Starting troubles

[txbass06]

Got in my truck this afternoon to leave work and it was dragging really bad. Took a few seconds to start but when it did, it ran normal. Drove to a friends house to pick up a load of bricks and when I got in to leave, it was dragging again but this time it fired up then died. Tried it a few more times and got the same thing. I've got to hold my foot on the gas to keep it running. After it runs for a few minutes, I can kill it and start it right back up and it will almost stall but catch before it dies. No CEL's or anything which is the confusing bit. I'm going to replace the TPS and IAC tomorrow and see if that fixes the problem. Anyone got any ideas what the heck is going on?

Here's a vid of a re-start after a 15 minute drive
http://i475.photobucket.com/albums/rr116/txbass06/b8d3ecbe.mp4


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[AWE Daniel]

sounds like a tps to me

[txbass06]

That's my guess too


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[RamSport97]

Sounds like TPS to me as well.

[txbass06]

Got in it this morning to go to work and pick up parts and it started right up. Only problem I had was the first few stops, the rpm would drop to below 500 but pick right back up.
I'm still gonna swap the TPS and hope that fixes it


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[ramthis9501]

Good luck man hope it fixes the problem

[txbass06]

Swapped the TPS this morning and it fixed it. Guess I can't really complain too much seeing as the one I pulled out has been working since '97 lol. Seems to idle a little lower than normal but starts and runs just fine


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[ramthis9501]

Awesome! Glad to hear it!

[Stealth Mode]

Gotta love the simple fixes'. Lol

[Redtruck-VA]

Well done, you nailed it right off.

[txbass06]

Gotta love the simple fixes'. Lol

Lol no kidding. One connection and two T-25 bolts. Took longer to work the clip loose than swapping the sensor


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[txbass06]

Guess I spoke too soon... Drove it to the gas station about a mile away to fill up and it starts fine at the house. Get there, kill it, and it's back to the same thing...

http://i475.photobucket.com/albums/rr116/txbass06/th_8f8f2a96.jpg (http://s475.photobucket.com/albums/rr116/txbass06/?action=view&current=8f8f2a96.mp4)

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[Ms.MagnumSLT]

OH no, just wondering did you clean the TB? :hmm:

[BAD HABIT]

Pull that code if you can, that will help you steer the right direction

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[txbass06]

That's the thing. No CEL.
I also noticed that it'll only do that when it drags during starting. If it doesn't drag, it'll start and run just fine

[BAD HABIT]

In the pic is one

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[txbass06]

Thats just the lights on from me first turning the key on

[AWE Daniel]

Hmmmm maybe its something in the fuel system, how many miles are on the fuel pump?

[txbass06]

If it's the original pump, 96,700 miles. But I've never seen a pump cause one to drag while starting. And that's the confusing part. It drags really bad when it's starting like the battery is almost dead, but once it starts and runs, it's perfectly normal. No hesitation or stumbling at idle in park or under a load...


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[AWE Daniel]

Ohh I missed the dragging part, go bang on the starter!

[txbass06]

I dunno man... I would think that but I don't see a bad starter keeping it from running... It seems to only do it when it's hot but I wouldn't think it would get hot driving like 3 blocks...


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[AWE Daniel]

Ohh and check your battery cables, Ive heard a bad ground can cause a starter to drag

[ramthis9501]

Bad battery?

[txbass06]

Terminals have a good connection and there's no corrosion on them whatsoever.
I replaced them and the battery with a red top around thanksgiving last year


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[AWE Daniel]

I just realized that was a video! Doh!

It really looks like its not getting enough juice, do you have a voltmeter? I would check the alternator to see if it inst charging the battery enough, it should be around 14V.

[txbass06]

It's showing it's charging on the gauge inside

I'm gonna run back up to work and check the battery and alternator and see they look. Battery is under warranty and the alternator is easy enough to swap out. 20 minute job tops


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[ramthis9501]

Hope it works out

[txbass06]

http://i475.photobucket.com/albums/rr116/txbass06/eca9b86e.jpg

Alternator is good. I'm leaning towards a starter now... I noticed my negative cable on the battery smoking a little when I was starting it


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[ramthis9501]

Like Daniel said, tap on the starter and see if that does the trick

[AWE Daniel]

Maybe the starter is pulling way too much power

[Redtruck-VA]

Smoking cable is a very good indication that it is a problem. Might try to charge the battery overnight and see how it acts in the morning.

Dad

[txbass06]

Tapped the starter and no change. Checked the draw from the battery while I was turning it over and it wasn't pulling much more than normal.
Went ahead and pulled it off to check it inside and it tested bad but was in the normal draw guidelines.
Bought a new starter, bolted it up and it turned over fine and stayed running. Did it twice and the third time, it started dragging and died right after it started.
So I've spent $140 on things that should've been wrong with it and haven't solved the problem and I'm completely out of ideas now...


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[SmokedRam]

That would have me confuzzled bro...good luck finding it.

[txbass06]

Thanks man. The way it drags when it starts makes me think it's something mechanical or I've got something grounding out somewhere, but, the way it tries to die after starting and is idling lower than normal makes me think it's a sensor or something


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[AWE Daniel]

Bought a new starter, bolted it up and it turned over fine and stayed running. Did it twice and the third time, it started dragging and died right after it started.


How long did you wait in between the 3 times? Im still thinking battery if it was not a long wait.

[txbass06]

I didn't wait very long. Second time was maybe 20 seconds after I killed it and the third was 5-10 minutes after that. I'll pull my battery off and run a load test on it tomorrow. I just used the handheld tester we have at work this time


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[AWE Daniel]

Another quick thing to try would be the IAC, I dont know where it is on your engine but it should be part of the throttle body, I wonder if it is dirty enough to mess up the airflow. And since you are stepping on the gas to keep it running it opens up the throttle body. I read this somewhere else but it could be relevant, should be easy enough to check.

[txbass06]

It's on the back of the throttle body. Two bolt and a plug and it's out. I might swap it out tomorrow.
Just had a buddy of mine suggest a compression issue


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[SmokedRam]

I hate having batteries and alts tested ON the truck. I have gotten to where I just yank them out and run them up to Advance or Autozone. Back when I was having charging probs, the handhelds tested my battery as good, so I replaced the alt...drove it 20 miles, turned it off and the battery was dead...pulled it out, had it tested on the bench and it tested bad.

[AWE Daniel]

Just had a buddy of mine suggest a compression issue


I would think that wouldn't come out of the blue like this, besides you seem like you take care of the truck well enough.

[txbass06]

I would think that wouldn't come out of the blue like this, besides you seem like you take care of the truck well enough.

I wouldn't either but it wouldn't surprise me.
I'm with you on the battery though. It's been sitting for less than an hour, went to crank it and it started and idles fine. Same as earlier and on the third time it drug and died after it started


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[AWE Daniel]

Thats also why I was thinking alt

[txbass06]

Good thing about being a manager at a parts store, I don't have to have a good reason to warranty a part out lol.
I'm gonna yank the battery off when I get there tomorrow and swap it out with a new one. If it still does the same, I'll pull the alternator and bench test it too. It showed 13.5v on our handheld tester and on my multimeter at the battery


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[Redtruck-VA]

Cable smoking indicates it has a problem.

[4XLGator]

These types of problems can be aggravating. Good luck Mark, hope you find it soon.

[txbass06]

Alt is showing 13.8v on our bench tester. Swapped the battery out for a new red top and it started fine twice and drug on the 3rd. I'm starting to think ECM now from lack of a CEL and it seems like every time I disconnect the battery, it'll start and run normally...


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[AWE Daniel]

That's no good, but I don't see the ecm making the cable smoke

[ramthis9501]

Im thinking the plenum...

[AWE Daniel]

I'm thinking the ground cable is shorting out somewhere, that's the only reason it could smoke

[txbass06]

I thought the same thing but I've checked both grounds and they all look good. The only thing I could do is completely replace the cables and hope for the best...


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[AWE Daniel]

If it acts normal when you have moved them around then maybe its a short you can't see inside the cable

[txbass06]

Pretty sure I nailed the cause of it.
Fukken bad ground cost me around $150...
Well it was actually 3 bad grounds. Not too sure which one was causing the issues though. The ground strap going from the body to the frame near the bed was about frayed apart.
The ground from the battery to the block was loose on the block side. My buddy must not have gotten it tight enough when we changed the water pump a month or so ago or it worked itself loose. Who knows...
And the negative terminal itself was bad. The groove where the cable sits on the terminal was cracked on the bottom almost all the way through. I'm guessing when it got hot and expanded, it would lose connection.
Hoping this is over and done with


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[ramthis9501]

Hope so to, that has to fix it though, bad grounds cause that kind of stuff

[AWE Daniel]

That musta been it

[Redtruck-VA]

Good that it's fixed.

[4XLGator]

That's good news, Mark.


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[txbass06]

Thanks guys. I'm hoping that was it. Started fine when I left work last night. Got in her this morning and she busted right off.
Im just glad I got it figured out. It was driving me crazy not being able to figure it out


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[ramthis9501]

Glad it worked