MY 88 STARTS INSTANTLY THE FIRST START FOR THE DAY. THE 2ND AND SUBSEQUENT STARTS AFTER REACHING OPERATING TEMP IT WILL TURN FOR ABOUT 6 SECONDS BEFORE STARTING. IT WILL STUMBLE FOR A COUPLE OF SECONDS THEN SMOOTH OUT AND RUN FINE. OCCASIONALLY I'VE NOTICED BLACK SMOKE FROM THE EXHAUST. I HAVE CHANGED THE SPARK PLUGS, THE OLD ONES LOOKED OK, 3 BURN OFF RELAYS AND THE ENGINE COOLANT SENSOR. A DEALER CORVETTE MECHANIC, AFTER A SYSTEM PRESSURE CHECK, SUGGESTED I CHANGE THE FUEL PUMP. HE FOUND NO EVIDENCE OF FUEL LEAKING BACK INTO THE CYLINDERS. A LOCAL VETTE SUPPLIER SAID I SHOULD CHANGE THE COLD START SENSOR. I'M LOOKING FOR HELP FROM SOMEONE WHO HAD THE SAME OR SIMILAR PROBLEM OR KNOWS HOW TO REMEDY THIS PROBLEM WITHOUT MY CHANGING PARTS NEEDLESSLY. ANY ADVICE WILL BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. :confused:

 

90% of the time its the fuel injectors when the car wont start when warm.

But the IAC, TPS need to be checked, assuming you have no codes showing up.

 

This may not help you, but I thought it was something interesting. My 88 has had the same problem a couple of times. Starts great after sitting over night or immediately after shutting off when warm, but when it has set for around 20 minutes, it takes a little while to start. Conventional answers to this problem is leaking fuel injectors, problem with fuel pump, heat soak messing with the IAT.

The first time I "fixed" this I had a leaking intake manifold gasket so while I had everything apart I decided to send my injectors to Rich at cruzin performance, including the cold start injector. He tested them and cleaned them up and said everything was great. Before I took the car apart I tested the fuel system with a fuel pressure gauge and everything was within tolerances, but I decided to get them cleaned up anyway. After I put everything back together the car started perfectly. So I thought it must have been the fuel injectors since that's what everybody said. Unfortunately, a year later I had oil leaking on the garage floor and I suspected my intake gaskets were leaking again. So once again I changed the gaskets but this time I didn't send the fuel injectors out. When I had everything put back together the car started great again! Its been a couple of months now and she still starts great.

Does that make any sense? Can anybody explain if there is any relationship with a leaking intake manifold and a hard start problem?

c4vette88, do you show any signs of a leaking intake? oil/coolant on floor, hesitation on acceleration?

Ron


[Modified by RonsRed88, 1:25 AM 4/19/2004]