01 Grand Am not starting/my fix

[gaM_Troubled]

Well, on Wednesday I drove around town, did errands, fueled up at wal mart, drove home and parked my car in the drive way. Everything ran fine. Would start perfectly between stops and has never had any not starting problems. However, when I went to leave to work on Thursday, the car would crank, but not start. You could hear it backfirs and sound like it wanted to start only after the fuel pump would turn on, and yes it turned on when the key was turned. Turn key to try and start, turn off key, turn key on to start was ony way to make it sound like it wanted to start.

Browsing around on these forumns I got some ideas. First I obviously checked all the fuses, but they were fine. I did the leave key on ACC position for 10 mins, but it also didnt work. Also read to change the fuel filter, and lucky for me I had bought one awhile back. I had no clue where the fuel filter was on the car, and still didnt, but these forumns pointed me in the right direction and i found it then installed the new one. The left over fuel came out BLACK from the old filter. Obviously it was dirty. The fuel also poured out very slowly, almost kinda like a thin black goo.

Ok. After this the car STILL didn't start. Same symptoms. Somewhere I read that the fuel system requires it to create a syphon. If this is true or not i dont know. Also read that if you spray gas in the carbeurator/air intake, and it starts, that it was a fuel delivery system problem and NOT a starter problem which I was freaking out hoping it wasnt. So I went to my local parts store, bought some spray starter fluid and 12 bucks worth of fuses for the ignition system fuses just in case I had over looked something and to have a few for spare.

I took off the air filter box, sprayed the starter flued into the hose conneted to the starter box. Went, put key in, and voila it started. At first it idled wierd. Kinda like it wanted to die. I tapped the gas just a bit and it steadied off. At this point I let it run for one minuite. I turned it off, and tried to start again, and again it started. This time no wierd idiling or anything. Totally normal. So far its been starting just fine.

I did alot of reading on these forumns and got some ideas and help from them. Just wanted to return the favor and hope I help someone who has a problem like mine.

[xeroinfinity]

Welcome to AF gaM_Troubled !

You have to be carefull using that starting fluid the way you did.
It can screw up your MAF (mass air flow) and IAT(intake air temp) thats in the intake tube.
Doesnt sound like that was a problem for you this time though.

Sometimes if you giv it a littel gas that'll help when you are having starting troubles.
It can be caused by several things(including walmart gas).
Using a good name brand Injection cleaner regularly helps keep the system clean.

The black stuff is probly normal if the filter had never been changed.
IT should not be thick though, like goo

Also If you still have starting trouble, the IAC(idle air control) can cause starting troubles if its carboned up.
Its on the right side of the throttle body, has two torqux screws holding it in.
It can bee cleaned with TB cleaner and the pocket it goes into needs cleaned also.
Just dont turn or push/pull on the pointed end(pental), it'll mess up the calibration and need replaced, they run about $65-70 !

[Slade901]

Originally Posted by xeroinfinity

Welcome to AF gaM_Troubled !

Sometimes if you giv it a littel gas that'll help when you are having starting troubles.
It can be caused by several things(including walmart gas).

It's interesting you mentioned Walmart gas.
We just filled up our 1997 Mercury Sable at Walmart and went home and then started the car the next day to drive around then we have the Check Engine Light come ON.
Went back home immediately. I don't want to continue driving with the Check Engine Light ON just to go to Autozone to have it scanned. Bought a cheap scanner and found an error code P0430 which is the 2nd O2 sensor on the back. I just cleared the code after reading a couple of posts to see if that would come back. I put a bottle of fuel injector cleaner and no check engine light showed up anymore but I can still feel a slight idle issue during initial startup during the day.

[xeroinfinity]

Hey Slade901 , you might try cleaning your IAC like I mentioned above.
As the temps drop with winter soon here, it will give you more trouble then, just an fyi