alright i just recently changed my spark plugs thinking that might be the problem but it wasn't. pretty much every time i start my truck up except for the morning cold start it will fire up but almost want to die and the tach will read like maybe 200 rpms and jump up to 600 rpms and go back down again. it will do this for maybe like 5 seconds and then it will just back to a normal rpm. any ideas what the problem could be? could it be the fuel pump? injectors? any suggestions appreciated? could it have anything to do with my cats? i have almost 95,000 miles on my truck now.

has anyone else had this problem?

Thanks for the help,

Randy

 

if it was your fuel pump or regulator i think i would just take more cranking than usual to start. but maybe you could check and see how dirty your TB is, and a fuel injector service wouldnt hurt either.

 

things i would go through:

whens the last time you changed the fuel filter?
run a little sea foam through the intake
run a can of sea foam through the gas
clean throttle body
clean MAF
clean filter
new spark plugs after running sea foam through intake(ac delco plugs)

hope for the best

seafoam you can get from autozone or o reily. i did 1/2 can through the brake booster vacume line.

pour a can into the gas when your between 1/4-1/2 tank of gas left and run it pretty hard.
to clean the maf use some electric connection cleaner.

hope you figure out the problem.

 

I agree with the suggestion of TXsilverado.

Also I believe there is a Idle Air Control on the TB that should be cleaned.

Lastly, you could try the Idle Re-Learn Proceedure.

Get truck up to temp and shut off.
Disconnect battery for at least 10 minutes and reconnect.
Start (will idle very poorly) and make sure it is still up to temp.
Block wheels, set ebrake, and put in drive for 5 minutes.
Put in Park for 5 minutes.
Shut off....Done.

Good Luck.

 

I agree with all of the above mentioned items, and, as I usually do, I'm gonna recommend checking the fuel pressure regulator. If it's leaking it will contribute to a flooding condition after a hot soak. It's located in the middle of the driver's side fuel rail and has a vacuum line going to the top of it. If you pop off that vacuum hose and fuel is present, or even a strong fuel odor, it's leaking and needs replacement.

 

alright i will try all that. i just got done changing my spark plugs about 2 weeks ago. i change out my fuel filter every 30,000 miles so that was done like 4 or 5 months ago.

lately i have noticed that it is taking a lot longer to start up. i used to be able to turn the key and it would immediately start. now i have to turn the key for a while and let it crank and then finally it will start. also the truck died on me after driving it for a while and then coming to a stop, the engine just shut off. does all this sound like a fuel pump problem? isn't the fuel pump in the gas tank?

 

alright i pulled up the hose and fuel leaked out from it. so does that mean the regulator is bad? how hard is that to replace? wouldn't fuel be present anyways?

 

Yep, the reg is bad. There shouldn't be any fuel in that hose, it's a vacuum diaphragm. When the diaphragm gets a tear in it, fuel will leak past it into the intake, and could cause a rich condition and flooding after a hot soak. Replacement is fairly easy, I did mine on my lunch hour with no tools...I used the staple from the part invoice to fish the o-ring out of the fuel rail lol. You basically just need to remove the vacuum hose, then the retaining clip. You may have to wiggle and twist the regulator to remove it. Once the reg is out, the o-ring will probably still be in the fuel rail. Use an angled pick to fish it out. Installation is the reverse of removal. (You may need pliers or a screwdriver to remove the retaining clip)

Your local dealer should have the part in stock...it runs anywhere between $50 to $80 depending on the dealer and who you know there.

 

You might try a TPS (Throttle Position Sensor) also, they contribute to hard start, flooding, poor engine performance conditions a lot. I've replaced several. But for the most part, Bud Hayes is probably dead on the point......but it always pays off to go to your nearest auto store and buy a $30.00 fuel pressure guage, to test things like this.

 

mine does the same thing his does and it didnt start doing it till i put my cam in but the truck is tuned for it. ive never changed the fuel filter, the reg. is good. it has a brand new tb on it and new plugs