hard time starting

[NickDude]

hi im new here. ive had my 98 camaro 3.8 for a little over a year now and has 59,000 miles. a couple of months ago a coil went out and i had to change it. ever since then my car has had a hard time starting. it cranks and starts, but i takes a hard crank to start it. i was also wondering when should you change the spark plugs, and wires.

[ February 27, 2004, 07:28 PM: Message edited by: NickDude ]

[key2emptiness]

Welcome. I have the exact same problem with my 98. Same mileage too. Everybody told me try the spark plugs and wires so I am going to try that. If you find out something else, let me know.

[JoshMcMadMac]

I have the same problem with the '96. It takes a few seconds of cranking for the car to start. This does not ALWAYS happen, though; on occasion it will start right up. There are no other issues with the car; it always runs smooth and still gets good mileage. I replaced the plugs and wires, but nothing changed. I pulled codes, and got nothing. I hope we can get some answers on this, it seems to be a common problem.

[AZv6camaro]

when was the last time you changed your fuel filter?

[geocor]

I HAD A SIMILAR PROBLEM @ ABOUT 35K ON MY '98 CAMARO 3800 . I HAD JUST PUT IN SOME RAPID FIRE PLUGS & THE HARD STARTING(ON OCCATION) SEEMED TO HAVE BEGUN.BUT AFTER FURTHER CHECKING IT TURNED OUT TO BE FUEL RELATED,NAMELY THE FP REGULATOR.IT SEEMED KIND OF WIERD THAT THIS HAPPENED RIGHT AFTER A PLUG CHANGE BUT I KNOW NOW IT WAS JUST COINCIDENTAL.THE LOCAL PONTIAC DEELER INFORMED ME ITS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM FOR GM'S WITH THIS ENGINE & ITS THE FIRST THING THEY CHECK WHEN A CUSTOMER HAS THIS CONDITION.TO CHECK ,ITS VERY SIMPLE, YOU DONT EVEN NEED A FP GAUGE.JUST TAKE THE VACUUM HOSE OFF THE FP REG. & IF FUEL IS IN IT ITS DEFFINATELY THE HARD START PROBLEM. ITS AT LEAST A QUICK & SIMPLE STEP TO ELIMINATE OR VERIFY A COMMON CAUSE OF HARD STARTING IN THIS ENGINE.

[JoshMcMadMac]

geocor, where is the FP regulator located? I know there may be differences between a 98 and a 96, but is it in the same place for both?

[geocor]

PRETTY SHURE IT IS.LOOKING AT THE ENGINE FROM THE FRONT ,ITS ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE PLENUM ON THE METAL FUEL RAIL FEED LINE (NOT THE SMALLER PLASTIC EVAP LINE) BEHIND THE COIL PACKS & A LITTLE TO THE LEFT,CLOSE & TO THE REAR OF THE PLENUM.YOU REALY HAVE TO LOOK WAY BACK THERE FOR IT ,ITS NOT EASY TO SEE.ITS CIRCULAR ABOUT THE DIAMETER OF A QUARTER & OF COURSE IT HAS A VACUUM HOSE ON IT.ON EVERY VEHICLE I SAW WITH A VACUUM PRESS. REG ON THE FUEL RAIL,THEY ALL LOOK VERY SIMILAR ,SO IT SHOULD BE PRETTY DISTINGUISHABLE.TO CHECK IT YOU CAN TAKE THE VACUUM HOSE OFF WITH A LITTLE EFFORT , BUT TO PUT A NEW ONE IN ,LORD ALLMIGHTY.I WAS TOLD YOU CAN DO IT W/O REMOVING THE ENTIRE FUEL RAIL BUT CAN'T SEE ITS POSSIBLE THAT WAY.IT S IN THE BACK OF THE RAIL ATTACHED BY A SNAP RING(OR CIRCLIP).HAD TO TAKE COIL PACKS OFF ,FUEL RAIL,ETC.& YOU NEED FUEL HOSE DISCONNECTORS.A LOT OF ENGINE COMPONENTS ARE IN THE WAY TO MAKE YOU REMOVE IT A TIME CONSUMING JOB . TOOK ME ABOUT 4-5 PRETTY NON-STOP HOURS ,EVEN WITH A LITTLE HELP.LIKE I NOTED YOU DO NEED FUEL LINE DISCONECTERS & SNAP RING PLIERS.BUT ,OTHER THAN BEING TIME CONSUMING ,ITS NOT NUCLEAR SCIENCE, & VERY DOABLE .BTW A TORQUE WRENCH WOULD BE A GOOD ASSET TO DO THE VARIOUS NUTS & BOLTS YOU HAVE TO REMOVE ALONG THE WAY.

[NickDude]

thanks guys man its cool that im not the only one with this problem. my bro has just took apart his engin (blown head gasket) and has the fuel line disconect so i will try that. what does changing the fuel filter do??

[cassie]

SAME problem with my 98
same miles

[geocor]

if your filter has more than 30k on it change it, or of course if you are uncertain how long its been in there it would be wise to change it.but that was first thing i did & it did'nt help the starting problem.but when i changed the fuel pressure reg.it was starting like it did when it was a newborn!you can check past posts & it seems like the dealer said it is a common trouble spot in the 3800.its such a simple check,no tools or expertise needed,its worth giving it a look first.

[JoshMcMadMac]

Just talked to a mechanic that I know. He suggested that the key might be going bad. There is a resistor on the key (that little black chip) that the ignition needs to start the car. It may take some time for the car to recognize it, as the resistor has been worn and abused over the years. He said that it is possible to measure the resistance, then get a resistor and over-ride the feature. That is one less safety feature, but at least the car will start every time.

I guess the first step is to try using the spare key for awhile and see if the problem goes away. It may not be the problem, but it is free and easy. I hope this helps.

[Tyler]

its not a resistor.. its just a piece of metal to complete a circuit..


at least thats what my friend told me.. and he is a certified GM mechanic

[JoshMcMadMac]

Tyler, I don't know. I was just going by what I was told, and he is a reputable mechanic. Either way, if the contact is going bad I am sure you can dig in the column and over ride it. I guess we need someone to get on it with a volt meter and figure it out!