3 or 4 cranks to start, when the car sits overnight
 

My '96 SSE is giving me a problem. I have had it for a week. I have done the BC tuneup except for the front O2 sensor. It runs great, except when it sits overnight or a full 8 hour day, it takes 3 or 4 cranks before it will start. It cranks fine, but won't catch. If it is an active day with the car, it kicks over perfect each time all day.

It took me a while to figure the pattern. It is just when it sits. I need some problem solving suggestions. The car is under a "certified" warranty, but the dealer is an hour away and it would be betterif I had a grip on the problem. So i don't have them say "it worked OK for us".
Because it does most of the time.

Thanks.

Maybe the fuel pressure is bleeding down slowly. I would be surprised with as few miles as there are on your car though.

how is the battery? Try swapping it with the 95 and see if the problem continues or switches cars

Yeah, fuel pressure could be a problem. Pull the vacuum line off the fuel pressure regulator & see if gasoline is getting in there. If it is you need a new regulator. Tomorrow morning try turning the key to the run position for 10 seconds before trying to start. Let us know if that helps.

I'd also check the coil resistance. You could have a coil that's too weak to ignite the rich mixture at cold start. You'd be trying to start with 4 cylinders. Here's a link on how to check the coil resistance.
http://www.bonnevilleclub.com/forum/...e=article&k=33

The types of issues I anticipate with this car are ones that come from lack of use. Elderly man who drove it to the grocery store and church. :) I'm not kidding, the guy's name was in the owners manual, so I called him before I bought it. (I think I heard about that little trick here). He had trouble starting it, but he was also having UIM/LIM gasket issues. the dealer replaced both. Anyway...

From what I have been finding in searches..... The battery is a year old and has never read anything but an excellent charge. I have an Actron scantool and coils will usually show some misfire at low RPM, heavy loads. It has been real clean on that. I'm not ruling anything out, but I think I should start on the fuel pressure side.

The bugger is, I can only get one or two shots at it a day. Does it make sense if I start at the pump. In the morning, I'll have the wife turn on the key a few times and see if the pump fires up right away. See if it pressurizes. Then turn it over. Once it's going and then off, I'll check the vacuum line. We'll leave the car down all day, then I'll try it again right at the regulator. I know I have read about that before. I'll have to see how it's done.

is it possible that a sensor or something is sending bogus data for ignition just during these "cold starts". ? I ruled that out because the time it sits seems to be the determining factor.

Anything is possible from a theoretical standpoint...

Typical issues that you are experiencing are leakdown from a seal in the fuel pump or at regulator.

When ignition is turned on, the pump primes for 2 seconds. It should hold pressure at that point. When fuel pumps get tired, they don't prime as well, and then they bleed off. My 93 SSEi did this. My 95SLE is now doing it.

Try this:

Turn the ignition to ON (no start). Wait the full two seconds for the pump to prime. Start.

If it starts better that way, this may very well be your problem. If you wait longer than 2 seconds, it may start bleeding down on you, and you'll have to start over.

My car did this exact same thing when I got it. New Fuel Pressure Regulator and she's pretty much one crank start ever since.

Heck..my truck is currently doing it..and I've FP tested it and have seen the leakdown in progress.

One day..I'll need to fix that

Thanks will, Bill and everyone for the help. :D

I rented a fuel pressure gauge for the test tonight. I wasn't sure about what i saw, until I came back to the board.

There was crap pressure when i attached the gauge. When Missy hit the key, pressure jumped, then slowed into the 30s psi. At about 2-3 seconds, it started to retreat. I told her to quick crank it, and the gauge was all over the place. The engine must kick over on just about fumes, and i know it wants to come out of the mounts.

Turn the key off and restart, and the gauge goes steady at mid 30s-40, and the engine just jumps right over.

So the car is going to the dealer tomorrow. We'll see what these guys get, and if they try to hit the seams of the warranty with some chargeables.

This is a great place to learn.