engine is hard to start

hi

i have a 96 sunfire, 2.4L, automatic, 130K miles (just bought it 2 months ago)

it is hard to start my engine after it is not on for a couple minutes

i cannot start it without pressing accelerator pedal, and after i start it i cannot release accelerator for a couple seconds because the engine is going to turn off, after a couple seconds the engine sounds right and than everything is ok

if i turn it off , and than try to start it within about 3 minutes, it starts fine and everything works like it supposed to

the gas milage is 25-27 miles/galon so it is ok

i changed spark plugs 2 weeks ago

this happened suddenly - one day, i left the car in a car shop to fix overheating problem, the same day i picked it up from a shop i started getting trouble with starting the engine - i don't know if this was a coincidence, or they messed something up at the car shop

the check engine light is not on, but it was, actually i don't know how come it turned off by itselve, when i took it to autozone the computer said "catalitic converter ineffciency" and i had the same problem for about 2 months, but 2 days ago the light sudenly turned off

there is one more thing that i noticed a couple days ago - when i stay on a red light i feel that engine is shaking my car a little bit, and on tachometer the pointer goes a little bit up and down like the engine would be choking (even if i put it on neutral)

i hope i gave enough information for somebody who can solve my problem


can anyone tell me where is the problem? and how much would it cost me to fix it?

thanks a lot

sorry for any mistakes in english, but i am an international student and i still learn :)

well dude for one thing get youreself a sunfire/cav manual, because thoes fucks at the shops will burn you. if i where you i would get a complete tune up. also the car does have 130thousand miles on it so it needs to warm up alittle. also try cleaning the connections on the battery with a wire brush or, take it in to any autozone and theyl check it for a good charge. also maybe get the alternator checked. the problem is in the cars charge. mail me after you do this. peace! GOOD LUCK!

You should have brought it to their attention while you were trying to bring the car home from the auto shop.
I would bring the car back to them and explain to them that this was not happening and it started happening after they have fixed the vehicle for something else.

What was the cause of the over heating? Thermostat, radiator cap, radiator fan?
What have they replaced and fixed?

Just make sure all the battery terminal heavy gauge wires are tight. Check both positive and negative wires. Don't just check on the battery terminal post but trace each wires and make sure they are tight.

What I suspect you are having is a defective or loose IAC (Idle Air Control solenoid) connector.