Hard Starts, multiple primes & a fuel filter

[Kidd-7]

I’ve made some comments and had side discussions here and at that other place about this. I always assumed it was a backflow preventer in the fuel pump that was not keeping fuel up to the rail. Others had similar opinions. I thought about this more, many times i park on an incline with the nose down.

Symptoms: it would take 3 to 5 primes to start, sometimes even after that many primes I would try to start it with no luck and have to prime and then start again. Other than that she ran great, accelerated well, etc.

Yesterday I replaced the fuel filter, of course had to prime it multiple times once back together. This morning she stared with a single prime, will continue to monitor.

 

[theterminator93]

Is it fuel pressure related?

I ask because my 97 will require that I turn the key ON and let it sit there for a few seconds before it will fire. Not related to fuel pressure - seems more like the PCM is "booting up" and it takes longer when it's not hot/been running for a while.

 

[Kidd-7]

I believe it’s fuel pressure or flow, but don’t have a gauge to confirm. She’s my daily driver and there hasn’t been a difference in starting after an hour of sitting, starting after work or first thing in the morning.

 

[supergordo]

Have you checked the fuel pressure regulator? Simple test. Pull the vacuum line off it. See if there is raw fuel there. If not put a hand vacuum gauge on it and see if it holds vacuum.

Sometimes they go bad, and the engine vacuum will suck raw gas into the vacuum lines. Then when you stop the car that gas can sit in the intake and cause a mild flooding condition.

Otherwise the multiple keys turns sounds like a weak fuel pump.

 

[theterminator93]

Agreed.

When the OG pump on my 96 was on its last legs, I noticed that occasionally, just after startup, the engine would run rough for a few moments (in hindsight it was running lean due to fuel starvation).

 

[Kidd-7]

When the monsoon passes I’ll check the regulator out. I’ve not had any lean issues, now it is the OG fuel pump, & It’s on my to do list to replace. The data shows the fuel trims acceptable also. Driveability has been perfectly fine.

 

[Kidd-7]

So now on my way home I throw a P0175: System too Rich (Bank 2). no noticeable driveability differences.
I will say in addition to changing the fuel filter I cleaned a bunch of grime off the bottom of the oil pan, trans pan, trans, mount and that area.

Very slight fuel smell on the vacuum hose end of the regulator. The more I sniffed, the less I smelled it.

 

[Kidd-7]

I datalogged and found my fuel trims to be low. I've replace the regulator will datalog and report back. The test drive went well.

 

[Grog6]

When I had anissue like this,I bought a fuel pressure gage that fit on the schrader valve, and could be seen thru the hood gap. It showed me that my fuel pump sucked, lol.

 

[Kidd-7]

Did the car run ok after it started? Still responsive and accelerated well? The fuel pump is on my to do list, it's just a long to do list unfortunately.