97 Aurora won't start when its cold outside

[maineiscold]

I have this 97 Aurora that starts okay when it is say 40 degrees or warmer outside. However, when the temp falls to say 30 or 20, it will just spin and spin. Sometimes, when it does start after turning over for 3 minutes in 20 second shots, it will be flooded and smoke hard. Also, before it finally does start, it will be backfiring into the air box. Sort of a muffled popping sound. When it finally starts, it runs fine and will start all day just fine as long as the motor doesn't get too cold. But overnight at 25 degrees, and it is almost a no start. In fact, it has been towed home recently since it wouldn't start after an 8 hour shift on a cold night. How can the car start fine in warm weather, run great, but start so bad when it gets cold out? Any ideas/help would be great. I mean, I don't want to keep cranking this in excess. The starter will go and then.....well, we all know about that so I won't mention it.

[brcidd]

Better get a fuel pressure gauge on it-- it takes extra fuel to start an engine when its colder out. If you don't have adequate fuel pressure- or borderline minimum pressure- will have trouble starting. it always takes more pressure to start the car, than it does while it is running. If your fuel pump is weak it will show itself on colder mornings first- then eventually it will fail on warmer days...the pressure check will tell you whats going on....

[maineiscold]

Originally Posted by brcidd

Better get a fuel pressure gauge on it-- it takes extra fuel to start an engine when its colder out. If you don't have adequate fuel pressure- or borderline minimum pressure- will have trouble starting. it always takes more pressure to start the car, than it does while it is running. If your fuel pump is weak it will show itself on colder mornings first- then eventually it will fail on warmer days...the pressure check will tell you whats going on....

Thanks for the info. I did change out the fuel pump about 6 months ago since the car was stalling all the time when slowing down. (Really handy at toll booths) I was told that there are 2 temp sensors, one air charge temp and the other coolant temp. and if they are out of range of each other more than 4 degrees, the car would be a no start/ hard start. I don't know whether this is true or not. There are no codes being tossed short of a cylinder 7 misfire that set when it started once super flooded and skipped for a while then straightened out. I thought of the fuel pressure regulator and may change that but I don't think that is really the issue. The fuel rails are original and this is still another problem. I took it down to my local stealership and they said that they didn't have the 'special tool' to do the job and I would have to take it somewhere else. This is something I will dive into when I get the car running. (I think the special tool may be a brain)
Thanks for the input and I get a pressure gauge on it and see if maybe it is lacking in the pump dept. New pumps aren't always good.