random hot start -no start issue no consistancy

[glockworks21]

the next gremlin----

2 different occasions this has happened-today being the worst.
the car starts right away cold. no issues. a couple weeks ago it would not restart after a short drive. I let it sit for about 15-20 minutes and it restarted fine. drove it home and turned it off and on a few times with no issue hot starting. Drove a couple more times over the next week or so and had no issues. started hot or cold every time.
Today it started right away. I drove it on a couple errands and it was fine. started back up right away at each stop.
Got home and parked it. Went out an hour later to move it and it wont start. Ive turned it over off and on for last 20 minutes. out of all the tries it tried to fire once and quit. Im sure there a 15 things that can cause this but im hoping for a simple few things to check first.

Thanks
Dave

[Bitsyncmaster]

Does it seem to follow the daily temperature? Sounds like a rest pressure loss problem. If you take your air cleaner off, start the car, shut it off you can feel that air flow plate has resistance to being pressed down. That is the rest pressure holding it back. Keep checking that air plate and time how long it takes to have no resistance (don't run the engine again).

Most cars will hold that rest pressure for 3 hours or more. With a bad fuel accumulator you only get about 10 minuets of rest pressure.

[glockworks21]

Does it seem to follow the daily temperature? Sounds like a rest pressure loss problem. If you take your air cleaner off, start the car, shut it off you can feel that air flow plate has resistance to being pressed down. That is the rest pressure holding it back. Keep checking that air plate and time how long it takes to have no resistance (don't run the engine again).

Most cars will hold that rest pressure for 3 hours or more. With a bad fuel accumulator you only get about 10 minuets of rest pressure.


Thanks
Im on it..
its been about 30 minutes and still has pressure.
I also checked spark earlier--seems fine

its completely cold now and nothing.... does not try to fire.

[Bitsyncmaster]

Thanks
Im on it..
its been about 30 minutes and still has pressure.
I also checked spark earlier--seems fine

its completely cold now and nothing.... does not try to fire.

The next common problem are the connections on the resistor pack on the back fire wall. Pull each one off and on again and see it that fixes the problem.

[Michael]

I think you are not chasing a fuel problem but an electrical one. I would check voltage at the fuel pump when it acts up.

Is your RPM relay stock?

[glockworks21]

The next common problem are the connections on the resistor pack on the back fire wall. Pull each one off and on again and see it that fixes the problem.

69276


are you referring to this?

[glockworks21]

I think you are not chasing a fuel problem but an electrical one. I would check voltage at the fuel pump when it acts up.

Is your RPM relay stock?

I did actually replace rpm relay. this isnt related to that. the problem happened first with the old relay. I will check fuel pump (trying to figure that out how to do that now.)

Thanks

[Bitsyncmaster]

I did actually replace rpm relay. this isnt related to that. the problem happened first with the old relay. I will check fuel pump (trying to figure that out how to do that now.)

Thanks

Yes a non working fuel pump would cause a no start but you had rest pressure with no start so it's not the fuel pump operation.

Mostly the RPM relays will fail when your driving (engine shuts down).

[glockworks21]

unbelievable! its the lower clip on the fuel pump! its was loose, i pushed it in and it fired right up.
I had receipts from po that this was replaced. Ive never looked at it before today.
The clip wont lock in place so im trying to work that out now. but at least ive found it.

Thanks again for all your help!!!!!!


Dave

[Bitsyncmaster]

unbelievable! its the lower clip on the fuel pump! its was loose, i pushed it in and it fired right up.
I had receipts from po that this was replaced. Ive never looked at it before today.
The clip wont lock in place so im trying to work that out now. but at least ive found it.

Thanks again for all your help!!!!!!


Dave

Glad you got it. You will find most problems turn out to be electrical. Mostly connectors with age, oxidation and loss of tension.

[todd1561]

Those connectors seem to be problematic. I think a lot of people use zip ties to hold them on.

[glockworks21]

Those connectors seem to be problematic. I think a lot of people use zip ties to hold them on.


yeah, it all looks new but was warped.. I was able to heat the plastic on the harness slightly while bending it out with a screw driver. It took the warp out and locked in tight after that. I really need to go through every receipt the po has and check everything that was done. I trust nothing at this point with everything ive found.

thanks again everyone

[todd1561]

They don't call them "dreaded previous owners" for nothing! :)

[David T]

You can't blame everything on DPO's. Most owners do not do their own work, they pay someone to do it. That work can only be as good as any shop's worst guy on a bad day. Add to that sub-standard parts and the results can't always turn out well. Figure any old car has had many hands on it throughout it's life. Some of the work may have been done on the side of the road to just get it going and they never got it fixed right. Best advice is to go over EVERYTHING if you want the car to be reliable. I start with the gas tank. Clean it out and inspect all of the parts inside. Next would be the fusebox. Some of the most "creative" work happens there!

[glockworks21]

You can't blame everything on DPO's. Most owners do not do their own work, they pay someone to do it. That work can only be as good as any shop's worst guy on a bad day. Add to that sub-standard parts and the results can't always turn out well. Figure any old car has had many hands on it throughout it's life. Some of the work may have been done on the side of the road to just get it going and they never got it fixed right. Best advice is to go over EVERYTHING if you want the car to be reliable. I start with the gas tank. Clean it out and inspect all of the parts inside. Next would be the fusebox. Some of the most "creative" work happens there!

lol ... yes I have already found a lot of creative work. I did not mean to blame owner. Many of the receipts ive gone through were from a dodge/chrysler dealership on east coast that he took it to. When car arrived and I started going through all the paperwork. I saw dodge/chrysler and it kinda made me sick :o)
many of the receipts are hand written work orders and from years ago.. The car sat for a long period after.. I know what im in for...

thanks again

[FABombjoy]

We had a driving tour years ago come to a full stop on a 1.5 car-width road due to the same problem, right near a fairly blind corner. That was an exciting field service.

With the way this connector touches the closing plate, constant shifting of the body/frame/fuel tank probably leads to this. A single zip tie around the connector is cheap insurance.

[AugustneverEnds]

lol ... yes I have already found a lot of creative work. I did not mean to blame owner. Many of the receipts ive gone through were from a dodge/chrysler dealership on east coast that he took it to. When car arrived and I started going through all the paperwork. I saw dodge/chrysler and it kinda made me sick :o)
many of the receipts are hand written work orders and from years ago.. The car sat for a long period after.. I know what im in for...

thanks again

Well maybe that Dodge/Chrysler dealership was a DeLorean dealer back in the day so having the car serviced there might actually not be a negative. Of course sitting for long periods usually doesn't help much.