1992 grand prix starting issues

[vister]

i have a 1992 pontiac grand prix with a 3.1 v6. a few weeks ago it started giving me problems when starting it. but only when the engine was cold. I replaced the fuel pressure regulator. this took care of the problem, for three days. then it gradually became harder and harder to start. the pressure regulator was brand new when installed. is it a faulty regulator? thanx for any input

[Jeremy airjer W]

So it cranks over a long time before it starts?

Was the old regulator leaking?

Have you checked fuel pressure to see if it is bleeding off?

[vister]

yep. i turn it over for 3-5 seconds and then stop. turn it over again, and she fires right up. i pulled the vaccuum line off of the regulator on the old one, and a bunch of gas trickled out of the nipple on the regulator. after it started acting up after the replacement, it hasn't been leaking gas out of that nipple. the fuel system loses its pressure 15-30 minutes after you shut the car off. should hold for an hour or two right?

driving the car around, it works great. gets teriffic mileage, no hesitation, spitn and sputtering or anything like that. just doesn't want to start right away.

[Jeremy airjer W]

sounds like the pump itself is bleeding of pressure as well.

One thing you can do is cycle the key a couple of times before you actually start the vehicle. Turn the key to the run position, wait 3-5 seconds, turn the key off, repeat a couple of times then start the car. If the extended crank never happens after cycling the key than I think we can safely say its still a fuel issue.

[vister]

i've tried that. cycled the ignition a few times and then cranked it over. seems likes its flooding more than starving for fuel. there has been quite a few times when i put the key in the ignition, and cranked it over immediately, and it fired right off. not just turning the key forward, and then the rest of the way to turn it over. i mean from the off position to full crankin power.

and the times where it has to turn over and over to fire, the engine revs up and down and smokes a bit for about the same 3-5 seconds, then smoothes out to a nice idle.

also, when i broke it down to originally replace the pressure regulator, should there be a bit of oil in the air duct just in front the throttle body, where the breather line goes into it from the valve cover?

[Jeremy airjer W]

yes there will be.

When you put it back together did you use new plenum gaskets? Where the old ones rubber/metal? Where the new ones the same?

[vister]

the old ones are/were rubber. when i took the plentum off, they stayed in place and never moved...like they were siliconed down. to the top of the intake that is. i didn't get new ones, and the old ones "looked" like they were in good shape. when the car is idling, there is no hissing, so i'm pretty sure they are still fine.

once i loosened the bolts that secure the plentum down, i gave it a little wiggle to make sure it was loose, and that i had all the necessary bolts loosened. the one thing i am probably guilty of though, which now may require a new gasket set, is the fact that i couldn't for the life of me find torque specs on them bolts. so i used a regular ratchet, snugged to what i thought was tight, and then used a torque wrench to tighten them all down to the same torque. i don't remember what that torque was though.