Hi all

I have been attempting to pin this gremlin for a year. I have been living with it, but during a snow storm the other day, the truck actually died on me which was a first and so now I have become re-determined to figure this out. Truck has 285xxx, 3vze, 5 speed.

The only real symptom the truck has is that after it has warmed up and sat for 15 to 30 minutes it takes a few extra cranks to fire.

I did have a code 11 (momentary power interruption to the ECU) however I admit that I am not sure how old that code is and it may or may not be related. I had a severed (-) cable from the battery that I replaced - though that would have cleared the code when I replaced it. Either way, I cleared the code and so will see if it comes back. Last summer I had the same symptom, and then eventually my fuel pump actually did die and the truck wouldn't start. Last summer I did the following:

- replaced the fuel pump, EFI relay
- replaced fuel damper which was leaking
- replaced o rings on injectors and all crimp washers in fuel rail - i do not have any fuel leaks that I can tell or smell
- replaced all vacuum lines
- I broke a nipple on the small blue sensor between the charcoal cannister and the throttle body (I cant remember it's name at the moment), but glued it back together and have been using it that way. I have not verified if it is actually functioning the way it is supposed to.
- I replaced the vapor return line to the gas tank from the charcoal canister
- been running fuel injector cleaners/fuel treatments
- tested the fuel circuit opening relay and was within spec (i suppose it could not be within spec when in operation)
- replaced the AFM and verified that the pump is turning on when it is supposed to (I can hear it)

Then the other day during a storm the truck chugged, and when I gave it gas it made it worse, then it actually stalled. It would not fire when I tried to restart it - then about an hour later it did start. Since then I have replaced the fuel filter, cleaned up all the grounds in the engine bay, confirmed the distributor was within spec, and attempted to check voltages at the ECU harness. My ignitor pin (what I assumed to be IGN) had only approximately 6 volts at the ecu harness, and my VSV FPU had only about 10.4 when everything else was around 11 or 12. This was with one probe on the Batt terminal (I think). I also replaced the TPS earlier this winter to address an erratic idle, which fixed it.

My ECT plug has a broken tab and is only sitting on the sensor, though with plenty of grease. However I messed with plugging/unplugging it during/after warm up and it did not appear to make any difference. I am planning on replacing the sensor (it is within spec) and the connector.

Because the truck actually stalled during a snow storm when I had snow all over the hood, I was suspecting some kind of short or actual connection problem under the hood. The coil is maybe 2 years old, but is a generic brand. I have read that the generic brands can be troublesome. I checked the kick panels and it is dry and the connections look fine down there. I ordered a FSM for the year with the 3vze so I can have an actual reference for the pin outs and voltage/resistance tests so that should help. I am mostly wondering about the low 6v at the ignitor, and 10.4 at the VSV FPU , and if anyone suspects those to be red flags. I need to find the real wiring harness for this year and study it better as I admit I did this late in the day and was not entirely sure what I should be expecting or looking for. This is also assuming I had the pins right, which I may not have. I have not tested the cold start injector, however I don't see how that would cut the engine out. It is entirely possible I have more than one problem happening at the same time. I was not even driving underload, just cruising at about 50 mph in 4 high. It seems like the code 11 might be relevant. I also recently replaced the speedometer cable, though the bastards gave me the wrong part ; said it was for an extra cab which I have but the cable was way way too long. I managed to route it so it had essentially no hard bends, but the needle does vibrate a little at low speeds, and I wonder if this can effect the VSS, which I think I read can interrupt the ECU. I am not really familiar with the VSS. It felt like the fuel just got cut, or spark just died. A neighbor stopped to help me and could hear the pump running when I was trying to crank. So I am thinking something to do with the ignitor, or VSV, or fuel pressure..I try to do as much testing/thinking as I can before posting here but looking for any food for thought. I have read most of the posts regarding hard warm starts and also the code 11 posts. I have been driving it not far from home, and it has been running great and starts right up when cold, and still takes a few extra cranks when warmed up. It has not cut out on me while driving again so far - though I have not been driving through heavy snow or rain either. This post is a bit erratic, my apologies. I will attempt to offer a more organized summary/results as I track this gremlin down. It should be noted that generally the truck is running really well and is a blast to drive and has been for the last few years despite the gremlin. It does not have any power loss or serious mpg loss while driving. I have been routinely taking it on 4 hour trips for the last year. It is just the long starts when warm, and the first ever stalling-while-driving in a snow storm. I also realized that my battery is at least 8 years old as it was in the truck when I bought it. The alternator was replaced a few years ago. I should probably replace the battery.