So I recently purchased a 1997 SL1 with the 1.9 SOHC manual trans, for dirt cheap, I have fixed alot of problems the car has had, IAC, only running on two cylinders for about 6 months due to coil pack, stoped up cat, anyways, the car has 200,000 miles and runs decent for that many miles, my concern is that the car is ussally really hard to start, sometimes it will fire right up, but most of the time it will crank for 5 sec or even 15 sec, I stop cranking it over try agian and it will fire right up. it dosent die on me or anything idels fine,but when i turn off the ignition the car tries to stay running for 3 to 5 secs. I know they have fuel pump problems but need some input please, this is my everyday car for a few more months untill I get my Turboed Z28 up and running. the car gets decent gas milage to about 30 and I have a lead foot, thanks in advance for any help

 

Quick question here .... when the car is so slow in starting, is the gas gage low (like a 1/4 or less) ???

 

no, I mean It can be full low with premium or regular unleaded, I have tried the wait ten sec or so to start to let the fuel pump build pressure and sometimess it will start pretty quick but sometimes it still will crank, and I dont think the fuel pump being weak would keep it running after i have turned the ignition off, the check engine light does not come on, either been cut or blown but i have gotten the codes read, not sure the codes but the only one was for the o2 behind the cat which i have removed, also the previous owner has done some rigging to the car before I got it, the lights were on toggel switches, etc. so i thought that maybe the put some timing into it or something to help it run only on two cylinders but im not sure. i mean it would drive with two cylinders. I drove it 100 miles home It just had NO power i mean to the floor doing 60 on the interstate but I really dunno what was done to it. it does have a brand new starter and plugs wires and coolant temp sensor, I have taking the throttle body off and cleand all the gunk off and most out of the intake manifold and I cleaned the EGR valve im just dumbfounded in why it wont shut off when i kill the ignition and why it sometimes is so hard to start, i thought it could be leaky injectors or bad fuel pressure regulator but im not sure, thanks for ne help agian.

 

Extra rigging is FUN!


Maybe a few ''hidden'' relays here and there...Sticking?...or dumping power to the pump in key switch off and open in on.


I had sort of the same problem with my 91 a couple of years ago. It turned out to be the ground pack in the trunk was corroded. The fuel pump IS a part of that ground.....but on the 97''s maybe it is different.


Havea blastDE-rigging your ride!!!!

 

Sounds like two separate problems to me ... 1) Hard starting; 2) Run on after shutoff.


With respect to thehard starting problem ... sounds like the fuel regulator is not maintaining the proper fuel pressure to allow your car to start properly. Assuming you have a fuel pressure gage that matches up with the test fitting on your car, hook it up, and run the car at idle, observing the gage. Shut the motor off, and wait five minutes. The gage should not drop more than 8 pounds during that time. If it drops more than that, replace the regulator, and try again.