Intermittent startup issue here...

[Silver Bullet]

Hey guys... My 93' ATX 3.2L 750HP (Hey, I can dream!) SHO has been doing this for about a month now. First, I will say that there are absolutely no driveability issues with the car. It runs very well, and has full power, good idle, etc. What is happening is that once in a while I will have a weird start problem that only seems to happen after the car has been driven a bit (Engine warm). I will hit the key, and the engine will crank over as if it is about to fire up, but then all of the sudden it just makes a popping sound and halts itself. I will try again, and it just turns over without starting. "Sometimes" it will fire up on the second try though... Then I will have to put the gas peddle 1/4 of the way down while turning the key holding it there for it to finally fire up and run. I can sometimes go for days or even a week or more with it starting fine, and then out of know where it acts up. Yet, when it finally does act up it is always the exact same scenario. It has done this to me about 10 times so far... I also can say that starting the car in general is also taking a little bit longer "More cranking" than it used to. I'm praying it's not my "Crank position sensor", but I have a feeling it could possibly be just that. What do you guys percieve it to possibly be? I cleaned my MAF filaments real good, and also pulled off the intake hose & sprayed cleaner into where the throttle body plates are to see if it helped. Made no difference!

Car has a new starter and battery (Both have good connections), so I doubt it's that... Never know with this thing though!

 

[Ishodu]

Sounds like a fuel pressure issue. If fuel pressure is not held in the fuel rails the fuel can boil and cause air bubbles in the rail, this will cause a hard to start warm engine condition. It could be a leaking back fuel pump, internally leaking FPR or a leaking Injector. Do you hear gurgling in the tank when you prime the pump when this happens? I have the same issue sometimes as well, I changed the pump and its got slightly better I think its my FPR not holding the pressure.

 

[Silver Bullet]

Thanks...

I will have to check if there's a gurgling sound when I prime the pump in the future, I never payed any attention to that previously. Where is the FPR on my car, and can I change it myself?

 

[SHOtimer]

My ATX used to do that very thing. Except it would go two weeks, then have a really bad week, or what not. I replaced the CID sensor and my DIS module - and I have been golden for 3 years.

Doug