Hello to all,I just bought a 1988 all stock Trans Am GTA 350 auto and I have been having a problem with not starting right away it takes a couple of times before it starts.And I have already put a new fuel filter,fuel pump relay,what next????please if some one could help!!!thanks and when I say all stock I mean allllllllll stock with only 81000 miles on her.

 

Check your fuel pressure. You should be somewhere around 43 static and 39 or so running.
Have you done a tune-up?

Hit the basics first. You most likely don't know her history.

 

Thank you,Im checking that out today.

 

If you give it gas, like it's got a carb, does it help?

If so - check this out - https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/tech-general-engine/394748-when-you-start-you.html

(you might have to copy and paste that above address, it keeps goofing up on me and I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong there... )

Excellent post and it's simple to do, probably took me 15 minutes and a 1/4 can of throttle body cleaner. I can get some starts on my 88 TA now without giving it gas, but it's a bit rough. But it was a notable difference in starting.

After this, I'm gonna use a bit of Seafoam on it and then tune-up and change the oil before I start replacing sensors. Although, I got a feeling my IAC isn't working just like it should.

 

Well I hooked the fuel pressure guage up to her during my drive home for lunch and it was a steady 36.0-39.9 and at start up it hardly had an pressure at all and it after I turned her off when I got home she bleed down pretty quick.Sooooooo it looks like a fuel pump!!!Well what does ever one else think?????And thanks for all the help.

 

if it bleed down after shut off pretty quickly i would say leaking injectors first before fuel pump... but the pressure seems a little low so it very well could be fuel pump or it could be a problem with your fuel pressure regulator

 

To determine between the pump and injector/regulator all you have to do is squeeze the fuel return line while the fuel pump test port is energized with 12 volts off the battery. Watch the pressure gauge. Don't go above 65psi. The stock regulator can't handle it. If you can go say to 50-55 then you know it's not your pump. This narrows it down to your regulator and injectors.

 

What happens when it finally does start. Does it fire right up? Or does it sit and chug for a bit?

 

Well when it does start it runs pretty dang good,but at times at idle it almost seems like she wants to die,but she has never died on me just yet.And the kinda up side of all this is that I work at a big a$$ Pontiac,GMC,Cadillac,Benz,Toyota,dealership in the parts dept and I can get parts and labor.... well cheap,thank goodness!but dont get me wrong I need allllll the help I can get from you guys!becuse it could save me and others that read this some time and $$$$ and thats what its all about!!!thanks again.And Viprklr Im going to try what you said about the return line first thing.thanks for the info!

 

I just read on here about MAF sensor's could cause the car to have probs starting up after being warmed up??and thats kinda what my cars doing besides haveing kinda low fuel pressure.Any way of testing it to see??thanks

 

yep un plug the maf when you start having a problem starting the car if it fires it is a maf or maf related problem

 

ok I am still haveing the hard start prob!and no I havent changed out the fuel pump just yet(not enough time!)but I noticed that when I start her like in the morning or like at lunch time she lets out some blueish gray smoke out the tail pipes,cuz like I crank her over the 1st time and nothing then I try it again and she starts right up but with that blueish gray smoke.WHY?????

 

That's likely valve seals. Not gonna cause the problems you're having.

 

ok thanks, just making sure it wasnt flooding out or maybe leaking injectors?New fuel pump this weekend!!!!!! I hope??????????

 

blue smoke - oil
black smoke - fuel (rich)
white smoke - water

 

thank goodness for nooooo white smoke!!HA!HA!thanks again for the info.

 

Runs GREAT!!! STARTS GREAT!! yup it was a craped out fuel pump!but anyway it now idles smooth,great throttle response, also new 180 thermostat.Sooooo thanks to all yalls help!!!but I still need a headliner!!!!HELP!