Starting Issues

skizot722

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My 2002 LS (V8) has a weird starting issue. Sometimes I'll have to crank it for a good 5 seconds to get it to start. Other times it will actually fire up prematurely. What I mean there is that it starts within half a second of me turning the key, and when this happens, it kind of sputters to a start, like it doesn't have enough umph. Other times it will do a combination of both things - where I'll have to crank it for several seconds, but when it finally takes it sputters to a start.

I am wondering if it isn't the crankshaft position sensor. I read in another forum that when it's bad/going bad that it'll always cause driveability issues as well. I have no real driveability issues, that I can tell anyways. But I also am not sure of what else could cause such strange starting issues. Also, the battery is only 3 years old.
 
One guess (it really isn't much more than a guess) is that you may have a leaking fuel injector that is flooding a cylinder. Alternately, it could be a failing check valve in the jet fuel pump assembly.

Do you ever smell gasoline just before or after starting the car when it is not wanting to start correctly?
Can you check fuel pressure before trying to start it?
If you cycle the key on for 3 seconds, off 1 second, on 3 seconds, off 1, on 3 seconds then start, does it always start normally?
Is it consuming oil (do you have to add oil between changes)?
Can you check the misfire counters (mode 6 on Forscan)?
 
One guess (it really isn't much more than a guess) is that you may have a leaking fuel injector that is flooding a cylinder. Alternately, it could be a failing check valve in the jet fuel pump assembly.

Do you ever smell gasoline just before or after starting the car when it is not wanting to start correctly?
Can you check fuel pressure before trying to start it?
If you cycle the key on for 3 seconds, off 1 second, on 3 seconds, off 1, on 3 seconds then start, does it always start normally?
Is it consuming oil (do you have to add oil between changes)?
Can you check the misfire counters (mode 6 on Forscan)?

It's not consuming oil between changes. I don't ever smell gas, but if an injector were leaking down, I wouldn't necessarily smell it right?

I'll try the 3 on / 1 off thing the next few times I start it. Are you thinking that the injector leaking is bleeding off the fuel pressure too much? I can't remember, is the schrader valve easily accessible on this vehicle?

If it is an injector going bad, what's the easiest way to figure out which one it is? Is it possible to run a few rounds of fuel injector cleaner through the system to fix this?
 
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Yes, you might not smell it. The on/off test is more for the possibility of a bad check valve in the fuel tank. If it's a leaking injector, this test could make it even harder to start.

Yes, cleaner might resolve an injector that is not closing all the way. You might be able to hear it after engine shutdown using a stethoscope.
 
Yes, you might not smell it. The on/off test is more for the possibility of a bad check valve in the fuel tank. If it's a leaking injector, this test could make it even harder to start.

Yes, cleaner might resolve an injector that is not closing all the way. You might be able to hear it after engine shutdown using a stethoscope.
100% Agree I never smelled my injector issue but had several leaking injectors on mine. I bought a OEM rebuilt set of injectors for $100 on eBay and have not had any more issues with that part of my car. @skizot722

You want to address that ASAP or you will have major issues with your plugs and cats. Your best bet is to go take it and have the injectors cleaned. Or tackle the task of taking all of them out and cleaning everything up really good. You will notice it looking very nasty in there if you have a leak most likely from the buildup. I went the route of cleaning everything up and just replacing my injectors from a seller that had perfect feedback. I had paid several shops to check my car out and they all claimed my injectors were fine so be careful where you take it to if you go that route. Just cause their fancy scan tool says they are working does not mean squat! There is no true way to test the injectors for how they spray unless you take them out and test them each. (far as I know anyway)

I will say it's your injectors though in my book as this was the same exact issue I had on my 2001 V8 earlier this year. Have you ever seen any codes for misfire or anything like P0420 or p0430? or any lean or rich codes ?
 
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