Hard Cold and Warm Starting Issues - Need Help Troubleshooting

[uvachief]

Okay. It is happening yet again. Hard start both warm and cold. Sometimes no spark at all.

[uvachief]

The DME fuel pump relay again! Why does this relay not last more than 6-12 months? I took it apart and I can find no evidence of failure but slotting in a new one seems to have solved the starting issue yet again. I just don't get why the relay just keeps dying.

[GreenWater]

Yeah, the relay should last a lot longer than that. Maybe something else is sending too much power to the relay and it gets shorted out? Don't know, just a guess.

[tx944fan]

I had problems with warm starting that gradually became general hard starting. Holding the accelerator down while cranking helped, but sometimes it took 10-15 seconds to start. I went through several of the topics for hard starting and tried many of the suggestions. Replaced dme, fuel damper, did pressure test, temperature sensor checks, etc. Finally pulled the vacuum line off the fuel pressure regulator with the engine running and saw fuel spitting out. Leaky diaphragm in the regulator. Pressure test was in specifications but on the high end. New regulator solved my problem. Fires right off every time.

I know this info has been posted elsewhere on the forums, but it was not easy to find, so I repost it here in case someone else is having this problem and not readily finding this answer.

[uvachief]

Turned out a lot of the starting problems were due to dirty ground points and loose electrical wiring connections. If you experience this same problem and pull your hair out, try cleaning the ground points, adjusting the gap on your cross reference senors and pulling any male and female wiring connectors to make sure they are all tight and secure.

[GreenWater]

Glad you figured out your problem. I have been having an intermittent starting problem myself, then it went away for a while, and a few days ago the car wouldn't start at all. The starter wouldn't crank at all. I tested the battery, then the starter and cables, all were fine. Then I tested the ignition switch and it was out of specs. (87 944NA) The back of the ignition switch comes off very easy, after removing the gauges. I was able to carefully take it apart, clean the contacts inside, and carefully put it back together. Now my car starts right up. The contacts were very dirty. (saved me $107)

I think the moral of the story is, these cars are old, dirty, and corroded, and everything needs to be cleaned. Just like uvachief said.