Strange idle at startup
 

I have a 1993 Ranger 3.0 V6. After it sits overnight and I try to start it, it will start then die right away unless I keep my foot on the gas for a minute. After that it will stay started, but it revs up and down constantly. If I keep giving it gas until its warmed up after 2-3 minutes, then it will stay running correctly.
Any ideas of what to check?? Thanks.

mmmm
 

hey did you ever find the problem with ur truck? my 93 was doing this and it turned out to be the teeth on the distributor were worn off...and timing was way off .

Same problem, but without the death
 

Only with a cold engine. It starts easily, then idles with a 1 to 2 second cycle from normal RPM to low RPM. That continues until the engine warms up or until put into gear (D or R). Drives fine, without surges, even when cold. Idles fine when warm.
Changed tranny fluid, oil, plugs, spark wires less than 1000 miles ago.
I brush its distributor teeth after every meal.:D

Sounds like a tricky little bugger, I would pull the EGR valve and see if it's stuck.

How will I know if it's stuck?
 

From looking at the pictures of an EGR valve, I don't see how I can tell it it is stuck just by a visual inspection. Is there a trick to that?
What do you think of this approach?:
1. Start the truck when cold and I get the irregular idle.
2. Disconnect the vacuum hose at the EGR valve.
3. a. If the idle does not change, the valve (or the vacuum source) is not working properly.
b. If the idle gets worse, the valve is working, but my problem lies elsewhere.
I appreciate your help.

When all else fails, try something else.
 

The previous plan sounded good when I thought of it, but was lacking in execution.
I couldn't find the EGR valve so I started the engine and was greeted with the expected fluctuating idle. In desperation I disconnected the electrical connection to the Mass Air Flow Sensor and the idle got a bit worse. When I reconnected the MAF the idle instantly corrected itself and is running fine now.
Maybe someone who understands the system better than I (everyone) can explain how that worked?

It is possible that with the MAF disconnected it ran rough enough to clear out the issue.

More likely the connector had a bit of corrosion on it, and unplugging it and plugging it back in made a better connection, therefore unintentionally fixing the problem. But thats just a guess.

Maybe it sounds simple enough but, i had a car many years ago that did the same.... the guy at the shop opened the throttle and there is a little ¨door that lets the air inside ...it was somehow getting a lot of oil/grease.. when the engine was cold it would get stuck ...... after a while with the engine warm the oild/grease would start to drain... and the little door would get working again.....