1st Start Of The Day

You say you recently replaced the IAC motor... since the valve and motor WERE two seperate items until about that time...what about the valve itself?

If the occurance is new, I suggest you wait until it establishes pattern. It could be anything.. including a worn (hard start) fuel pump. I always listen for it, myself...

I wonder if he changed the fuel filter? Any smell of gas anywhere?

Bob

My _guess_ would be a fuel line leak, since I've had this symptom on another couple of [much older :)] cars. When you leave it for a long time, the line empties and the 15-30 seconds is the time taken for the fuel pump to re-prime the line.

Has your gas mileage noticeably dropped recently?

Your fuel pump has two power sources. The first kicks in when you turn the key on; this pressurizes the fuel lines. When the key is turned to Start, the first power source kicks out and the second source kicks in. Ehen the first power source is no longer available, the other

Sorry, hit Send Icon by accident. Anyway, the problem may be the startup pressurizing power source, which means the other power source has to pressurize the lines before the vehicle will start. Once the vehicle has started, the lines are pressurized and will remain that way for several hours, so each start after the first start of the day is easy.

"Sharon K. Cooke" wrote

Uhhh, two power sources? My diagrams for that year show pump power coming directly from fusible link "T", through the fuel pump relay, then the inertia switch. No "second" source.

Perhaps you mean the ECC gets its "run the pump" signal from different sources... from the EEC power relay to pins 37 & 57 (also powers injectors, IAC, solenoids, etc) when the key is at "on", plus from the ignition switch directly to pin 30 at "start".

The computer decides when to ground the FP relay, allowing power to the pump. Turn the key "on", it powers the pump, doesn't see the engine running, so shuts it off. Turn to "start", pin 30 says "I don't care if the engine's not running, turn on the pump".

For that, I'd be looking at either a poor connection at either end of the white/pink wire that goes to pin 30 (maybe even a broken wire), or a bad ignition switch. Ford? Bad ignition switches?? No way!! Of course, there were "a few" cars recalled because of defective switches. 7 million or so, I think it was. Google: ford ignition switch fire

on the pump".

I thought I was being clear on the two ways the fuel pump is powered; guess not.

Thanks for all the replies!

Using the info given here and a little experimenting I am leaning towards a fuel pump problem starting.

Still, being a layman, this is a simple test I did.

First let me say that the fuel filter has less than 500 miles on it.

This morning I turned the key on and as always I hear the fuel pump start and stop. then I just floored the gas pedal once, which of course I never do with the EFI, but by doing this, then I started the car. This time the first start of the day was instant. This was the only thing I changed since I started having the hard first crank of the day problem.

By doing this to avoid the problem does it point to the problem being the fuel pump?

"Sharon K. Cooke" wrote

You're right, you weren't. One source, two signals to trigger the source.

At this point, I'd just get the codes read, because stomping it to start could be two oe three different things.