My 2001 S10 has a hard starting problem if the truck sits between 1 to 4 hours. It starts fine if left over night. Has 46,000 miles.

some part of your fuel injector is leaking into the manifold. Have fuel pressure tested, have a feeling it will shoot up to the desired 60 psi then fall back now quickly. Replace the spider injector.

Thanks, I'll start with the test & spider.

Rather than crank the starter over and over.Turn your key to the on position about ten times .....Turn key to on wait 4 seconds before turning back to off then repeat before engaging starter.

if it's leaking from the spider then that will make it worse. It's essentially flooding the engine already. When cold it uses the extra fuel and actually works better. But when warm it just floods it. Your oil should also smell like fuel. If so you need to do this repair soon your it could casue damage to your crank bearings

If the spider is leaking the fuel has no way of getting into the oil unless he has an intake leak so serious the car wouldn't be running at all.. The injector is inside the sealed part of the intake. Thats why the fuel pressure regulator piggy backs on the injector without a vacuum line. The entire thing is under a vacuum. The regulator could also be the culprit so test it before replacing the injector. You will have to remove the upper intake manifold to replace the injector so after removing.g the intake just hook the fuel lines back up. Andrew is definitely on the right track I just want you to make sure its positively the injector leaking before you blow $250+ on a new one.

The 4.3 has ports on the lower intake that go to the cylinders so when fuel leaks it doesnt build up pools in the intake. The most common issue is the regulator leaking fuel directly into the intake, leaking thru the relieve ports and into the cylinders. On 95 and later vortecs the fuel seeps into cylinders 2 and 4, not sure which on later vortecs. This fuel when off will leak past the piston rings and into the oil. If the regulator is leaking then when the upper intake is off there will be a clean section around where the regulator is. It is supposed to have a black soot looking build-up, clean is bad in this case.

Btw if you have the vehicle taken this far apart you might as well pull the lower intake and replace those gaskets as well. The dexcool will get you eventually better to get it before it starts leaking rather than after and end up with a huge mess. Pick up a Chiltons or Haynes repair manual. Make sure you put the good metal gaskets in.

I have the same problem on my 99 S10. I have replaced fuel pump, regulator, spider, coil and wire from coil to distributor. Any other suggestions. I also replaced the electronic part which is on the same bracket as the coil. I am not sure of its proper name.

Do a fuel pressure leakdown test. Bad parts do exist or a fuel line may have a leak.

Mechanic did pressure check on fuel pump. He says it is fine. If it was leaking down wouldn't it be more difficult to start when cold instead of warm? I'm not sure. I am not much of a mechanic, just know enough to be dangerous. :-)

Yes if it was leaking down it would start harder the longer it sat. Bob you didn't mention the fuel fiter, was it replaced?

Fairly certain that it has been, but I will make certain.

For the sake of argument, let's assume that it has. This seems to be a common problem with this engine and as of yet no one seems to have pinpointed the problem. My mechanic is stumped.

Fuel filter has been changed.

If the regulator leaks fuel it does it fast, 10 seconds or 10 hours the pressure is gone, the difference is the dumped fuel leaks into the cylinders and floods it. If it sits overnight the fuel leaks into the oil, so now it's not flooded. So if the regulator leaks it will be harder to start warm then if you let it sit and cool down overnight. Smell your oil, it shouldnt smell like much if it has no gas in it.

I had it fixed. Replaced with the updated spider assembly, new plentum, and other parts. Works great now. Andrew, half the area under the manifold was clean and shiny, not a good sign in this case.

Nope, clean is not good.

Clean=gasoline

I have the same problem, but when i put gas in a spray bottle and spray down in the injector it fires right up, so its like the heated engine evaporates the fuel from the line, but thats not possible is it?

My truck has the same problem. It is an 03 s10 4.3. The spider injectors, fuel pressure regulator, and intake manifold have all been replaced recently. If I turn the truck off and start it back up within a few minutes it fires right up. If I wait for a couple hours it cranks for 4-5 seconds before starting. After sitting overnight it's a role of the dice, sometimes will start right up, sometimes it will crank before starting. I did smell the Oil cap which reeks of gasoline, but the oil has not been changed since the spider injectors/regulator were changed (4 days ago). Any suggestions on next steps? Other than change the oil of course. Thanks!

Brad have you tried priming the system before starting it to see if that helps? Could be the check ball in the fuel pump allowing pressure to bleed off. The fuel pressure regulator closes and the fuel pump has a one way check ball in it to keep the system primed while it is sitting. If the check ball in the pump is bad and letting the pressure bleed then you are staying with 0 fuel pressure creating a hard start issue. Try turning the key all the way on for 4 seconds then off, then on again for 4 seconds then try starting it. If that solves the issue and this problem doesn't happen again while doing this then you know it needs a new pump. Or just prime it every time, that's what I would do.....

I've tried to prime it on several occasions today and it does not help. If anything it actually makes it worse.

Could be the idle air control stuck in the closed loop position, pull out and clean it with some carburetor cleaner. Vacuum leak, have you checked fuel pressure while it sits? Gauge needs to be hooked up before you let it sit, could be a vacuum leak that goes away when it warms up, quite common for that to happen.

Could be a battery, the flow of electricity warms it up, it's not uncommon for a battery to allow you to crank an engine and have no juice left for the control module, it only takes about 9 volts to crank an engine but the control module needs another volt or so on top of that to operate, temperature plays a big part in a batteries available power.

A battery can hold what's called a top charge for quite some time after the engine shuts off and that top charge may be what's making it quite easy to start.

My 04 s10 will not start after sitting for a day. I have fuel, spark, and air. I am at my wits end. Recently did a tune up, replaced fuel cap, did gasket set on the plenum, replace the fuel pressure regulator, replaced the coil. If I pull out the plugs after siting for a day, they are wet with gasoline. Any suggestions?

monitor fuel pressure leak down. It might be time for a new fuel spider

Would the spider also cause a misfire at low rpms?

yes

Also true, there are a lot of things that can cause hard starting.

Fuel pressure is holding good.

I have a 1999 Chevy S-10 Manual. this happens every so often...sometimes it won't start, there are times when we drive it to the store, come out and dead. We checked and cleaned the battery cables terminals, battery is great. replaced the clutch switch (while transmission was being fixed) and it worked for 2 weeks, stopped again, replaced the relay in the fuse box under the hood. worked for a few weeks and stopped..to start it, you have to pop the clutch??? HELP. it's at a shop and so far it hasn't acted up to diagnose

i have a 1998 chevy tahoe 2-door LT with a vortec 350 v8 5.7L. it has been burning super rich and i know this because of the exhaust fumes. the other day i replaced the valve coover gasket and noticed the oil rinked if gas or carbon to the point it would burn your nose just from hovering over the open cover. the intake has been having a lot of carbon build up too. the last time it was worked on we had the distributer shaft assembly, dirstibuter cap, the rotory, plug wires,plugs, and an oil change. its been 2300 miles since that was done. lately the engine cranks up strong and runs great! while its cold... but you shut it down and crank it back up... it acts weak and as if its being partially flooded. the motor was replaced/or rebuilt in 07 but the spider injector is original... do you think this is my problem or could it be a sensor going out causing the wrong fuel consumption to air mass ratio? the signs of weak start up when hot and when leaving over night it starts strong but the oil smells of gas relatively strong and the amount of carbon buildup in the intake and rich exhaust fumes are leading me to think that the spider is going bad . please help !!!

my bet is the spider injector

Okay thanks ...

Hay it is the temp sensor .hi I'm phil from Goodyear temp sensor will fix all your s10 problem

Hi Phil. a friend purchased it and nothing has gone wrong so far..if it does I will let him know..thank!

Well Mr Goodyear , you are wrong . Tried that and it was a waste of money, much like taking your vehicle to Goodyear for service. My opinion of course. But anyway when I pour fuel in it fired right up and ran decentafter that with a check engine light on. Not sure what the code was yet. I'll post my results later.

I have a 2001 S10 and it sometimes has a hard time starting. It also sputters while I'm driving it and squeaks a lot, any suggestions??

get a fuel pressure test. If your oil smells like gasoline thats also a sign of a bad fuel pressure regulator. It leaks gas into the oil

What kind of squeaking, like sounds of an old chair while on a hilly road or making corners, or squeaking at an idle, or squeaking while driving and it gets faster as you go? Need details, bushings squeak, pulleys squeak, u-joints squeak, brakes squeak. Lots of things squeak

Thank you Andrew, I will do that

@John When I hit bumps and the truck slightly bounces It squeaks like something is old or rusty. It squeaks when it bounces and there is screeching as if there is something wrong with a belt but I do not see any cuts in the belt that I can visibly see

Sounds like dry rotted rubber. Could be a shock mount, control arm bushing, stabilizer bar bushings or links, less likely but still a possibility is a body mount. See if you can bounce or wiggle the vehicle by hand while it's parked and get the noise to happen. It will give you a better idea of where it's coming from.

ok

Have a '03 s10 with the following problem: Temp. outside above 70; truck warmed up after long run: won't start unless I prime it; tried the key trick - no success; hard start in am regularly; Looking for suggestions? Thanks, A.J.

I have a 98 gmc 2.2l it has gas leaking in my num 2 cylinder what could this be from

and injector is stuck open

I have a question. I opened my radiator and found the water full of rust. A friend told me there should be a drain plug underneath but we could not find it, then he proceeds to tell me it should be fine wtf?? Does any one know where it is or how I can find the info..I have been googling it all morning.

what i do to my 2003 blazer just turn the key on THE START POSTION i hear the motor .TURN IT TO THE OFF POSITION.. WAIT FOR 5-10 SECONDS AND THEN IT TURNS ON .

I just want to confirm what most are trending on here about the spider injector(s). I was a used car dealer that dealt primarily in GM/Chev vehicles and had to replace spider injectors all the time - this was approx. 2000-2002. I knew a service tech very well at a Chev dealership and he told me about a campaign (not a recall) that was announced. If you had spider injector repair/service done at a Genuine GM dealer, GM would reimburse around $300 with receipt. I got checks totaling about $5,000 from GM. So, YES that injector is problematic and likely that cause of your idle control and start problems.

My fuel gauge seems to not be working. anyone know what this could be?? Thanks

I have a 95 4.3 vortex when cold trying to crank want hold its idol when it hot idol good. Also when u try to drive it like give it gas the engine bars down if gas press all the way to the floor it bars down at first but catch right up and runs but not clear I think it's in the fuel need help

When was the last time you did a tuneup on that s10?

about a month ago John

What was replaced with that tuneup.

2000 S10 2.2l new spark plugs and wires, IAC, MAP, FPR, injectors, CTS, coils, ECU (with current software) ICM, thermostat and crank sensor. Starts up in half second when cold, wouldn't start unless I have my foot to the floor when warm. Cycled key on and off trick didn't work. 44 fuel pressure running, turn key off, then drops to 36, then 10 minutes later, slowly drops to 31. One car Guru said to try changing out the fuel pump, but he wasn't 100% convinced that would help.

What does fuel pressure do when you first turn the key on? You check for vacuum leaks? You check for carbon build-up? Holding your foot all the way to the floor while starting is clear flood mode so either your getting to much fuel or not enough air.

I had everything replaced John

Princesspri it's most likely your fuel sending unit.

Hey guys! I have a 04 s10 4.3 and OMG I've replaced my spark plugs, plug wires, fuel pump and it's still not wanting to crank up right. Like others have previously said if you start it within a few hours it's fine but if it sits over night.. good luck. It's at a mechanic's right now and he doesn't see any leaks but said my fuel pump has low air pressure... what should be do?!

fuel filter.. not pump. ^^

John could you tell me about the fuel sending unit?? Is there a thread here on it with more information that you know of??

Akules, fuel filters don't have air pressure, they have fuel pressure. Princesspri fuel sending unit is inside the gas tank, the fuel pump is part of it, it has a big float on it that floats on the gas and a resistor on the rod with the float. Float goes up, rod goes up, resistance changes and is fed into the gas gauge. to change it you can remove the bed from the frame, OR drop the tank OR cut a hole in the bed to replace it. Me personally,I would fill the tank up, drive about a hundred miles, fill the tank up again and see how much gas you burn. If you add 4 gallons that means you got 100 miles to 4 gallons or 100/4=25 mpg. Use your trip odometer to calculate the number of miles. Every time you fill up rest your trip odometer, you should be able to get at the very least 200 miles to a tank. If you have an 18 gallon tank and get 22 mpg which it should be getting roughly, you could easily get 350 miles between fill-ups. You need to find out your tank size and your mpg.. tank size multiplied by mpg gives you about 40 miles more than I would run between gas stops. Just remember to either reset your trip odometer or write your current mileage on your receipt and hold onto it.

Way cool, thank a lot John!!

On my 98 gmc 2.2 liter I have gas coming out my number 2 plug when I turn my key on but I can move that injector wire and the gas will move with it someone told me it could be my computer box please any good answers

Unplug the injector see if it still leaks.... if yes then replace the injector. If not then have your icm tested.

I guess this must be a common problem in s-10's....as others have stated i have problems with my 99 chevy 4.3 s-10....usually when its really warm it will start but i have to prime it with the key trick...but if its erry bit cold its either ether or gas in the carb to get it started...ive changed fuel filter 3 times and hopefuly in a week or so will be able to take it to a garage and have it checked(not financially able to atm) ive heard of the spider injector going out on several s-10's...once i get more info such as fuel pressure and what-not i will post em here.

needs to be a good GM filter, autozone/advance filter/regulators will allow too much pressure, and cause flooding.

I own a 2002 S10 4.3 and it ran well. As I was sitting at idle my car all of a sudden ran rough. If I put the car in park and idle at 1500 it smooths out. It has poor acceleration. Does anyone know what it sounds like? Thanks

I just found a workaround for my warm engine hard start that may help someone from being stranded and maybe someone can diagnose my problem. If I can't get it to start, I unscrew the cap to the fuel line and relieve the pressure. It will then start immediately. I've replaced the fuel pressure regulator a couple of time without any success, but it was the cheap one from Advanced.

I have a 96 s10 with the 4.3 4x4,it has 160k miles on it. It started as an engine miss,and I changed the plugs,wires,Cap,battery, andfuel filter. It is now where some days it wants to start and the rest it doesn't. It just cranks and cranks then it will kick out a couple sputters,then sometimes it will start then others it will just crank like a dead crank.fuel pump is coming on,starting fluid doesn't do anything. Any help Is appreciated,thanks

did you verify if its getting fire? if ether isnt doing the trick but when it does run it runs fine it sounds like its got compression, could be a fuel prob too tho, id check for fire first then go from there ( new ignition pieces do not preclude ign system faults and failures)

Any car or truck that has a hard starting problem.... You need to carry a 2 X4 about 3-4 ft. long. hit the gas tank a few times If it starts, You have a bad fuel pump. Did that for a few months, until I could afford a new pump. Installed it myself to save money. Worked great! I had to drop the tank. I'm thinking of cutting a hold on top of the floor with a small grinder disk ( tank removed of course) to save even more work next time around. Hope this helps.

I'm having a hard start issue with my 2001 Silverado with the 4.3 Vortec. Oddly enough, mine starts easily after it has set for a couple of days, but starting it after it has ran in the same day, is a challenge. I work 12 hour swing shifts, and it will start after about 5-7 seconds when I go to work. 12 hours later, it takes 5-7 seconds to start. It seems like it will start quicker (2-4 seconds) the colder it is outside. The pressure test revealed 50lb of pressure after 5 minutes of priming the injectors. The truck has 198k miles, and the catalytic converters have never been changed. I heard that "hot cats" ay be whay is keeping the truck from starting after the engine is already warm, and that is why it is easier to start in the morning...but surely they would be 'cooled' by the time my 12 hour shift is over, so that doesn't make sense as to why it still hard starts when I leave work. Any suggestions? Thanks in advance!

I have a Chevy blazer 99 tries to fire up in am usually won't unless I jump it with another vehicle even though the battery in the blazer is still able to turn the engine. Is it the battery only 2yr old

I have a 2003 Chevorlet S-10 in the morning it cranks fine. Run to store 2 miles away come out it acts like it don't want to start. Cranks and cranks before it starts.

I have a 99 s10 4cyl 220 that does same thing

I have a 2002 S10 with the 4.6 Vortec motor and the hard starting issue for me turned out to be a weak fuel pump because after replacing the fuel pump she starts right up.

Your battery is weak! It seems to turn over fine but it doesn't have enough juice! I almost replaced my fuel pump for this problem. try hooking cables to it from a hot battery before starting in the morning.

i have 2001 4.3 v6 chevy blazer had the same problem it would crank and not start unless i turned the key to the on or accessory position. If that didn't work i would pump the gas pedal twice like it was not fuel injected and it would start it always started on the second time. My fuel gauge would be erratic once the fuel was less then half a tank it would show low fuel. So i ended up switching out the fuel pump and harness because the fuel gauge is on the fuel pump. Started good for the first two days then had the same problem again with starting it would crank for a bit then start but always start on second try. so i ended up replacing the fuel filter works fine for now.

OK - I too have the hard start problem on a 2002 4.3l Sonoma. The key-priming method worked to start it and based on some of the above and other sites I understood the typical problem to be the fuel pressure regulator (FPR). I changed that and when I had the upper plenum removed the top of the intake manifold was clean. At the back and under the FPR it had some gas. What to try next: test the fuel pressure? If so is it a matter of connecting a pressure tester to the fuel pressure test port and seeing if it drops or is there a number that it should be at (I've never done this)?

Good thing I don't read into said too much or I probly doing all this trouble when it was just my key turning back I wouldn't turn it back all the way to the off position that was leaving it on That's why don't Go off of what everybody says lol

change the ignition coil. we tested everything even the coil showed good but would not stat changed the coil starts and runs like new again.

Turns out it was a weak battery. Replaced battery and after 10,000 miles no problem. It seemed to turn over fine but had difficulty starting.

I read all of the replys and geez I didn't see 1 person make mention of switching out the timing set. I'm talking about the 2 toothed sprocket gears. 1 goes on the crankshaft one on the camshaft. They are connected with a chain it's all behind the front timing cover. I personally wouldn't replace any parts until I replaced the timing set. It's like $30 for the timing set from rockauto. That will guarantee that the ignition timing isn't jumping around if it has a new tight chain. That's where I'm going to start with my new 2001 4.3 s10 I just purchased. Just throwing that out there I've been working on my own vehicles for 15 years I have never taken one to a shop and don't ever plan on it haha.

My 2000 S10 4.3 L would crank but wouldn't start after returning from vacation. Shows no codes. Has spark. Has 60+psi at the fuel rail but bleeds down fast. eventually got it to start by flooring the gas pedal and cranking it for maybe 10 seconds. Now it will fire up for a few seconds and die regardless of how much gas I'm trying to give it. ( if the issue was timing it wouldn't even do this right?) I feel this may be a clue but don't know how to read it. any help is appreciated.

I have a 2001 Chevy S10 Xtreme I have changed everything on the intake no leaking fuel on the inside of the intake all is dirty truck will not start you spray fuel inside the air intake and it starts for very few seconds after you do that enough times it will idle very rough. sometimes 4 minutes sometimes 10 minutes then will die and not start back up can anybody help me with this thing?

I have a 2001 chevy s10 with the 2.2L It has a problem starting when it sits for an hour or more and very rarely I can jump right in and start it. It has a manual transmission. new coils plugs and wires fuel filter and fuel pump. Any suggestions?

@ nobodysguru I have the same symptoms to the t. Did u ever figure out what was wrong with ur truck. Please anyone help

I have a 2000 Chevy S 10 2.2 L that won’t start. Has called 178. Replaced fuel pump fuel filter spark plugs spark plug wires ignition coils flex fuel sensor. None of this has worked. Has 40 psi at the fuel rail but bleeds down fast can eventually get it to start by flooring the gas pedal and cranking it for about 10 seconds. Fires up eventually with very rough idle then immediately stalls. I have the battery charger hooked up to it because after so many failed attempts battery keeps dying anyone with any suggestions please help I am definitely at the end of my ……

I have a 99S 10 first start up starts great and every time after that it started right away but let’s say two or three hours Then it cranks way too much to start anyone no what’s wrong