Randomly doesn't start

[97rs4life]

Well yest I was washing my car and then when I went to leave it wouldn't start. So then I pushed it out and left it in the parking lot for like 1 1/2 and came back to find it started right up. Well today I went up to school to play bball with it. I get there, and parked it. Then I tried starting it up to move to another entrance of the school (doors were locked at the entrance) and it wouldn't start. So I played bball and came back out. I started right up!!!

What the heck could be the problem with this thing? I don't really feel like waiting an hour or two each time to start the thing up, lol.

My car is a 97 camaro 3.8l with about 97k miles. Spark plug wires were changed at around 86k and plugs at about 93k.

[98Camaro3.8]

Need a whole lot more info. What does it do when you try to start it?

[vegeta5486]

I know mine would do that before and it was a bad fuel pressure regulator. Mine would start fine the first time, but if I came back very soon at all, it either wouldn't start or it would start and die immediately. Don't know if thats your problem though. Just putting that info out there for ya.

[97rs4life]

well the first time it will start and die seconds later like it gets choked out. then it doesn't start but turns over. Then after waiting over an hour it will start again just fine.

[99v6cam]

Until you said something about it choking out i was just going to say you prolly got your lil chip on your key wet, if that gets wet your car wont start and if you try it will be like 5 minutes before itll let you.

[Jtownrook99firebird]

water in gas possibly?...

[96firebird311]

Having very similar issues. Mine has never choked out on me, but only starts when it wants to. Hit the key and nothing. No cranking no nothing. I'd say 80% of the time it starts fine though...

One thing I noticed, if you hold the key to the start position for a full 5 or 6 seconds sometimes, it starts. This works maybe 80% of the time that it doesn't start. I've had several times were it will not turn over no matter what. Come back awhile later and fires right up. :mad: I've got a couple ideas and will post back when I get a chance to poke around a bit.

[97rs4life]

yea mine cranks just doesn't fire up. I am going to have to check into the fuel press. regulator

[97rs4life]

could the oil sending unit cause this? Just an idea cuz I am still stumped

[blackFbird_98]

when mine did this on my truck it was the fuel pump relay that went out of it

[97rs4life]

Originally posted by blackFbird_98:
when mine did this on my truck it was the fuel pump relay that went out of it

would it start though when it was cold? Seems mine doesn't start when it is somewhat warmed up

[Dizturbed One]

Originally posted by 96firebird311:
Having very similar issues. Mine has never choked out on me, but only starts when it wants to. Hit the key and nothing. No cranking no nothing. I'd say 80% of the time it starts fine though...

One thing I noticed, if you hold the key to the start position for a full 5 or 6 seconds sometimes, it starts. This works maybe 80% of the time that it doesn't start. I've had several times were it will not turn over no matter what. Come back awhile later and fires right up. :mad: I've got a couple ideas and will post back when I get a chance to poke around a bit.

all you have to do is shim your starter correctly and it will stop that

it is binding up when you try to start it

mine did it for awhile also, but i knew what it was right away, so i would never bother waiting... i would just jam the ignition on and off really fast until it broke free, then it would start.

you never have to click more than 15 times or so, lol. (although once it took like 50, and was about a solid minute)

i'm sure one day i'll burn my starter up, but who cares, then i'll get a mini starter and i'll shim it in there better than the previous owner... lol

[David8399]

crank position sensor. i had the same problem. but luckily i was dating a master techs daughter cost was twenty dollars for a gm sensor.

[98Camaro3.8]

Originally posted by david8399:
luckily i was dating a master techs daughter cost was twenty dollars for a gm sensor.

Same price as if you were to buy it yourself. ;) [img]tongue.gif[/img]

[97rs4life]

Originally posted by david8399:
crank position sensor. i had the same problem. but luckily i was dating a master techs daughter cost was twenty dollars for a gm sensor.

I checked the fuel pressure today, it gets up to 40 psi at idle the first time. After warming it up, then shutting it off for 15 minutes. The car would start up but the pressure drops from 40psi to nothing in about 10 seconds and the car dies. It is weird why when cold it will start right up and hold 40 psi but then when you start it after sitting for 10-15 minutes the car will start then loose all its pressure.

david8399- did your car act this why? Or was it different?