What are the possible symtoms of a bad ignition module?
Can the car still start?

 

Ignition modules can do all sorts of rude stuff. Mine would work fine while the engine was cold, but, drive on the freeway for two hours, and it would start dropping cylinders. (4 at a time..... such fun.) There are all manner of possible problems. Ranging from occasional failures, to complete failure. (no start)

What problem are you having?

 

I have very poor cold start
takes like 10 tries of 5 to 10 sec of cranking each to get it to start
(It does get better as the tries go like try 1 and 2 nothing 3 and 4 a little, 5 + is where it may start)
Let it warm up and you are fine, it will restart fine.

 

Mine went bad because of a bad pickup coil it was running fine i shut it off then it wouldent start. it had no spark and no injector pulse.

 

Your slow-to-start issue isn't an ignition module. When a module goes, it acts up when hot. I.e. the car will start and then die when it warms up, or start when cold but not when hot, or not start at all.

Your problem sounds like maybe a weak fuel pump that's taking waaaaay too long to build pressure. I'd get a fuel pressure gauge on it and see if the pressure jumps up when you turn the switch on like it should.

 

sounds like fuel to me to, just turn the key on with the engine off and make sure the pressue doesnt drop, if it does check your egulator vacume for fuel, if thats not it then it prolly a pump...

 

I put the fuel pressure gauge on and turn the key and it jumps upto about 10 psi so I turn the key off and wait about 15 sec and turn it on again and it goes up to about 30 psi and then I turn the engine over and it sits at about 40 psi for the rest of the starting process.

Could the pump still be the problem?

I am really stumped and I have talked and shown the car to several techs and nobody can figure it out

Please help.

 

I wouldn't call myself an expert, but that sure sounds like a fuel feeding issue to me. That initial guy on sequence should get way over 30 before the pump shuts off (it shuts off automatically 4-6 seconds after turning on the key if the motor isn't running). I'd change the filter first, and if that doesn't do it then it's probably fuel pump replacement time...

Sorry, pal.

 

The fuel filter is new.
I will galdly change the pump if that is what is needed
This problem is driving me nuts
It is embarsing to have this done up car that can't start.

Any one else have other ideas or is changing the pump it.

And is there any way else to test the pump/

 

Unless, and this is a long shot, it's spitting out a big black cloud once it does start (like I said, a long shot), all signs thus far lead to a pump replacement.

Unfortunatly, there are no actual ways of bench testing a pump that I know of. The only way of 'testing' it is testing for operation via the ALDL and all that does is bypass the fuel pump relay and directly feed 12v to the pump.

 

Yep, it's tank-pulling time. The fuel pump should supply full pressure on the first key cycle. It may be running slow, or possibly just letting the fuel in the lines drain back into the tank, but either way it's the most likely culprit. You might want to try changing the fuel pump relay first, it's cheaper and MUCH easier, but I think you'll end up with a new pump when it's all said and done.

 

even though once it is warmed up it is ok you guys still think it the pump eh.
Well if that is the case I guess I'll need to change it

 

My car has some similar symptoms. I can usually get it started on the first try though it just takes a few seconds more than I'd like. I haven't put a guage on it yet, but I've been meaning to.

However, with these cold mornings (40-50*F) it seems to be starting a lot easier than when the outside temp is 60-70*F in the morning. I'm going to start getting some more exact temps in the morning so I can look to my crank fuel pulse widths at certain temperature ranges.

If the car is running and I turn it off, it starts up no problem like yours. However, mine also starts very well when it is a lot cooler out. Seems like the "comfortable" morning temperatures don't make my motor feel so comfortable.

 

When you shut the car off, it still holds pressure in the fuel rail for quite a while, up to a few hours. So when you start it back up, fuel pressure is right there in the rail ready to go and you don't have to wait for the pump to build it up.

As for the easier starts when it's cold out, I can't say anything for sure. Electronics often just work better when cold (the same reason ignition modules tend to die when they're hot) so maybe that has something to do with it.