I was/am having starting issues.
To get my car to start requires this, EVERY time.
Crank....let it turn over half a doezen times...no start, turn it off, give it a few seconds, do it again, let it turn over another half dozen times....fires up nicely in the end.
(cranks hard EVERY time, battery is taking the beating like a champ!)

So I seafoamed the WHOLE system, crank case, gas tank, and injectors....I figured this would eliminate and blockage issues...
Car started like a dream....but only for 24 hrs....then the same EXACT symptoms as above returned.

The car runs perfect once started, NO other issues.

I will be changing plugs tonight.

Any other ideas?

Stock - 92, Camaro RA V8 TBI

 

How old is your fuel filter?

 

less than a week. I did it before the seafoam though....I know I know...should have done it after.... grrr

 

how old is your oil pressure sensor?

have you checked your FP relay?

 

hm. My car always started like that. I thought it was supposed to be like that, given it has a carb and all. TBi should perhaps be better though. Seems my car needs alot of pumping with the throttle to start, like it's never enough gas there. THats what's so good about direct port injection though, quick starts every time.

Maybe your cold start circuit is malfunctioning? GUess one would have to read up on what that actually consists of on tbi though, but could be as simple as a broken wire somewhere, have had that one happened to cars before. Locate all sensors that is part of cold start system, and check wiring. THen the sensors itself. If that dont do it... might get complicated.

 

hmm as far a carb being hard to start, a carbed car should start with half a crank if everythings right.. all being equal a carbed car should start faster than an injected car since it doesnt need a crank signal or anything.. might wanna fix your car there..

As far as the posters problem you should check fuel pressure, pressure while cranking, and see how well it holds pressure when not running, it kind of sounds like a leaking injector.. since you have TBI that should be pretty easy to see if you take the air cleaner off.. might also wanna get someone else to crank it while you look to see if the injectors are spraying properly.. make sure you have a good conical spray pattern out of the injectors.. have you tried cranking it while holding it at WOT? just things to think about.. It does kinda sound like you might have a leaking injector.. Kinda hard to diagnose from here.. it should be pretty easy to you to narrow it down though.. let us know what you find..

 

Thanks for the tips, I'll update tomorrow when new plugs are in.

BTW - I thought TBI meant no carb?

Also it is not a cold start problem, it is ALL the time, doesn't matter if it is hot or cold or anywhere in between...

Right now I am just hoping the seafoam cleared a blockage, allowed it to work, but has just fouled my plugs really heavily...fingers crossed...
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Also pumping the gas makes NO difference.

 

Yeah, TBI is injection. Just found the symptoms rather similar. Actually I really thought it was supposed to be like it, as the previous owner who had it since it was 4 years old, said it was always like it, and most my friends US cars are similar too. We do not have alot of US cars around here to actually do alot of comparison though.

Just what I have always observed, hard starts on carbed tuned v8's. Although Mine arent tuned. I have a rebuilt carb though, so that should not be the issue. Seems to me autochoke systems is to blame, as they often seem to not work as effective as a manual system, to my experience. Maybe some other carbed v8 owner could chime in.

As for injection, it's always been electrical stuff thats been the trouble for me, on any car. I even bought a car real cheap with a ghost problem once that came and went, totally stalling the car for everything from 4 minutes, to 2 days. Managed to fix that. Electrical issue, broken connector inside a plug, which made it lie close, but not fully in contact.

Do tbi have an extra nossle for cold starts, or is it a richer mixture controlled by the ecm? If last one, the factors and sensors+wiring responsible for triggering that action, would be where I would look.
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ah, not coldstart related... hm. well, ok, then I'm out. No as far as I know, pumping the gas wont do **** to a tbi car, 'cept for maybe a lil faster wear on your shoesoles . Thats a function of a carb, where the acceleratorpump squirts in a lil fuel so you get a rich blend for a cold start.

 

It's not at all uncommon for a carbed motor to be harder to start than fuel injection. Injected cars should fire right up when cold, but with a carb, you have to pump the gas a couple times before cranking, and sometimes repeat.

 

I would also check the FP relay. If it has failed the pump wont wotk until the oil pressure trips the oil switch.

I would get a FP gauge, verify fuel pressure while cranking. Also, since it is TBI, you should be able to physically see the fuel spraying out of the injectors.

A nice little tip is to use a timing light and point it at the fuel spray. It will "freeze" it allowing you to see the quality and pattern of the mist.

 

Got new plugs in last night, plus oil change (post sea foam)

Started great a few times last night....took two attempts again this morning, so I helped by doing the plugs but I doubt it is the root cause....

I did actualyl buy a new FP relay....turns out I need two tho LOL

I'll check pressure when I change my fuel filter....AGAIN

 

My mate (a ThirdGen veteran) just took a look at my car...he suspects the timing...fingers crossed

 

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huh probably should have read that after it posted...

when you said the engine "cranks hard" i assumed you meant that it was cranking very fast... not that it seems hard to turn over for the starter...

if the starter isnt struggling DONT just play with the timing... it will only add to your problems....

even if your starter is struggling DONT play with timing stick a light on it and verify 0-4* advance... the starter should have NO problem with that... look elsewhere

 

Yes I meant it turns over strong, starter is not struggling.

If the timing reads normal then of coure I'll leave it alone...just saying at this point it is quite likely it is out

 

NOPE if the car runs good but is hard to start IE lots of cranking then it isnt the timing...

check the Fuel pressure with the key on engine off

 

so what kind of fuel pressure reading did you get?

 

Gonna have to see if Autozone will lend me a FP guage first I'm damn sure not buying one LOL

 

still haven't got hold of FP guage yet (although I personally don't think it is that as it runs beautifully once started)

Just wanted to add that even though this is a hot AND cold problem, it has definitely gotten worse when hot. If cold it will start on second attempt most of the time. When hot and only switched off for a second, when getting gas etc, it will take 10-15 attemps over 10-20 mins to get it started again.

Replacing fuel pump relay and testing the coil tonight....

 

well, new fuel pump relay seemed to do it, but it has been less than 24 hrs so I am not convinced yet...ha ha ha