostic step for fuel pump issues involves jumping the +B and Fp terminals in the diagnostic port to directly power the fuel pump. However, in this 1997 4Runner’s diagnostic port, the Fp pin is missing. This eliminates this quick test method. Attempts to resolve the issue by swapping computers also yielded no change, further suggesting the problem is not with the ECU itself.
Regarding the 4runner run obd2 port and its relevance to this situation, while the OBD2 port (introduced around 1996) is crucial for reading diagnostic trouble codes and live data, a ‘crank no start’ condition often requires more basic troubleshooting steps first. In this case, the absence of fuel delivery points to an electrical or fuel pump issue that may not immediately be reflected in OBD2 codes, especially if the problem is preventing the engine from even starting and running long enough to register certain faults. While scanning for codes using the 4runner run obd2 port might be a next step, the immediate focus should be on tracing the electrical circuit to the fuel pump, checking relays, fuses, and wiring to restore fuel delivery.
In conclusion, for this 1997 4Runner ‘crank no start’ scenario, the initial diagnosis strongly suggests a fuel delivery problem due to an electrical fault in the fuel pump circuit. While the 4runner run obd2 port will be useful for deeper diagnostics later, the current troubleshooting path involves hands-on electrical checks to identify and rectify the break in the fuel pump power supply.
