Engine Dies on Steep Grades

[Applejack]

Yesterday as I was climbing a steep and rutted trail where either of the front tires would lift a little every now and then, I stopped to and thought I would give the Hill Holder feature on my Tacoma a try. I was stopped for no more than 30 seconds and my truck died. So I started back up and let it sit again for another 30 seconds or so and again it died. I tried a 3rd time and it did not die but still twice. So what do you think it might be, fuel pump, bad gas? It seems strange for a fuel injected engine to do this.

 

[Rock-Wear]

Might sound silly, but were you low on fuel?

That use to happen to my buggy on steep climbs when the fuel pickup wasn't fully submerged due to the angle. I would simply add fuel and the problem disappeared.

 

[mountainpete]

Putting the gas tank issue aside for a second (which is a likely issue), this happens sometimes with automatic Toyota trucks in 4WD LO.

I can't fully explain the reasons as to why it happens right now (probably because my brain power is goo after a long day at work) but if you crawl up a steep incline, completely go off the power and let the truck roll back the engine does have a tendency to stall. If you stay on the power, no stall.

Happens to me sometimes too... my recommendation is to try and keep linear power through the hill or hold the brake so you don't roll back.

Pete

 

[Applejack]

Putting the gas tank issue aside for a second (which is a likely issue), this happens sometimes with automatic Toyota trucks in 4WD LO.

I can't fully explain the reasons as to why it happens right now (probably because my brain power is goo after a long day at work) but if you crawl up a steep incline, completely go off the power and let the truck roll back the engine does have a tendency to stall. If you stay on the power, no stall.

Happens to me sometimes too... my recommendation is to try and keep linear power through the hill or hold the brake so you don't roll back.

Pete

I guess that might be it. I had over a half tank so, I don't think it's that. I guess it just seems a little counter intuitive for Toyota to make such a feature as the hill hold, if the truck can't even stay running if it's stopped on the hill. But then again, I guess most times you don't stop for more than a few seconds if you stop at all.

 

[corax]

+ hill hold is really more for soccer moms who have trouble pulling away from a stop on a hill w/ AT . . . baffling why it's there to begin with, then again, they did invent the car that can parallel park itself

 

[Cackalak Han]

...then again, they did invent the car that can parallel park itself

Now THAT is scary...

 

[keezer36]

Sounds like "Hill Holder" doesn't want to play nice with torque converter.
Just another gadget that kinda works, sometimes, but only for the Toyota mechanic.

 

[Vermejo]

This happens to me sometimes when doing steep stuff; rolling back down can get a bit sketchy. I was climbing a ledge on a steep hillside the first time it happened. I always attributed it to the gas. It happens after I’ve been at an angle for quite awhile working an obstacle or climbing a steep hill as mentioned above.

 

[Applejack]

Yeah the climb I was on was long, and rutty. My front end kept wanting to hop a bit. I wonder it all the bouncing may have disturbed something.