OK... I am sure that this has been covered, but I am unable to find the info I need, so I am (probably) reposting this:

I have an 88 2.6l Trooper, 5Spd. I have just done a good bit of work on it, Head Gasket, radiator, water pump, belts, hoses, thermostat, new vacuum lines, plugs, wires, cap, rotor, oil filter, blah blah blah... What is happening is not a new occurence, it was happening before I did all of this, I think... When I start it, it starts and runs for about 10 seconds, then the check enging light goes out and then it dies.

I think the closest I found to a similar issue was someone having an alternator issue. I have another alternator I can put on it, but I would like to have it checked before doing that, what specifically do I need to have checked on the alternator? Is it something I can take to Auto Zone and tell them to make sure they check the "___" for "___"?? That way I know it checks out correctly before I go through the hassle of putting another Alt on. Basically make sure it is a good one before I put it on so I can rule out the alternator as an issue if the start and die thing is still present.

Thanks in advance, y'all!

John in Salisbury, NC.

Maybe you already checked this but on mine when it did that it was the 20 amp fuse for the "fuel pump" located in the fuse array on the drivers side fender. The other 20 amp is "fuel pump st" I assume meaning fuel pump start. If you keep blowing either one of those fuses it probably means the fuel pump in the gas tank is drawing too many amps and is dying as was my case. Good luck, as the pump is big $ and hard to get at unless you take the easy way by cutting a hole in the back and working from above.

OK... some things have changed... now it is hard to get it to idle until it is fully warmed up and after it is warmed up, if you cut it off, it won't start back. It just turns over and over and over. It behaves as if it is not getting spark. Once it is warm, it idles really good, it just HAS to get warm.

The initial post really sounded like an alt... but the new stuff doesn't really match that diagnosis. Have you checked for vacuum leaks? My truck was running poorly until it warmed up for a few weeks and it ended up being a rather sizable vacuum leak. That or some kind of sensor seems more likely given the change in performance between cold and warm. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

Ignition module/ignitor? This was my problem (V6 though). They can give a spark but fail when warmed up. Worth testing at the parts store...

You might want to change out the relay for the fuel pump. It's meant to start the pump on battery power but switch over to alternator power once alternator current is established. That's to keep you from continuing to pump fuel when you crash into that tree that jumped in the way. If the relay has messed up contacts or hangs up in between, when it goes to make the switch over, it'll kill power to your fuel pump. I had an engine that was hard start/occasionally cut off that turned out to be the wires at the pump. They were all corroded from years of salt and would make and break depending on which way the truck bounced.

The other thing could be, as mentioned, a vacuum leak. Doesn't necessarily have to be one of the lines although I have had tubes drop off the bottom of the intake manifold for no reason. Could be a hole rubbed through the bottom of the air intake tube or a gap in the valve cover gasket. Did you check the idle air valve?

idle air valve... no, have not checked that yet, I will this weekend!! Thank you!