Failing to start - firing problems

[zebidee]

Got what seems to be an electrical fault in my Trooper.

When it's been a cold night it's failing to fire-up in the mornings and sometimes when it does fire up it's as though it's running on 5 cylinders and isn't idling well.

When the ignition's turning over the exhaust is smoking so it's definitely getting fuel to the engine.

Anyone have any pointers as to what it could be?

Cheers.

[dxmedia]

Get a compression test done. The 3.2's aren't unknown to go through the occasional head gasket.

[zebidee]

But would that be intermittent?

Been running like a sewing machine today ... but yesterday morning failed to fire up.

[dxmedia]

Coil pack then?  Try and find the one which is missing buy pulling plug leads, then when you have, swap an HT lead with another one to make sure it's not that. If you've done that, swap a plug over to make sure it's also not that, Once you've confirmed that it's not an HT lead or a plug then you'll have proved that the coil pack is dying.

Oh make sure you don't get a couple of plug leads mixed up in the process, do a drawing of the coil pack on the engine and mark which plug goes to which cylinder so ever if you swap everything you don't end up with problems.

[zebidee]

Hmmm ... that sounds more likely ... been gettings worse when it's been getting colder weather ... then last weekend it warmed up a bit and it was starting fine.

Will check it out.