Q: Cold AND heat-soaked start problems

[jimmyj]

When it's cold out or even when it's not and it's just been a while since I've started it up, I need to hit the gas HARD, over and over, right after I start it up or it will die. And sometimes, no matter how much I gas it, it dies after a few seconds, requiring me to turn the key again. Usually, though, if I gas it enough, it won't die and I'm fine. But it's annoying and I can only imagine how much I spend on gas just starting it up everyday. Also ...

Once my truck fires up and stays fired up, it runs like a top--it doesn't stall out randomly, and will run for hours. But if it runs for too long and I turn it off, it's hard to get it to start again; I sometimes have to wait thirty minutes or so before it will start up (it won't even turn over--just clicks every time until it's been long enough, and then it starts up like there was never a problem in the first place).



Any suggestions for my (1) heat-soaked and (2) cold start problems?

Thanks.