95' no cold start

[drpepsi]

new member,, haven't done a lot of reading on the forums yet,,
step son has a 95 passport 3.2v6 4wd,,,, on mornings when temp is below 30 degrees very hard to get started. engine cranks over fine, fuel press is 38lb. at port front of engine. just no start unless you hold the key down and just crank for any where from 1 to 2.5 minutes and it starts to pick up a cylinder every 10-15 seconds until engine is fully running on its own, a heavy grey smoke out the exhaust and a smell of unburnt fuel out the exhaust also.
at this time the check engine light comes on and stays on solid--the check trans light starts to flash rapidly also. if you try to drive vehicle it trys to start in high gear, it feels like, you have to manually shift into low to take off and manually shift through the gears driving. now if you just let it run/warmup for 3-5 min and the temp gauge comes up 1/4 way from cold, you can turn off engine and wait 1 min. and restart ,, all is fine no lights and shifts normaly, on days above 40 degrees no problems at all, starts and runs fine no lights
have only the 3 wire dianogistic port, have jumped 1&3 as clymer book says and no codes are stored after turn off, and no codes when lights are on/engine running. small town and no mecanic has adapter to scan vehicle locally,, any thoughts or reconmendations?
thanks for reading such a long entry

[95.5 Rodeo]

So many problems going on here.

My first thought is that there may be something wrong with the intake air (IAT) or coolant temperature sensor(s) because the problem appears to be temperature related.

When the check engine light comes on, I would expect to see a code stored in the computer that can be retrieved. Because there is no code and the transmission is not starting out in the right gear, I would suspect a problem with the computer. However, computer problems are extremely rare and a faulty electrical connection is more likely.

If it were mine, I would disconnect the battery for 15 minutes to reset the computer to factory defaults then do the following.

Inspect all electrical connectors that pertain to the fuel injection system.

I would probe the IAT and the engine coolant temperature sensors when the engine has cooled overnight. Do a resistance check on these sensors and neither should be "open". These resistance readings should be very close to each other when cold. When these sensors are cold, the resistance will be high. As things warm up, the resistance will become lower.

On mine, the IAT is mounted on the passenger side of the intake manifold and has a gray 2 pin connector.

The coolant temperature sensor is mounted in the back of the block and has a green connector.

Engine coolant sensor location-


When you jump the 3 pin diagnostic connector are you seeing a code 12? This means the computer is functioning correctly. When any component of the fuel injection system is out of spec a code will be set, yours should do the same.


Good luck,
Dale

[drpepsi]

have already changed the AIT sensor, MAP sensor, & the coolant temp sensor.. no change in the cold start or code storage
yes when 3 pin connector is jumped, 1-2 flashes only no other codes are shown.

[95.5 Rodeo]

Are the spark plugs clean and in good condition?

How does the spark look when it's cold outside?

[drpepsi]

plugs are black, too much fuel/very rich... if go on long trip (1-2hr) plugs clean up decent but blacken next cold morn. seem to have plenty of spark. using external spark tester

[95.5 Rodeo]

Have you checked the fuel pressure regulator for leaks? I believe when they go bad, the diaphragm can split and dump raw fuel through the vacuum tube leading into the intake manifold. Other possibilities include leaking injectors, fouled spark plugs, poor compression, contaminated fuel, failing coil packs or the ignition module. These are problems that do not set a code.


Good luck,
Dale