so i go out to start the car this morning, and it fires right off, i let it warm up a little bit, start given it a little gas, and put it into reverse.
when i put it into drive the car started shuddering, the tach went from 1500, to 1750, to below 500 and after about a minute of this it died.

i start it again, this time it hesitates before firing off. the tach does the same thing only this time in park, then dies after about 20 seconds.

i start it again, it hesitates for too long this time, starts for maybe ten seconds then dies.

try to start it again, now it won't even start. wtf is going on? was my starter on the fritz or what?

any advice, ideas, or insight is always greatly appreciated.

srry, forgot to mention, the car turns over but won't start, all the power works too.

Is the Fuel pump running?

yes. i had something like this happen last year. pulled the coil pack module off put it back on and it fired right off. i'm wondering if it's just needing to be replaced....

I would check the condition of the spark-plug wire terminals - especially inside the boots.

If the coil pack was causing issues like this last year - perhaps you just have moisture that has caused some rust and poor connections. I would check the wires before replacing the pack.

You can also pull the pack and check it's two connections to the base. Hopefully they look really good and the seal is still intact.

i pulled it off the valve cover earlier this morning and looked at the boots, they looked like they were in fine condition, no cracking or anything. but i don't know what kind of life the actual coils are supposed to have. that's y i'm wondering if it maybe has something to do with this.

I would check the boots to coil connection side too. I think I had a faulty coil one time around 70k miles or so, but I think they should last 100k miles.

You're not looking for cracking - boots can seemingly look just fine but moisture can get to them and rust the terminals inside the boot. Look with a flashlight inside both ends of the boots. If your wires are old and you end up replacing the coil pack, I suggest replacing the wires too and look at your plugs while you're at it.

k well i may have been wrong, now i can't hear the fuel pump kick on at all. god i hope it's not a fuel pump.

Check the Relay to the fuel pump under you hood - switch it out temporarily with a head-light or starter relay next to it..

just checked the relay. not it.

Theres an FP fuse too on the interior fuse panel.

or maybe the brake booster? cause every one knows how that loves to make the engine go up and down =)

TheSundownFire (JBO Chat) wrote:Theres an FP fuse too on the interior fuse panel.

thanks brian, i'll check that in a little bit.

negative, all fuses are good.

so next question.....if i take the car to a shop is there a way they can diagnose that it is in fact the pump and not say injectors or my coil pack's? i know fuel pressure can be checked but can they tell for sure that it's the pump and not say the fpr? i really don't have the cash to just start replacing the entire ignition or fuel system.

thanks for all the quick responses guys.

i doubt it's the regulator but the only way I know to diagnose that one is with a running car. When idling you could pull the vacuum hose off it and it should flood out or stumble. To test if it's holding vacuum you could put a vacuum pump on it (brake bleeder) and see if you can build vacuum quickly and easily.

I don't think you have really answered the question above yet - if you key-on (do not attempt to start) in the "run position" you should at least faintly hear that fuel pump turn on for 1~2 seconds. If you don't hear anything after trying this a couple times and are very sure the key is in the "run position" - i think you have a faied fuel pump since you checked the relay and fuse already. If it were a wiring problem the fuse would likely be blown.

when i turned it to the on position yesterday the first few times i thought i heard it clear as day like normal but after a few times i could'nt hear it. but i'd like to have someone do the same today so i can get closer to the tank and listen

You might be having a connection issue at the FP. The plugs that GM put on the top of the FP has a habit of getting moisture in it and causing problems. If you get a new FP they have a new harness you have to splice in with a better plug.

well i tried starting it again today for sheet's and giggle's, and it turned over like usual but then it started for like half a second and died right away again, any idea's?

Sounds like a clogged fuel line. Possibly a return line.

Sounds like the fuel pump. It was probably over working itself to keep the car running in your driveway and heated up. Sometimes if you let it cool down a while it will work for a bit. Definetaly not a relay or fuse because you said it would start and die. if it were it would just die and that would be the end of it.

that to me sounds like crank/cam sensor, try connecting an obd2 scanner that can rule out crank/cam sensor.

scanner will be getting hooked up this week, thanks for all the idea's guys.

You can hook up a fuel pressure gauge on your fuel rail somwhere there should be a shrader valve. Looks like a tire stem for putting air in the tires. Rent a gauge from local auto parts store it has to read over 47 psi to over come the injectors. So the inital press should be 45-47 psi. Thats the only real test to determine if the pump is good. You can also jumper the relay. Pull the relay and turn the key to On and find the hotwire (with test light) and jump it to the other wires until you hear the pump kick on. Don't worry the service manual wiring diagrams have a note telling you its ok to do this.

a buddy of mine told me to try beating on the tank with my fist a few times and then to try starting it, i did this and it fired right off and ran for about 30 seconds at a normal idle. after that it ran in between 500 and 1000 rpms before it died.

he has a fuel pressure gauge and i'm we're going to tow the car down to his shop soon, he seems to think it's the fuel pump.

any idea's?

oh also, when i turned the car to the on position i could hear the pump turn itself on but it seemed to make more noise and stay on longer than it normally does.

after it died i tried starting it again and i did'nt hear the pump this time.