Car takes 5-10 seconds to start :(

[cassie]

Guys I have a very important question. For the past few months my car has been taking a LONG *** time to start. I'll put the key in, and turn and I literally have to hold it for 5-10 seconds for it to "catch" and start up. I have been "giving it gas" and that makes it go faster, but it's time I get to the root of this problem. It ONLY does this after sitting for a while (when i first start it in the AM, after work etc.) ALSO when it's REALLY COLD outside it seems to start up easier....

any advice or thoughts?

:mad:

[PewterBird]

Fuel pump, or filter. Change the filter, if it doen't fix it change to fuel pump. Don't let it go for too long becuase it could wear out the starter, in the mean time, before you start your car, turn the key to on, so it will prime the fuel pump and build up pressure. Sorry to tell ya but fuel pump is sorta a pita.

That would be my guess, to be for sure, you need to get a fuel pressure guage hooked up.

[ March 22, 2003: Message edited by: PewterBird ]</p>

[MustangEater8251]

I think the car is kinda new for a fuel pump, I am still on my stock one from 94.


I think it might be ignition related, is the ignition stuff stock? Plugs wires, and coils. My roomate and a chick I knew both had ignition problems with 99 Camaros.

[Takumi Fujiwara]

They sell this stuff @ the gas statoins out here in Cali that are called like Ez start spray. ITs pretty much an easily combustable fluid that u spray on ur air filter that mixes with the gas to help ur car start. Ive used it on many a friends cars and it works well. Never needed it for my own.

[MustangEater8251]

thats not fixing the problem... its a temporary solution [img]smile.gif[/img]

[Wolfy]

sounds very similar to what i had. what year is your car? my pump went out on my 97, it wasn't the pump itself but some check valve on the pump, that shuts off the fuel line when you turn your car off, so you will have pressure all the time. to check this have your local shop or you, hook up a fuel pressure gauge up by the pressure regulator. now when you shut your car off you should still have i think 25-40lbs of pressure, i dont member what the psi is, but if you know a good shop, then they will do it for you. but see mine droped off to like zero like imediatly after i shut it off, and that is what causes the hard starting.

but definitly first i would change the fuel filter, it jsut could be cloged. but goodluck if you have any other ?s email me or jsut post again.

wolfy

[Dan90RS]

Try swapping the fuel pump relay with the A/C relay (only if they're the same, they might be different now). If it starts right up, you have a bad relay.

Also, turn the key ON and pull the hose off of the fuel pressure regulator and look for fuel leaking out. This will cause flooding and hard starting. This is VERY VERY COMMON on FWD 3800's. Not as common on the RWD's but there are less of them around.

[F1GT]

What year is your car? How many miles? What services have you done to it? What kind of mods did you do? What other problems have you noticed? Anything else that is different?

[RiceyRS]

Fuel Pressure Regulator, I've replaced mine twice on my 98, exact same symptoms.

[cassie]

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr> What year is your car? How many miles? What services have you done to it? What kind of mods did you do? What other problems have you noticed? Anything else that is different? <hr></blockquote>

1998, Automatic
*44,500 miles
*Regular Oil Changes, changed the fuel filter a week or so after I got it (oct 2001), got a new alt. and battery in november
*no performance mods
*no other problems... (knock on wood)
*Well, this didn't start happening until I got my car inspected back in October. Like it seriously started happening that day after I got it back. Also, when I replaced my alt. and battery in November (they died) the car seemed to run PERFECT and BETTER w/o trouble starting for a couple days....but it's been back to the same old b.s. for a couple months now... :mad:

[Stealth]

it could be the fuel pump m8 they can be good or bad after a certin ammount of time, you could get one from a junk yard dirt cheap that works great, btw your cars alternator went out too eh? [img]graemlins/crybaby.gif[/img] Same thing happened here my guess is thats why the person who traded the car i bought for a new car took her car in heh her loss only had 30K miles on it when i bought it in 2000 its a 94 :cool:

[F1GT]

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by cassie:


1998, Automatic
*44,500 miles
*Regular Oil Changes, changed the fuel filter a week or so after I got it (oct 2001), got a new alt. and battery in november
*no performance mods
*no other problems... (knock on wood)
*Well, this didn't start happening until I got my car inspected back in October. Like it seriously started happening that day after I got it back. Also, when I replaced my alt. and battery in November (they died) the car seemed to run PERFECT and BETTER w/o trouble starting for a couple days....but it's been back to the same old b.s. for a couple months now... :mad: <hr></blockquote>

Sounds like the battery is not doing its job to provide the spark for ignition. Do the easy things first to narrow down the problem.

Besides taking longer(5-10sec) to fire her up. Does the cranking sound like it slowed down a tad too?? If I was in your shoes, I would stop by Kragen, AutoZone, or wherever in your area and get that FREE alternator and battery check service they provide.

Start there first.

[kahouna23]

I'm putting money on a fuel pressure regulator or worse case cenerio...leaky injector. Sounds to me like you're not holding fuel pressure in the lines after you shut down. Then when you go to start-up, the fuel pump needs to prime the lines. Otherwise, the injectors are just injecting air.....

do I have any takers on bets here??? I'll put $5 on either of the two. Leaning more towards the first one.

[Dan90RS]

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by kahouna23:
. Then when you go to start-up, the fuel pump needs to prime the lines. Otherwise, the injectors are just injecting air.....
<hr></blockquote>

It only takes the fuel pump a split second to prime the system plus there is still fuel sitting in the rail even with a leak.

The REAL reason for the long crank in this situation is that the cylinders become flooded and will not fire until all the leaked fuel gets pumped through the motor.

Also, 1 leaking injector shouldn't prevent a motor from starting right up so that's probably not your problem. A leaky regulator, on the other hand, will flood ALL SIX cylinders and cause extended crank times.

[chas]

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr> It only takes the fuel pump a split second to prime the system plus there is still fuel sitting in the rail even with a leak. <hr></blockquote>

i think i disagree with that. it should take about 1-2 seconds for the fuel pump to get to full pressure. try turning the key to the run position and waiting 5-10 seconds before cranking the engine. this will give the fuel pump time to repressurize the fuel rail. if your car starts immediately after the 5 second wait its a leaky fuel pump/regulator/injector.

i dont think a leaky regulator will flood the cylinders. it simply lets the fuel pressure return to the tank.