When my girlfriend tries to start the truck it will crank just fine but refuses to start up. If she hold the pedal down however it'll start right up; on top of that if she drives it, then tries to start it shortly after it was cut off it seems to start just fine. I can't hear the fuel pump when I turn the key to on but it seems like if the fuel pump was bad that it wouldn't start at all. Any suggestions as to what the problem could be?

I know the previous owner replaced the distributor cap shortly before I bought it...it there any chance that the plugs could be fuel fouled from a misfire/rich mixturebefore she fixed it?

 

what ya drivin? if its older and assumably carburated then you pry wont hear a fuel pump since most stock ones are mechanical. ya have to hold it to the floor on initial start up cause all the fuel has evaporated or leaked past seals or what not. Holding it to the floor squirts some gas in and holds butterflies open to give air. After you drive it a bit. the fuel is still available in the float bowls and ready to go. causes can be a number of things. mainly a worn out or dirty carb that needs a simple rebuild and cleaning.
If its a fuel injected vehicle then its a whole nother story. you should never have to touch gas peddle during start up since gas is being squirted in at 65psi or so

 

It's a '92 with the 4.3 liter...as far as I know it's carburated (which is a setup that, sadly, I don't have much experience working on). It's just started doing it the past couple of days since the weather has changed...would that have any bearing on the situation?

I'll check out the carb and see what I can come up with in the mean time....

 

A '92 will either be TBI or CPI, not carbureted. If it has a swoopy intake with a plastic cover that says Vortec, it's the CPI. If it has a round air cleaner in the center, it's the TBI.

In the manual for the '93, it says if your motor is flooded, flooring the pedal will clear the flood to be able to start it. So I'd suspect fuel delivery issues of some sort.

 

Thanks because honestly I wasn't sure. I know absolutely nothing about this truck and without a manual I'm pretty well screwed....it's not that I don't know what I'm doing as I just don't know much about these vehicles in particular. Either way - it haven't done in it the past 2 or 3 days so I think it may have straightened itself out. Oh yeah, and it's the TBI....as it has the circular air cleaner on top.

 

You can get either a Haynes or Chilton from the local auto places or get a factory service manual from eBay. I got my FSM on eBay for less than $20 shipped.


Out of curiosity, had she recently filled up with gas from a station she doesn't normally go to? She might have gotten some crappy fuel.

 

If its TBI, run it up to operating temps, then shut it off. Check to see if the injectors are dripping or if the butterfly valves have fuel pooled on them. If so, its time for a TB rebuild. They sell a kit at advance with everything you need, and if youre mechanically inclined it shouldnt be too much of a hassle at all.

 

I found a Haynes in the very back the other day (which came in handy - I had to install a stereo and the previous owner had cut the plugs off the original harness). As for gas, no, she always goes to the same gas station....so I doubt that's it. I'm pretty sure from what you've told me to look for that it's a TBI...but everytime I try to look up parts for it all I can find are carburators and caburator kits. I'm starting to think that I may be a bit slooooooooooooow.......

 

what is the eighth digit of the vin. That'll determine tbi or more than likely central port injection. w or z? jp[sm=icon_blah.gif]

 

He says 4 posts up it's the TBI...