2000 1500 only starts after second round of cranking

[cassa89]

Hey guys, wondering if someone can help me diagnose what's going on. I have a 2000 1500 (5.9 auto) that I bought a couple of weeks back and for some reason, I can crank and crank for what seems like forever and it won't start, but if I crank for 2-3 seconds, stop, then start cranking again it will start right away on the second try. Why is that? It's almost like all of the fuel has been drained from the lines and I need to prime it every time it sits for 30 minutes or more.

Is there anything I can do?

Thanks!

 

[BWL]

You may have answered your own question. Check for fuel leaks and try keying the truck on and off a couple times before trying to start it to cycle the pump a couple times and see if it will start first try.

 

[cassa89]

You may have answered your own question. Check for fuel leaks and try keying the truck on and off a couple times before trying to start it to cycle the pump a couple times and see if it will start first try.

No visible leaks anywhere, but I just tried keying it on and off a couple of times before cranking and it popped right off. So does this mean there's anything that I need to fix? Is it my fuel pump?

 

[BWL]

Sounds like the fuel pump works, but may still be the culprit if its allowing fuel to bleed back into the tank. I would really check for fuel leaks as even a small leak will let air into the system and cause your problem before you swap a pump.

 

[Gr8bawana]

Sounds like the same symptoms my '97 had for several years before the fuel pump finally quit. After installing the new pump it started in about 1/2 a second.

 

[cassa89]

Hey guys, since posting this thread, I've had the truck into my mechanic 3 times for issues with a P0123 code. Each time, the check engine light comes on and the truck runs really rough. It idles high and wants to die over and over when driving. Each time they've replaced the throttle position sensor, but a couple of weeks later the issue is back again.

Could this be related to the issue I created the thread about? One of the workers at our local auto parts shop said her vehicle had a similar issue with the P0123 sensor and they found it was related to an air leak in her fuel system. Could that be my issue too? Could an air leak cause the difficulty starting the truck and the failing throttle position sensor?