starting problem??

My 1997 chevy Z71 has a starting problem. It has a vortec 350. For some reason this thing can sit in negative 30 degree weather for 3 days and start after turning over only two times. But if i get it warmed up good like maybe an hour or more of driving and then turn off and let sit for a couple of hours, it has to turn over for about five times longer before it starts. I have replaces plugs, wires, dist. cap, and rotor hoping this would fix it. Truck has about 96,000 miles. Is this just something i have to live with? Thanks alot.

sounds like a bad ect(engine coolant temp sensor) it does the same job as a choke in older carburated vehicles.

try checking the fuel system, had similar problems on a 96 vortec 350, check in the search for hard starting, gm merlin has offered up some great advice and tips regarding hard starting trucks, he gives a step by step diagnosis in some of his posts try it, it's who i relied on,good man

I had a 6.0L with basically the same problem. We ran pressure checks on the fuel system, which was okay and did a general tune-up, still had the same problem.

The GM tech told me all he could think would be that one of the injectors may be leaking fuel into the intake, on cold start the engine could easily handle the extra fuel, but on warm start it was the same as 'flooding' the engine.

I haven't pressure tested the injectors yet, but it makes sense to me.

Just a thought.

-slacker