Cold start 80 series Landcruiser

Q. I’ve got a 1992 1HZ 80 Series LandCruiser that runs really rough when it’s cold. It has 358,000km on the clock and I’ve only owned it for the past 15,000, but it’s only been this winter that I’ve noticed just how crook it is of a morning. It even wants to stall out meaning you’ve got to sit there with your foot on the accelerator to keep fuel up to it – frustrating when you leave home of a morning and it died when you grab neutral at the end of the street! Once it’s warmed up, though, it is fine and it idles, pulls cleanly (although it does blow a bit of smoke) and generally is much better behaved. Before I start spending big dollars on it I’d love your opinion on what to look for first. 

A. Nice truck! Keep it simple and make sure the usual basics such as new air and fuel filters. One trick you can try is to extend the glow plug time, so when the light goes out count to 5 and then start it (when the light goes out the glow plugs continue to get power for a short time). Sometimes this is enough to help and is pretty free for you so far. Now it begins to cost if that doesn’t work. Now since your in cold climate get an auto electrician to check the cold start circuit and glow plugs. Standard checks for hard cold starting. After that then a Full Fuel injection service at that mileage would be well in order anyway. Overhauling the injectors and fine tuning the pump on the vehicle. Worse case is that the pump may have poor start up pressure and may need rebuilding also but keep this till last because at that mileage it will probably need a major rebuild once its opened up.