odd starting issue.. please help!!!

stupidgenius

New Member
May 23, 2008
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i've got a 98GT (~114k miles) that i use almost everyday as a DD but recently it has been making me angry by not starting as fast as i want it to...

im not exactly sure what started it, but im pretty sure it was shortly after a manual carwash, which made me immediately think electrical.

anyways, occasionally it cranks too long before starting, and will sort of hesitate for 1-3 seconds after it initially fires. this just started recently. many times it will fire up after cranking only 1-2 seconds and sound like it should, but sometimes it can take 3-6 seconds and sound like its really hard to start (embarassing in a crowded parking lot!)

when it's particularly bad, it will fire a few times when it should however it doesnt fully idle right away. during these few seconds the tach hovered around 200rpm and it felt like it was going to die. this only happened once and it did bring itself to life right as i thought it was about to die.

Here is a list of what I have done sofar:
1) checked ignition coil resistance. its in spec.
2) replaced fuel filter
3) replaced crankshaft position sensor
4) replaced camshaft position sensor
5) checked resistance on ECT sensor while engine was warm... seemed within range of what chilton said it should be. ive heard that if it reads low it will cause hard starting
6) removed IAC and gave it the spray down with carb cleaner. not sure about the IAC... could it be sticking shut the first few seconds of running?
7) checked for major vacuum leaks
8) checked resistance on IAT sensor. it responded to changes in temperature
9) replaced pcv valve

Those are probably not in order, but I started with the cheap/free stuff first :)

I'm not sure where to go from here. I don't know an easy/cheap way to test fuel pressure and I dont think any of my friends have the tool you need, but priming the fuel lines by cycling the ignition a few times does not help the problem. Once it starts it runs just fine and performs as well as it did before any of this shenanigans started.
 
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i cleaned the maf and that didn't really help. i also put new plugs and wires on it, which made the engine alot smoother, but still didnt help the issue.

ive been noticing that it does this more often when the engine is cold, so i think im gonna try replacing the ECT