1989 Buick Regal Custom start/stalling problem

[Joava]

I have an '89 Buick Regal Custom v6 automatic 2.8L w/AC.
For the past month, it's been starting hard. It cranks, but the engine takes a while to turn over. I took it to the shop and they said it was the fuel pump because it lost fuel pressure. I got a new fuel pump (and filter), but the problem is still there. Sometimes pressing on the gas helps it start (don't ask why, it just does). Sometimes, once I do get it to start, if I don't rev the engine, it'll just die again.

My car has been smelling like gasoline, too. I've been told that this is because I'm flooding my engine, but that problem has been around even longer. I ignored it because it wasn't affecting my driving. I figured it was just my exhaust.

Now my car will start to sound like it'll die when it's idling, in park or in gear. Interestingly, the other day it quit smelling so much like gas. Monday of this week, I washed my car. I never turned it on at all, but it smelled like gas the whole time. On Tuesday, I had my dad look at it, but it didn't smell like gas even a little (of course it wouldn't when I finally get my dad to look at it). We had it on and off, and I even drove it to my friend's and back--no gas smell.

Today, the only time it smelled like gas was when it was running. Usually at start up. It died in town twice (once at a stop sign and again at a stop light) in the span of about a minute. This used to only happen once in a blue moon, but now it happens frequently.

I need my car to work by the end of September because I have to drive to school and it's a 90 mile round trip (45 up, 45 back). I don't have a job to rent an apartment, so I have to come from home.

[maxwedge]

There is no way from here to diagnose this, first look for leaking/rusted fuel lines and fittings, also an injector leaking down can do this. The stalling could be many things, mass air flow sensor, egr valve, sluggish idle control, a competant mechanic has to check these issues.

[Joava]

Well, we know my O2 sensor is bad. I've been told that it could be the fuel pump regulator, but all the mechanics said to do was to run it until it dies. Obviously, I'm not very happy with this.