Car won't start...

[97v6firebird]

I have a 97 firebird v6 with ~120k miles. Drove home from work today, no problems. Go back out the run to grab a bite to eat, start the car and it is idling horribly and then would die out. Let the car sit for about 1 hr, go out and the car starts fine and is idling fine. Let it run for a minute, still ok. Try to take it around the block and get about 0.5 mile and it shuts off at a stop sign. It then won't start back up. It turns over and starts but then dies out right away or will run really rough for a few seconds and then turn off. Recently replaced plugs, wires, coils, fuel filter and the ignition control module (had a bad mis-fire and this was actually the problem). Ran fine after that for about 5k miles until now. Any ideas ? First thing I thought was fuel pump, but would it start and then die out if that was the problem without any signs of going bad. Not sure but it would seem that it would just sit there an crank if it was the pump, no ? Any help is appreciated.

[ssms5411]

Re: Car won't start...

Check the vaccum line on the right side(pass. side) of the throttle body to see if it popped off or is split.

[97v6firebird]

Re: Car won't start...

Check the vaccum line on the right side(pass. side) of the throttle body to see if it popped off or is split.

ok it is about 15 deg., windy and snowing here in Chicago so I can't do much trouble shooting as the car is sitting outside, but I quickly ran out to look. Is it the hard plastic line and the connection looks like the boot on a plug wire ? If so that looked ok, it was not broken off. Is my theory correct about the car only cranking if it was the fuel pump ?

[hockeyman]

Re: Car won't start...

Are you getting a "check engine" light?
There are SOOOO many possibiliteis here. Bad injector, burnt spark plug wire, faulty coil that you replaced, bad ground or poor connection somewhere, clogged throttle body, etc.

A scan would narrow the problem down ...if you're getting a check engine light.

[97v6firebird]

Re: Car won't start...

Are you getting a "check engine" light?
There are SOOOO many possibiliteis here. Bad injector, burnt spark plug wire, faulty coil that you replaced, bad ground or poor connection somewhere, clogged throttle body, etc.

A scan would narrow the problem down ...if you're getting a check engine light.

Going to have it towed to the shop this morning. It won't start again this morning. I can't really get it running long enough to see if the light was on.

[cam98aro]

Re: Car won't start...

sounds like a bad IAC

[97v6firebird]

Re: Car won't start...

Got the news...fuel pump

[cam98aro]

Re: Car won't start...

Got the news...fuel pump

outch.. that is pretty weird though, usually fuel pumps either work, or dont work

[97v6firebird]

Re: Car won't start...

outch.. that is pretty weird though, usually fuel pumps either work, or dont work

It's not really starting at all any more. Now it just cranks and when I tried to start it this morning I didn't hear the whine when you first turn the key.

[akcamaro02]

Re: Car won't start...

I hate to say this but it's the fuel pump...I just replaced mine about 1 month ago...I was driving around, came to a light, started idling really rough and then it just died...then u try and start it and it may start but not for long and if u let it sit for an hour then it may start long enough to drive just a little bit but the fuel pump is bad, that's a guarentee, sorry bud...the reason it will keep starting is because there's just enough fuel in the lines to get it started but the pump isn't pumping any to keep it running
Do a quick test...turn the key to ON, not start, ON and listen and you should here the fuel pump, it makes a semi-quiet whine for about 3 seconds, if not, fuel pumps probably bad.

[Mighty Thor]

Re: Car won't start...

It's not really starting at all any more. Now it just cranks and when I tried to start it this morning I didn't hear the whine when you first turn the key.

Did you put your key in and put it to on (that's before start) and did you hear it priming up?

If not then it is your fuel pump. It is very expensive to replace.

Your best bet is to do it yourself. Buying a Walbro 255 is cheaper than buying the stock one from the GM dealer. Plus, it is a high performance pump which will go along with any modification you want to do. Instead of dropping the axle and the gas tank down you can just do the cut out on top (lift up the carpet from behind your rear seats. That's where you do the cutting).

Here's the instruction in getting it from the top without dropping the axle and tank down:
http://www.z28.com/forum/showthread.php?t=36676


If you don't like the idea of cutting your top then you can follow this:
http://www.bfranker.badz28.com/fbody/fuelpump.htm