I know of a couple of 96 or 97 model trucks in my neighborhood with 125K to 175K miles that refuse to start unless the accelerator is pressed slightly. After the engine starts they idle and run fine. Is this a common problem with 12v engines after accumulating a few miles or is this an indication of injector pump problems?

 

The idle adjustment on a 12 tends to go down with the miles since it's just a bolt hitting on a lever that can wear. A little wear goes a long way.
Adjustment is easy.

 

Yes, once the truck (s) is running, check the idle. Should be about 800 rpms while IN GEAR WITH A/C RUNNING.

If the idle is fine, then check fuel system. Start with the rubber fuel hoses along the back of the engine that runs down to the tranny and then to the metal lines along the frame. They get old and leak air after awhile. Also check the the prefilter (found at the preheater), and then check/change the regular fuel filter. Also check for leaks along the way. Some of the leaks are so small that they will only allow air to enter the system, and not show any fuel leakage (before the fuel pump). Anything after the pump should show as a typical leak.

Do a search on terms like prefilter, prescreen, fuel lines, fuel filter, idle, etc. Also dodgeram.org will give you all the info on how to check/change these. Good luck, Kevin

 

Ive read in the manual and heard from others, that its pretty normal to have to press the pedal slightly for a cold start on a 12v. I can crank on mine for 5+ seconds w/o pressing the trottle and it will eventually start. If i press it, it starts right away, but with a short stumble (another issue). These are all cold conditions, warm start is instant w/o throttle. My idle is about 850rpms.