My 89 camaro lo3 takes a long time to start. it doesn't start until the oil pressure hits 30 psi. is this normal? and it has to crank for a while before it hits 30. i've searched and can't find anything like this. any info would help thanks

 

Does the fuel pump prime when you turn the key on?

 

I think it should be 4 PSI.

 

doesn't your car have to be started to get oil pressure? or do you mean stay running?

 

I know there is a switch that will not let the engine run below a certain preset pressure, but its definitely not 30psi... probably more like 5psi. And that switch shouldn't keep it from starting anyway... I think it just kills the engine if the pressure drops too low.

 

Bad fuel pump relay - swap it out with the fan relay beside it to test (assuming your fan works). Bad fuel pump relay means the pump won't prime before start - thus you have to keep starting the car until the oil pressure builds enough to run the pump off the oil pressure sending unit. It takes time to build that oil pressure off the starter, and then takes time to get the fuel pumped up to the TBI.

 

Where are the realys? i've been looking and can't find out where it is.

 

The oil pressure switch works in parallel with the relay as a backup should the pump relay fail.Under normal conditions , the pump relay pressurises the rail for 2 sec ; key on, then turns off.When OP over 4psi while cranking , the switch turns the pump on again and when engine fires the relay supplies power to the pump also.
Should oil pressure drop below 4 psi the switch will obviously drop out but the engine will continue to run on fuel supplied via the pump relay.
There is no low oil pressure engine cut off

 

Im just quoting this for emphasis.

 

It is a common miss-conception because the only oil pressure switch most people have come across is on a carb car where it's use is to stop the engine should the OP drop below a set pressure.

 

Relays are located on the driver side firewall, between the brake booster and the fender. There will be a bracket there, held on the firewall with two 10mm screws - the relays are are the inside of that bracket (the firewall side of the bracket). There should be two, 1 is for the electric fan, one is for the fuel pump - the electric fan will have a large diameter black wire with a red stripe. Mark the fan relay (so you remember which is good), swap the two, and see if the car starts better (you should also hear the fuel pump prime). If you don't hear the pump prime NOW, but hear it prime AFTER the swap, then you know the relay is bad - replace, about $8.