Javascript image transition / rotation issues with FireFox but not Internet Explorer

Hello,

I am experiencing an error with an image blending / rotation script. It happens only in firefox 2 but not in IE 6.

You can see a sample of the transition here:

http://test.sureloc.ca/template.html

The image in the top banner section is supposed to rotate / transition between three different images. In FireFox the first set of rotations goes smoothly as expected, but once it fades from image 1-2, 2-3 and goes back from 3-1 it shows image 1 at full opacity for a split second before the smooth transition begins. This results in a jerky feel to the transition. This does not happen when viewed in internet explorer 6.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Here is the javascript I am using:

function opacity(id, opacStart, opacEnd, millisec) {
	//speed for each frame
	var speed = Math.round(millisec / 100);
	var timer = 0;

	//determine the direction for the blending, if start and end are the same nothing happens
	if(opacStart > opacEnd) {
		for(i = opacStart; i >= opacEnd; i--) {
			setTimeout("changeOpac(" + i + ",'" + id + "')",(timer * speed));
			timer++;
		}
	} else if(opacStart < opacEnd) {
		for(i = opacStart; i <= opacEnd; i++)
			{
			setTimeout("changeOpac(" + i + ",'" + id + "')",(timer * speed));
			timer++;
		}
	}
}

//change the opacity for different browsers
function changeOpac(opacity, id) {
	var object = document.getElementById(id).style; 
	object.opacity = (opacity / 100);
	object.MozOpacity = (opacity / 100);
	object.KhtmlOpacity = (opacity / 100);
	object.filter = "alpha(opacity=" + opacity + ")";
}

function shiftOpacity(id, millisec) {
	//if an element is invisible, make it visible, else make it ivisible
	if(document.getElementById(id).style.opacity == 0) {
		opacity(id, 0, 100, millisec);
	} else {
		opacity(id, 100, 0, millisec);
	}
}

function blendimage(divid, imageid, imagefile, millisec) {
	var speed = Math.round(millisec / 100);
	var timer = 0;
	
	//set the current image as background
	document.getElementById(divid).style.backgroundImage = "url(" + document.getElementById(imageid).src + ")";
	
	//make image transparent
	changeOpac(0, imageid);
	
	//make new image
	document.getElementById(imageid).src = imagefile;

	//fade in image
	for(i = 0; i <= 100; i++) {
		setTimeout("changeOpac(" + i + ",'" + imageid + "')",(timer * speed));
		timer++;
	}
}

function currentOpac(id, opacEnd, millisec) {
	//standard opacity is 100
	var currentOpac = 100;
	
	//if the element has an opacity set, get it
	if(document.getElementById(id).style.opacity < 100) {
		currentOpac = document.getElementById(id).style.opacity * 100;
	}

	//call for the function that changes the opacity
	opacity(id, currentOpac, opacEnd, millisec)
}

		  var curcanvas="test"
		  var pause=3000
		  var curimageindex = 0;
		  var fadeimages=new Array()
		  //SET IMAGE PATHS. Extend or contract array as needed
			
		  fadeimages[0]="images/tp-2-1.jpg"
		  fadeimages[1]="images/tp-2-2.jpg"
		  fadeimages[2]="images/tp-2-3.jpg"		  
		  function rotateimage(){
			blendimage("test", "bigimage", fadeimages[curimageindex], 1100) 
			curimageindex=(curimageindex<fadeimages.length-1)? curimageindex+1 : 0
		  }
			setInterval("rotateimage()",pause)

Code (markup):