Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) Hard start, sputtering when at idle

[ASimpson]

Hi folks. Well I am starting to have an issue with the truck it is cranking for a long time before starting. Most times I crank for 5-6 seconds stop then another 5-6 seconds before it finally starts. Then the next day it might start fine. It did this about a year and a half ago then went away. Now its doing it more often. It doesn't matter if it is cold or at running temp. After it starts it has been running fine until today. I came home pulled in the driveway then backed out onto the road to get the mail. As I was backing out I sorta bumped the accelerator peddle the truck died in the middle of the road, After cranking for 5-6 seconds it started but it was surging or loping kinda sounded like it had a big cam in it. If I revved it up it smoothed out almost completely but at I dle it still continues to do this. It acts like it wants to die when idling. The fuel pressure at the vp is 17 pounds at idle and never below 14. I have felt lately that the truck didn't have as much power as normal but that could just be me. I have also noticed a puff of white smoke at start up even before the starting issues. The truck has 210,000 miles on it. I was told before it was likely the vp but the problem went away on its own. There are no codes either. Any ideas. Thanks in advance.

 

[ASimpson]

Update the truck is now officially dead. Started very hard but was running fine. We left the house drove about 1000 feet had to slow down for a turn and as soon as I took my foot off the accelerator the truck died and will not start. I tried getting it to start with ether and it will fire but it dies as soon as it burns the ether. (And yeah I know about being careful with ether) We pulled it back to the house with a tractor and now it's a yard ornament. I'm guessing the vp. Anyone have any other ideas.

 

[JLandry]

It sure does sound like the VP44 because along with the lack of DTC's, you've pretty much eliminated everything else.



Good luck,



John L.

 

[BDahm]

From expierience id say the VP as well

 

[ASimpson]

Well thanks to Chip @ Blue Chip and his wisdom I figured out the not running part. The gauge said it was over 1/4 full. He told me to put fuel in it and try to start it and I never would have believed it but we pumped 4-5 gallons in it and it wouldn't start so we cracked the lines at the injectors and turned it over. Plenty of fuel was there. Tightened them up and it fired right up. He said the sending unit reads wrong when it gets down low and it sounded like it had run out of fuel. So far so good and it's starting as fats as it ever did. So it's either getting low on fuel and sucking air or getting air in the line some how. I'm going to fill it full and see if I still have problems.

 

[KevinSmith]

Thats the exact problems I had when my VP44 went out. Its also the exact problems I had when my guage started lying to me too. I had forgotten that until now.

 

[ASimpson]

I got to thinking the last time it had been hard to start before this I was starting up to leave the fuel station about a week and a half ago and I remember thinking then it was kinda odd that the truck was a little over a quarter of the way full when I started and it took like 26 gallons to fill it up. I went and put fuel in it tonight and drove around 60-70 miles shut it off 5-6 times and not one issue. Guess I'll start filling up at 1/2 a tank.