Starts cold Everytime, will not restart until waiting 1-2 sometimes 3 hours. FRUSTRATING!

[Tdyerx]

I need some help bad. I'll start from the beginning. A few months ago I ran to McDonald's on my lunch break. Parked and ate my food for about 20 min. Went to start my truck but it would not fire. It cranks fine but would not start. I called a co worker to come get me and left the truck there until I got off work. After work went to my truck and it started right up. I decided I would shut it off and see it would start back up without issue. The truck was running for about a minute, I shut it off and attempted to restart it. Same thing it would crank but would not start. Now I was stuck so I had a buddy come help me try to figure it out. We checked connections in relays and fuel pump but could not get it running. Then after about two hours of dicking with it, it started up for no apparent reason. From then on out the truck would cold start just fine every morning. But if I shut it off, even after only just a few seconds of running it would not restart unless I waited a few hours. It didn't make sense to me. Why would it take hours to cool down if it was only running for 30 seconds? I ended up parking the truck at my dad's house for a couple weeks and drove another vehicle. One day I went to get some things out of my truck and I started it up. Shut the truck off and attempted to restart it. This time it fired right up. I shut it off and restarted it three or four times. Ran it for 5 minutes or so shut it off and restarted it and it fired right up. So I said hell with it I'll start driving it again. I drove it for about 2 months without any issues. Now all of a sudden it's doing the same thing again.

I have checked the fuel pump in the relays they're good. I cleaned out the throttle body and air intake valve. I've looked all over for any loose connections. I've checked ground wires. I do not have a check engine light however I'm pretty sure someone before me disconnected the light. So I have not taking it to the auto parts store to scan for codes. I will once I get this thing started but right now I'm stuck at my local grocery store. Is there anyone out there who can please bring me some insight to my problem? I can't afford to just start throwing parts at it. I have to drive the everyday to work and I keep getting yelled at by gas stations for pumping my fuel with my truck running LOL. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[4.0blue98]

Really need to see if there are any codes. There were some Chrysler products 10 or so years a go that would do this and it was usually a bad cam position sensor.

 

[Uncle Gump]

Did you check for spark during the no start?

 

[Tdyerx]

Yes I've checked for spark during no start. And yeah I'm going straight to AutoZone to check codes as soon as I get it running again.

 

[Dirtman]

Faulty ECT sensor can cause the symptoms you describe. Engine starts fine cold because it's in closed loop mode, but with no signal from the ECT when the engine warms up the computer doesn't know this. Try to start it hot, computer assumes it's cold and floods the engine.

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

I was going to suggest it sounds like a flooding problem. There is a clear flooded engine procedure;
Push gas pedal to floor, keep it floored and try to start engine. The injectors are disabled during this procedure. If it fires up or even attempts to start there is fuel in the cylinders that shouldn't be there.
Dirtman has a good point.

 

[Rusty Bouquet]

Not a diagnosis, but have you tried to disconnect the battery for a minute, when it won't start, and then try again? Not a fix, but maybe save you some time when it happens.