Experianced help needed

[iamslotman]

hello. I own a 95 3.0 4runner that died on the road. I have limited tools and more limited mobility but I am hoping to solve this mystery w/o going to the dealer. It has good spark at the plugs. Seemingly strong fuel pressure when I loosen the fuel pressure hose to the intake.(17mm). It almost sounds like it wants to catch while cranking but never does. Pulled #6 plug and it was clean, but not wet as I would expect from 3 days of cranking. I smell fuel after 10 sec of cranking. I tried spraying starting fluid into the throttle bosy with no change. Do the injectors need a signal to fire or should the starting fluid have started it regardless if it is fuel related. I bypassed the fuel pump as someone suggested by jumping the Fp and B+ terminals on the diag box and I hear the pump running. Fuel filter is clear. Before this happened, it was sometimes taking 20 sec of cranking before it would start. Last 2 worries are: I can see water circulating in the radiator with the engine only cranking and cold. Plugs, oil and antifreeze are normal so I don't know if this is a design of this model or a bad head gasket? truck never ran hot or smoked. I know the timing belt is due soon but I removed the dist cap and the rotor spins while cranking so I am assuming the belt is ok. I love this truck but I have spent weeks in the driveway when I can and I am out of options. I removed the alarm and remote start system in the hope they were the problem but no change. All fuses seem good. swapped similiar relays no change. thanks for listening

[rhartman911]

Have you checked for spark at the #1 spark plug wire? Your problem is not a fuel delivery if it was it would of started with the starting fliud, the problem is most likely in the ignition system. I just got a 98 4 runner so I am not familiar yet with the ignition system and all it's components.
If you have no spark at the #1 plug, then you would pull the coil wire off of the distributor hold it to ground crank engine and check for spark if NO spark then the problem will be from the coil back going toward the ignition switch .If you have spark then the problem will be in the distributor itself
IF everything is checking out (spark is good) then I would set the #1 piston to TDC and check the timming just because the rotor is turnning it still could of jump a few teeth. If water and oil is fine then I would not suspect a head gasket if you still think it might be a head gasket you can do a compression check on each cylinder
1A) check fuses check both engine fuses and cab fuses
1) distributor cap/rotor
2) pick up coil inside distributor
3) Coil
4) ignition module (if applicable)
5) ignition switch
6) Timming out

[OzzyO]

I don't know if you solved your problem or not but i'll offer my 2 for cents lol.
My 94 V6, 3 Liter 4runner didn't totally die like yours but wasn't far from it, it would hesitate, bog down shake and shudder and then the engine would die, I would restart and if I had to go up a hill it might have taken me 30 minutes or so to get up that hill, but what it turned out to be was the sensor at the back of the engine, near the top by the firewall, it seems when I had my head gasket replaced this sensor was damaged and it took another 3 years for it to really act up. Please let me know how you make out ok ? I'm not so mobile myself, spinal cord injury, so I know how this can drive you crazy and how it's really hard to feel good enough to try to fix it, it took me close to 6 months before I was able to fix mine, Good Luck.