Hi Everyone!
I’m just about out of ideas so I’m hoping someone out there has some ideas.
I have a 2000 Chevy Silverado 1500 with a 4.3L V6 and I am having issues when it is starting cold. Anytime the truck sits more than 4 hours or so it has trouble starting. It will crank and occassionally fire but won’t actually start. I generally have to spray starter fluid in the air intake and then it fires up immediately. That lends me to believe it is a fuel related issue. So far I have replaced the fuel filter (4 months ago), spark plugs (which helped for about four days), and I’ve done the pressure check that should test the regulator and the test indicated it was ok. I replaced the fuel pump about 3 years ago and I’m hoping that I won’t need to do that again because of the cost, so that’s kind of the last effort (unless that’s the problem). One other note is that when I turn the key I can hear the fuel pump running.
Any ideas would be appreciated, I’m getting tired of carrying around a can of starter fluid everywhere I go!
Thanks!
The next time you know it’s going to be hard to start, turn the ignition switch to the run position so that the dash lights come on for two seconds, and then turn off the ignition. Repeat this a half dozen times and then try starting the engine. If the engine starts right up, the problem is with the check valve in the fuel pump assembly.
Tester
Thanks for the advice. It was the fuel pump. We replaced it this weekend and it fixed the problem! Thanks!