Ever since i purchased my car(3 years summer driven) ive had a hard starting problem.L98 89 trans am Buts its not consistant. Somedays the car will fire up with in the first few cranks, other days it will take a few seconds.
Ive changed out the starter, plugs, wires, rotor+cap, Fuel filter and still i have this problem
Things ive noticed,
-Everytime i fill the gas tank up, the first time i start it after a fill it starts perfect.
-IF i leave the car for a few days without driving it. As soon as i go to start it, its perfect.
-The Power seems to vary upon the day too, between feeling gutless and hauling ***.

has anybody else experienced this? or have some ideas that might lead me to fixing this problem?? Thanks

 

Anybody??

 

any codes?

 

I just experienced this same exact problem. Check your Fuel Pressure Regulator. With the car running disconnect the vacuum line from the FPR and see if fuel comes out of it. If it does then your diaphram is toast. I just changed mine out last night,lol. It definitely helped out.

 

Hummm, this is interesting about the FPR. I had a hard starting problem, but once it caught, it would flare up the way it should then almost die (400rpm) and then level out. I JUST finished doing a new fuel pump, and I dont have the flaring up problem but the car idles lean as hell. Maybe my FPR blew??

I would throw a fuel pressure gauge on it and see what its doing.

 

When you turn the key to ON with the engine off, do you hear the fuel pump prime?

Check the connection to the fuel pump relay and clean it if necessary. Add a little dielectric grease to the connector to avoid corrosion before plugging it back in.

 

I used my multi meter to check all the wires in the Fuel pump relay harness. The Green one ( which i beleive is the prime wire) was not getting power on key on. I wired in a push button switch to see if that would help, and so far its been alot better. But now my question is. If their is pressure in the lines still, hitting the prime button.. will that cause it to flood?
And for codes, im Getting Code 32 ,
Ill have to give the FPR vaccum line a test to see if that helps.
IS it unusual for the ECM to stop priming the fuel pump??.. it seems to work at times but not at others...
Thanks

 

Looking at the Fuel Pressure regulator. There appears to be no hose at all pluged into it... Where is this vaccum hose supposed to lead too.

 

IIRC, the ECM tries to prime the fuel pump using the relay, and if there is oil pressure, then it will energize the fuel pump anyway.

The hose from the Fuel Pressure Regulator goes from the port on the actual regulator to one of the back ports on the passenger sides of the plenum.

If you need help with wiring diagrams, go to Autozone.com and click on the repair info button. Register and then log in. On the left side you will see a link to Vehicle Repair Guides, click on that. The look in the middle and find Chassis Electrical. Then again, left side, Wiring Diagrams.

Code 32 is an EGR code that might go away after you start fixing some of those vacuum leaks and get your car running right. The EGR valve is underneath the plenum and it has a vaccum hose on it. There should also be an EGR solenoid by the back of the passenger side head near the distributor.

 

Vacuum ports on the back of the plenum:


Fuel pressure regulator line:


The vacuum line going to the regulator connects to the forward-most or smaller port.