shut off my 93, now won't stay running

[old_cars_were_easy]

1993 Euro. Mine for last 45,000 miles and has run like top. Just drove about 100 miles from home and stopped for restroom. Came back out and thing wouldn't start. Cranks and catches, but sputters and pukes and dies. Sprayed some starter spray in. Cranked and "ran" if I kept pumping the gas quickly, but wanted to die and made aweful sputtering, popping noises and finally died. If it was timing "belt" motor, I'd expect that. About 111,000 on engine. I didn't think chains would crap out that early.

Curiously, for the last month it has been starting funny. For last month it NEVER started on first key turn, but then immediately fired up and purred on second. The first could be several cranks or just a mere bump, didn't matter. Never the first, but always the second!

I'm back home and need to figure out what to do with it...tow back or try to sell to salvage yard (it's sitting in Harrison, AR if anyone interested!!!). Any ideas? I appreciate any help or thoughts.

[maxwedge]

Welcome to AF. Way ahead of yourself here, these are typical fuel pump symptoms, get a FP gage on it and look for 37 psi.

[old_cars_were_easy]

Thank you for the welcome and reply, maxwedge. I went back over to where the car was today to return the rental. It fired right up (after I bumped it once) and drove 100 miles home. Is this intermittent thing typical of electric fuel pumps? I've never dealt with one. I've just dealt with mechanicals, which were easy. I'll take it to autozone for diagnostic. Can they check fuel pressure too? When I drove it today it was fine on acceleration. Seemed weird or "bumpy" when I let off and coasted.

Thanks, again, for any help!

[old_cars_were_easy]

Just a thought...would a faulty fuel pump relay cause the car to act like this? I know the pump is "electirc", but the pump action is still mechanical once initiated. I would think broken pump means little or no pumping and the car wouldn't have gone 100 miles at up to 70 mph today. Just pondering over beers while I try to make alternate holiday travel plans!

Again, all help is appreciated.

[maxwedge]

I agree, rarely would a fuel pump act this way, a relay maybe. So get ready for possible additional issues, I can think of many possibilites here, now that the FP issue falls from number 1. Crank sensor and ign ign. module go to the top.

[Z15]

I have a 93 sedan 3.1L and just recently out of the blue I had starting problems, it would not start at times. Turn over and over and not fire. Wallk away, come back and start up fine. Then driving down the road it would appear to run out of gas and stall. Cranking it would eventually start it. Did this over a 2 day period. Called my friend who is a fomer GM parts manager and now runs a AC Delco Service center. Thier initial opinion was bad fuel pump but it turned out the be the Computer. Had the car running, the tech tapped on the comuter with the handle of a screw drive and it died instantly.

So fuel pump maybe, computor a possibility. Mine would run good and die, not start then start and run good only to start up again as if nothing had happened.

[old_cars_were_easy]

I typed a long reply but the site erased it! Let me try again.

[old_cars_were_easy]

Okay, I wanted to type reply and update since you all were nice enough to respond. Prob is not necesarrily solved. NOTE: I DON'T condone the following action...I'm a moron/glutton for punishment. I still needed to get from Ark to CIncy, and my truck uses a LOT of expensive gas to do that. I had the feeling that the Euro would make the trip if I didn't shut it off. So I took the ignition key off my ring and drove it to Cincy without shutting it off. It got me there fine. Yay!

I pulled the FP relay. The contacts were pretty oxidized and had brown "spark" marks on top of the oxidation. I scraped/sanded to shiny metal. That seemed to help the first key turn starting. But the idle was still acting funny and rpm's dropping on throttle blip. My brother found a service bulletin on IAC reset. I did that proc, but still didn't seem to idle correctly. I cleaned the throttle body on car with half can brake clean and toothbrush. That thing was NASTY. I've cleaned gunked carbs before, but never anything like this. TONS of black crap came out. I think cause no fuel flow over this part, as its injected later on down line. That seems to have helped a great deal. I drove around Cincy like normal for a week, then did "no shutoff" return to Ark. Things seem okay, though I expect eventual return of problems. I could even have damaged a sensor with the harsh solvent. I was going to replace throt pos sensor, but it was $30. I'm just going to drive it local until I see more issues. I'll post again if it craps out or acts up.

Sorry for long post, but I wanted to update out of respect for your replies. Thank you!

BTW- anyone want to buy a Euro?

[j cAT]

the method you used to clean the oxidized contacts on relay is not recomended. it would be best if you replaced this part as the now scatched surface of relay contacts will arc and rapidly cause a drop in voltage to fuel pump........check pcv hoses to intake as time and solvents will damage hoses causing rough /incorrect idle.......

[16th hippy]

carb/intake/throttle body cleaner would have been a better choice. agree with j-cat about the relay, usuallyaround 7-8 bucks. glad it's running better for ya.