Cold Starting.

If your still smelling gas, then your probably having pressure issues of some sort. You might consider changing out the regulator. The ethanol they are putting in petrol these days is really killing the rubber in the fueling components. I just changed out our fuel pump, regulator, efi relay, and filter, which made a huge difference in the truck.
regards
 
If it's leaking oil:
1)faulty pcv
2)oil too thin, or below factory spec(high mile M1 syn 10w-40 work well on our 3VZE)
3)over filled with oil
4)faulty oil pressure switch, or poor quality filter
I find, engines that are out of tune tend to leak more often then not.
regards
 
Well, head down to Toyota and get some fresh gaskets to install. That poor truck does not deserve that. If the RMS is leaking, your probably going to have some additional parts to install. Those don't usually go by themselves(ie out of tune, pressure switch, too much oil, wrong oil, pcv, etc..). If it makes you feel any better, I just spent $585 on a new factory radiator for our truck.
regards
 
Well, head down to Toyota and get some fresh gaskets to install. That poor truck does not deserve that. If the RMS is leaking, your probably going to have some additional parts to install. Those don't usually go by themselves(ie out of tune, pressure switch, too much oil, wrong oil, pcv, etc..). If it makes you feel any better, I just spent $585 on a new factory radiator for our truck.
regards
. . . or just drive it and ignore the odd odor and messy spots.
 
I did the resistance test on the cold start injector again, and it was good. However, the FSM provides another resistance test for the switch which is located in a very hard to access place. Since I go to Florida in less than a week I think I am going to put that off until I return to Cape Cod.
 
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The manual is a zip file and that means expenses unzipping. Whatever, I got the resistance test out of the Factory, did it. I also got a sound test out of Haynes and did that. Both tell me that the Cold Start I. works. It must be something else. The engine runs fine once it warms up and starts when warm immediately. I may put in new wires. Can someone who knows something about car mechanics and not computers answer?
I am getting a sense to this job and want to add more. It seems there is also a "spray" test to the cold start injector. That I must do next. I also have to do the difficult test on the injector switch. You have to be careful with the spray test as you don't want to start a fire. However, it is not so hard as accessing the switch is. By waiting on this, I have benefited. I discovered (again by following another thread on this forum) that both injector and switch (along with the "thermostat housing" that doesn't have a thermostat but does contain the switch.) can be bought on E-bay at considerably less money than one can get them at the Stealership. I may even forego the spray test and install a replacement that has been tested. (Naw, I like playing with fire.)
 
Look...the cold start system is relatively simple, if you put your blinders on and are convinced that this is the issue and nothing else, then it's easy to check all of the components. You already tested the injector, the next step is to take off the upper plenum and put a meter on the cold start time switch and the coolant temp sensor. Easier said then done, but that is what you need to do if you are absolutely convinced that this is the issue.
 
I am getting a sense to this job and want to add more. It seems there is also a "spray" test to the cold start injector. That I must do next. I also have to do the difficult test on the injector switch. You have to be careful with the spray test as you don't want to start a fire. However, it is not so hard as accessing the switch is. By waiting on this, I have benefited. I discovered (again by following another thread on this forum) that both injector and switch (along with the "thermostat housing" that doesn't have a thermostat but does contain the switch.) can be bought on E-bay at considerably less money than one can get them at the Stealership. I may even forego the spray test and install a replacement that has been tested. (Naw, I like playing with fire.)

I can't tell if this is all a joke?? :gun5:
 
Look...the cold start system is relatively simple, if you put your blinders on and are convinced that this is the issue and nothing else, then it's easy to check all of the components. You already tested the injector, the next step is to take off the upper plenum and put a meter on the cold start time switch and the coolant temp sensor. Easier said then done, but that is what you need to do if you are absolutely convinced that this is the issue.

O.K. I'm back from a month in Florida. I'm rather proud of my mechanical accomplishments, too. I drove a '94 Buick LeSabre Presidential back which is in great shape for it's age. Last December I over-hauled the brake system on it. The proof is in the pudding for sure. After driving through the south, Norfolk, Va. and N.Y.C. I'm alive, well and posting with a vengeance. The first thing I did upon returning was the resistance tests on the cold start time switch (definitely a ball buster of a job). It passed. I also used a new multi-meter I had bought in Florida for work on the Buick so I can't really cast any doubt on the tests. Now, I found that the wire to the coolant temp sensor was disconnected. However, I saw in the literature that this only feeds the gauge on the dash. Is that right? Could this be the source of my trouble? It looks like the wire was braised to the copper head of the sensor and has no other way of attachment. I don't think ordinary solder will work. How can I attach the wire? Leaving that aside, the FSM recommends another test, one that checks the spray pattern of the injector. It entails removing the original injector. I bought a used one over e-bay this morning which only cost me around $15. I think it would be easier to replace the old injector with this one in spite of the fact that it passed the resistance test and sound test. The seller guarantees that his works. Furthermore, the manuals recommend replacing the gasket when removing and replacing the injector so I'm hoping I can buy one for a reasonable price from the stealership on monday. All contributions to the thread are welcomed if they are pertinent to the trouble I am having. I thank you in advance for them.
 
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Hello all.

Yesterday after submitting the last post, I connected the wire to the coolant temp sensor with one of my solders (crappy for sure). The guage in the instrument panel now works. I saw in the literature that this sensor does connect to the ECM, but I'm not sure about that. Today I will check the cold starting. However, it isn't as cold today as it was yesterday. Does anyone care?
 
The light at the end of the tunnel

Well, I am finally coming to closure here. The battery, a Duralast Gold from Auto Zone, lost it's charge while I was working on the tests. I had just charged it up, too. After leaving it disconnected for a month, I couldn't start the car. Consequently I decided to take it to the local Zone and have it tested. Yes, it was bad. Since it was only 24 months old, they gave me a new one free of charge. I asked the rather knowledgeable guy behind the counter if that might be the cause of my cold starting troubles. He said "most definitely". He also said that there were probably two coolant temp sensors in the vehicle which should be side-by-side. That explains the one wire sensor which only connected to the gauge and the two wire mystery sensor I saw while working. Now the car seems to be back to normal cold starting. However, I'm going to wait overnight for the temps to drop down near freezing before I make the full conclusion. I have never had trouble like this with Die Hard or Interstate batteries and was considering a switch. However, who can refuse a free brand new replacement?
 
Back by popular demand

Since I am seeing such a great hit count on this thread, let me add more. The new battery definitely helped with the cold starting, but it just doesn't compare to the way my '89 Riviera starts up in the cold. I really don't know what all the Hoopla was about Toyota's back in the day. I wouldn't have bought this pig if some creep truck driver hadn't rear ended my Buick Century totalling it.
 

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