Car starts when it feels like it

[blk97eclipse]

My car has been starting when it feels like for the last 3 months. My sparkplugs went bad so I replaced them. That solved another problem w/ backfire. and I replaced my fuel filter. Now, my car has been in the shop probably 11 different times for this start up problem. The car will crank and crank for a long time. Sometimes on the first try it will fire up and sometimes it takes up to 20 tries before the car fires up. Sometimes the car will fire up and at the end of the rev it will die and just shut down as if it was a lack of fuel or power to the motor. This reason brings me to think its something with the fuel pump. Whenever I send it to a shop to get it diagnostic, the car works perfectly. But the moment i bring it home, the car starts acting up again. If any of you could help me narrow this down to what the problem might be that would be great.

Thanks <sorry for being so long>

 

[EclipseGsxDsm]

Ive had this same problem in my honda accord for about 3 months now. Ive done some reasearch on honda tuning and such and ive come to the conclusion its a clogged egr valve. I dont know if this applies to dsms since u can block off the egr with no ill effects but it might. keep that in mind and hopefully someone else will have imput cause im just as stumped as u are.