billsheila
New member
I may have got to the bottom of this one.
You folks are likely to all get a good laugh at this one, and what it appears to have ended up being that caused all these problems. I am a novice, I admit it, and clearly went about this effort all wrong...too many parts and lots of wasted time and money...only for a simple fix to be the issue.
What I did since the last post:
1) gave up on the professional help theory. Dealer, private shops, didn't matter; lots of people with ideas and willing to take more money, no results. Surprisingly, many of the shops I went to were very much into "throw parts at it" much like I was doing myself, rather than good diagnostics. Anyway, onto the rest of the story.
2) I heeded advice here and ordered OEM plugs and wires. In the meantime I started to chase down fuel pressure as a possible cause. The fuel pressure regulator didn't seem to be operating as it should, based on vacuum tests (I didn't have equipment to properly test pressure) so I ordered one of these as well.
3) Then I undertook to have a look at the crank and cam position sensors. Seemed OK.
4) To change the fuel pressure regulator, found that whole intake had to come off, so did that. While in there took off the injectors and sent them to Witchunter for service ($120...great service BTW). They came back with a report showing injectors were more or less OK, a bit out of balance, but all cleaned and ready to go.
5) Put everything back together, new intake gaskets, installed new bango bolt with a port on it for fuel testing. Along the way also ordered budget version of an OBDII tester....so many choices couldn't figure out which one to buy but ended up with "Launch C Reader V".
6) Get it all back together, try to start, no start...dead as a doornail.
7) Try new OBDII tester. Follow instructions, it shows up with code indicating bad Crank Position Sensor. So I get a new CPS from the dealer, install. Still dead, no start, code still there.
8) Call mechanic (back to the pros) they suggest they have seen cam sensor fault show up as crank sensor fault on some cars, suggest change of cam sensor. More parts. Change cam sensor with new OEM part. Still no start.
Same code still there re Crank sensor. Talk to parts shop about whether crank sensor may be bad. No co-operation.
9) I start to chase wiring to crank position sensor. Wires ping out with good continuity (from computer to connector). Upon real close inspection, HOWEVER, I notice that the factory plastic wiring surround has a break in it in one spot (near where a small plastic bracket is taped that holds the wire in place). Close inspection (I had to pull back the cracked plastic covering), reveals a damaged wire inside. It appears that the whole affair had rubbed up again the alternator belt at some point and rubbed away the wire cover. Wire is damaged, corroded badly. As I cut it away I see it is corroded back into the wire about 1.5 inches from where the damage to the sheath of the wire had occurred, some broken strands etc.
9) So I fab a small piece of wire and cut it back till I reach good wire, splice in a new piece. Lots of tape and a few tie wraps to hold it all in place. Connect everything back up.
10) Truck starts right up, idle smooth, running like a swiss (OK Japanese) watch.
So far no return of the original "hot soak" hesitation problem. So my theory is that this wire was the key problem all along. Perhaps it was making partial connection and as it heated up, its character would change and its ability to conduct the signal required to the computer was impaired. When I disturbed the wire by my initial inspection of the crank sensor it could conduct no more, or was doing so on and off, and that is what caused the no start condition until it was repaired. Any thoughts on my theory of temp affecting this wire?
In any event, I am hoping I actually got to the bottom of this.
BTW I went back to the dealer to show them the fix and they don't believe it. The theory they have (now!!...first time this has been mentioned) is that my real problem was likely with the intake gaskets, and that when I changed these to get to the fuel pressure regulator, I may have inadvertently fixed my problem. I am not buying it, I think the wire was the issue. But at least it appears to be fixed....and now I have lots of new parts on the truck!!!
You folks are likely to all get a good laugh at this one, and what it appears to have ended up being that caused all these problems. I am a novice, I admit it, and clearly went about this effort all wrong...too many parts and lots of wasted time and money...only for a simple fix to be the issue.
What I did since the last post:
1) gave up on the professional help theory. Dealer, private shops, didn't matter; lots of people with ideas and willing to take more money, no results. Surprisingly, many of the shops I went to were very much into "throw parts at it" much like I was doing myself, rather than good diagnostics. Anyway, onto the rest of the story.
2) I heeded advice here and ordered OEM plugs and wires. In the meantime I started to chase down fuel pressure as a possible cause. The fuel pressure regulator didn't seem to be operating as it should, based on vacuum tests (I didn't have equipment to properly test pressure) so I ordered one of these as well.
3) Then I undertook to have a look at the crank and cam position sensors. Seemed OK.
4) To change the fuel pressure regulator, found that whole intake had to come off, so did that. While in there took off the injectors and sent them to Witchunter for service ($120...great service BTW). They came back with a report showing injectors were more or less OK, a bit out of balance, but all cleaned and ready to go.
5) Put everything back together, new intake gaskets, installed new bango bolt with a port on it for fuel testing. Along the way also ordered budget version of an OBDII tester....so many choices couldn't figure out which one to buy but ended up with "Launch C Reader V".
6) Get it all back together, try to start, no start...dead as a doornail.
7) Try new OBDII tester. Follow instructions, it shows up with code indicating bad Crank Position Sensor. So I get a new CPS from the dealer, install. Still dead, no start, code still there.
8) Call mechanic (back to the pros) they suggest they have seen cam sensor fault show up as crank sensor fault on some cars, suggest change of cam sensor. More parts. Change cam sensor with new OEM part. Still no start.
Same code still there re Crank sensor. Talk to parts shop about whether crank sensor may be bad. No co-operation.
9) I start to chase wiring to crank position sensor. Wires ping out with good continuity (from computer to connector). Upon real close inspection, HOWEVER, I notice that the factory plastic wiring surround has a break in it in one spot (near where a small plastic bracket is taped that holds the wire in place). Close inspection (I had to pull back the cracked plastic covering), reveals a damaged wire inside. It appears that the whole affair had rubbed up again the alternator belt at some point and rubbed away the wire cover. Wire is damaged, corroded badly. As I cut it away I see it is corroded back into the wire about 1.5 inches from where the damage to the sheath of the wire had occurred, some broken strands etc.
9) So I fab a small piece of wire and cut it back till I reach good wire, splice in a new piece. Lots of tape and a few tie wraps to hold it all in place. Connect everything back up.
10) Truck starts right up, idle smooth, running like a swiss (OK Japanese) watch.
So far no return of the original "hot soak" hesitation problem. So my theory is that this wire was the key problem all along. Perhaps it was making partial connection and as it heated up, its character would change and its ability to conduct the signal required to the computer was impaired. When I disturbed the wire by my initial inspection of the crank sensor it could conduct no more, or was doing so on and off, and that is what caused the no start condition until it was repaired. Any thoughts on my theory of temp affecting this wire?
In any event, I am hoping I actually got to the bottom of this.
BTW I went back to the dealer to show them the fix and they don't believe it. The theory they have (now!!...first time this has been mentioned) is that my real problem was likely with the intake gaskets, and that when I changed these to get to the fuel pressure regulator, I may have inadvertently fixed my problem. I am not buying it, I think the wire was the issue. But at least it appears to be fixed....and now I have lots of new parts on the truck!!!
