Problems at Start-Up

[93formulalt1]

Alright, I'm having a small issue, it doesn't really bother me, but I think it may start getting under my skin before too long. . . When I try to start my LT1 Bird, it will not start on the first turn of the key. If it does start on the first try, which is rare, it dies immediately after. Then, I try it again, and it starts right up, and runs fine after it warms up for about a minute or so. My question is, why won't it ever start up on the first try like my old Buick LT1 did? It's a 93 with the Speed Density system as opposed to the MAF system, it's got high miles, and it runs fine when it is running, accelerates great, but I'm also only getting from 10-15 mpg average, I should be getting MUCH better mileage than that, about 16-18 around town and 20-22 on the highway, but I've seen no good numbers since I bought the car. Any suggestions? Oh yeah, it's only got a K&N filter and a Flowmaster 80 series exhaust, otherwise it's stock. I'm going to tune it up after I figure out whats wrong with it, and I already replaced the Throttle Position Sensor, so that's not the issue. Any help is apreciated!


Oh yeah, I didn't know where to put this, so I threw it in this forum, because it seems like it's most likely an electrical problem, a bad sensor or something.

[81DaytonaPaceCar]

Ah, geez, could be almost anything.

Fuel filter? Fuel is draining out of the system until the pump can prime it?

[randall814]

mine has the EXACT same issue. im thinking its the fuel pump or fuel filter. when i get around to doing it, ill find out. good luck.

[93formulalt1]

mine has the EXACT same issue. im thinking its the fuel pump or fuel filter. when i get around to doing it, ill find out. good luck.

I'm probably going to change my fuel filter this weekend, I'll let you know if it works. Like I said, the problem doesn't really bother me, I'll just crank it again and be on my merry way, but I don't want to have to deal with it. It doesn't look good when you get behind the wheel in front of your friends and start the car and it dies immediately after . . .

[1bad83ta]

simple question, do you wait for the fuel pump to prime before you turn the motor over?

[93formulalt1]

simple question, do you wait for the fuel pump to prime before you turn the motor over?

Every single time. Once in a while I'll try to crank it before the pump primes, but when I do, it does the same thing.

[1bad83ta]

hmm, it sounds like its just not getting the gas it needs at startup. Your pump may be bad, there is a one way seal/valve in the pump that prevents the fuel from draining back to the tank. But start with the easy stuff. fuel filter and such.

[93formulalt1]

Alright. If the pump does go bad, how hard is that to change? It was a PITA in my old Blazer. . .

[jgardner]

I'm going to tune it up after I figure out whats wrong with it

I'd recommend getting a tune right now. You'd be surprised how a little quirk in the tuning can cause simple startup problems. Also, you wouldn't happen to have a datalog at all would you? That could really help narrow things down a bit.

[93formulalt1]

I'd recommend getting a tune right now. You'd be surprised how a little quirk in the tuning can cause simple startup problems. Also, you wouldn't happen to have a datalog at all would you? That could really help narrow things down a bit.

I have a MacTools OBD Scanner and DataLogger, but I haven't tried to record a diagnostic run in it yet. I'll try to get a datalog this weekend, and maybe we can narrow it down some. . . Only OBDI, but I can get a ton of info.