Need help ASAP??????please read

[Skullcamaro]

I'm asking in advance to please not move the topic since I've already tried it in the general tech forum without any responce and since I you people know more about these cars then most of the other people on this board I'm asking for your help since you have extensive knowledge of these cars. Please help a friend, I've always tried to help anybody in need of info and all I ask is for the same. Please help this whole thing is really pissing me off. Thanks in advance.


For the past week or so I have been having major problems starting my car. I will turn the ignition key and I'll hear it start to crank and then either the engine won't turn over or it does and then the rpm's jump to 2k and then dies quickly. Its weird because it doesn't do it all the time it is at random that it happens. Sometimes it will just start right up like normal then other times it takes 2-4 tries to get it to start. Sometimes I even have to push the accelerator slightly to have it start. It's starting to piss me off. Their doesn't seem to be any charging problem and the battery has a little eye hole that says that its charged. Its kind of a random occurance thing. I don't want to hold the ingnition key to long or else I run the risk of burning out the starter.
I tried some seafoam cleaner and it didn't help at all. I've also tried to reset the computer twice and it helped minimally. Their is also a rough idle while I stop at a red light or have my foot on the brakes. Any other time while the car is running it acts fine and their isn't any problem with accleration or stoping or anything electrical. The only underdrive pulley I'm running is the crank one and I've had it on their for a long time.

Any ideas or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I even clean out the intake elbow just in case something was blocking it and check the vacuum lines. Their are no leaks and I even cleaned the belt. Any ideas. Thanks for any help in advance.

Also thier is some smoke sometimes when the engine finally starts. It is at random though.
Could it be spark plugs, coils, wires, alternator, battery, or the O2 sensors. I've replaced most of this stuff in the past year or two so none of it should be bad.

I need help fast. The hard starting is at random and thier doesn't seem to be any pattern to it. Please I'm taking the car in on thursday or friday to get checked out by the dealership. I would like to have some idea of what could possibly be wrong. Also when it finally starts and I can drive after cranking it several times it seems to have a hesitation at low acceleration/start of acceleration without having to floor the accelerator.


Once again thanks in advance for any help. I appreciate any and all comments, suggestions, ideas, etc. Thanks.

[DominusEtDeusNatus]

Maybe a fuel problem, like a fuel pump. Does it die when driving or is it only when starting the car?

[Tiago]

if your foot on the brake is affecting idle that much, maybe a vaccum leak is increasing the fuel pressure ? and flooding out the engine. check that.

your plugs are probably fouled by now, change them again.

[v6maro]

I have this exact same problem. I went the GM dealer and they told me it was my ignition. It's a switch problem because it isnt hapening every single time. I go through the same damn ****.
Sometimes i will throw the key 1/2 way and it'll fire up.
others 3-5 tries
others it'll start really rough, like it's lost a plug, and it'll jump to 3k and settle down
GM told me the key isnt hitting some kind of switch when i start it. I have just been too lazy to swap out the ignition key, it also has something to do with the "chip" on the key and the switch
I hope this helps!
I suggest getting it replaced.

also the smoke when starting could just be the exhaust valves or the valce guide seals.
-Steve

[ July 16, 2002: Message edited by: v6maro ]</p>

[daWhoady]

I had the same problem on my 97 Camaro. It turned out to be my crankshaft sensor. I think it was about $350 with parts and labor from the dealership. That could also be a possibility.

[Skullcamaro]

The car doesn't die while I'm driving at all. When it starts like normal it drives for the most part like normal. When its hard to start is seems to hesitate to accelerate from stop. I was thinking that it was possibly the fuel filter or something with the ignition. I hope its not the crankshaft sensor. Just more damn money to put out. I think I'm going to replace all the plugs and put in 1 gauge battery cable wires and alternator wires as well as replace the fuel filter. This is one pain in the a**. Thanks for the help. I appreciate it.

[Wht_n_blk_camaro]

mine does it too! I think there is a "flat" spot in the starter, because it is only a once in a while thing

[Blazzin Joe]

The crank position sensor sounds like a more logical cause, could also time chain slack. How many miles yall have on the cars?

Could also be vacuum like Tiago said... I would check these things first... I bet your probably also setting off codes, but not often enough to cause the light to come on. Have it diag'ed and see what the last few trouble codes were.

[Skullcamaro]

When I bring it in tomorrow, I'll first have them check out the various systems for any problems that they can find and see what comes up. I checked the vacuum lines and haven't found any leaks so far. I hope its not the crank sensor. While I'm their I'm going to have my fuel filter, spark plugs and battery/alternator cables replaced to 1 gauge wires with copper adapters. The plugs are probably fould by now and the fuel filter needs to be change anyway since its been at least 25,000 miles since it was last done.
I've ruled out the possibility of the exhaust system since most of the parts are fairly new, like the cat and oxygen sensorsalso the spark plug wires and air filter was recently either replaced or cleaned in the case of the air filter. I'm definantly thinking that it has to do with fuel related. I hope its not the pump or crank sensor. I'll hopefully know tomorrow morning. Thanks for all the help. If any more suggestions, ideas come up then let me know. Thanks again for the support.

[Fat_kid_in_little_camaro]

I've got to go with v6maro. Mine did the same exact thing, only mine was sudden one day while I was driving down the road. It cut off on me. I coasted into an old car lot and tried to crank it. It would crank and the rpms would run up to 2k just like it was starting and then it would sudenly die down. I had it towed to a shop and the guy replaced the ignition, hasn't done it since. It shouldn't be the starter if it turns 2k rpms and then cuts off. Starter should have disengaged by then. I guess the it could be the crankshaft thing, I don't know anything about that tho. but it really sounds like the ignition.

[Skullcamaro]

I took the car in today and it turns out that one of my fuel injectors was being kept open because my fuel pressure regulator was leaking/malfunctioning and basically flooding the engine with gas. Damn thing cost enough to fix/replace. I had to have my plugs replaced as well because they were shot to hell. Thanks for all your help. I appreciate it. Thanks again.

[v6maro]

how much $?
i need to have my car looked at, it's going.
-Steve

[Skullcamaro]

The fuel pressure regulator with labor cost around 350-400 dollars. I also had my fuel injectors replaced since I didn't feel like having to come back and they looked worn as well so overall it cost close to 800-900 dollars with labor and parts(injectors, fuel pressure regulator, spark plugs, oxygen sensors, etc) and all. That's mainly because of the parts itself. The labor wasn't much but fuel injectors are a lot of money by themselves. Works perfect now though. I would be carefull using throttle body cleaners and such in excess can cause a lot of damage on older parts. I think it was worth the money in the long run since I don't have to worry about the fuel system except for maybe the fuel pump and I haven't had any other problems so far. Damn parts always cost too much, but worth it in the long run I guess.