Hi all I have a 98 1500 van with a 5.2 liter 318 it has about 93000 mi. Recently it has been hard starting and when it dose start it is like it was flooded starts fine when it is hot but as it cools it gets harder and harder to start. i put new plugs, cap, router, and wires befour the hard starting started. any help would be awsome thanks

 

Sounds like your fuel pump could be going bad. I'd start by renting or buying a gauge and testing the fuel pressure.

 

I can hear the pump go on and then off when the key is on and befour starting. would that make a diffrence?

 

No, not really. All that is telling you is that the pump is turning on, it doesn't mean you are getting the proper PSI out of it. A second possibility is that the check valve built into the pump is leaking. If this valve is leaking then as the vehicle sits off, the pressure in the fuel line slowly bleeds back into the tank. The result is a fuel delivery delay when you go to start it, and the longer it sits, the worst the problem.

 

Couldn't you test the check valve by turning on the key and waiting say, 30-40 seconds before attempting to start the van when it's hot? That would give time for the pump to build psi back in the line. Thing is, he's complaining of hot start problems, not cold start. So in this case the longer it sits, the better it starts.

If it were carbureted, I would think it would be an automatic choke problem, the choke being stuck on during hot starts. What's the FI equivalent of the choke?

I would think a fuel pressure gauge left in the line with the engine cover off where you could see it during hot starts would also be interesting.

Tar

 

I don't mind being corrected on those extremely rare occasions when I'm wrong. But I really get annoyed when someone tries to correct me when I'm not.

Here's a quote from the first post, "starts fine when it is hot but as it cools it gets harder and harder to start"

 

Now, now, I'm surly not the only one around here who can't read! Care for some popcorn? It's still hot...

So it's not getting enough fuel when cold... even though he says it seems like it's flooded? Guess I'd have to pull a plug after trying to start it when it's cold to see if it's flooded or not. Too rich or too lean, six of one, half dozen of the other, still won't let it start.

Tar

 

What is the CCA of your battery? how old is it?

 

The battery is about one year old and it turns over fine. do not know the cca

 

Cold Cranking Amps is the most important part of the battery. with it being new it should be easily found, or I am sure your local battery store would be able to give you details. You need to make sure that the right size battery was put in. The starter motor will turn over fine as there is enough charge in the battery to turn it over but it needs more to start the engine. The reason it is easy when warm is that the alternator has charged the battery enough to get a start.