Someone please help me, everyone prior has failed.

[Murdered4G63T]

I have a 97 gst that ust to run great but now has a problem. I think this problem is with my ECU, but before i go and buy another one, i want to make sure that is whats causing my car to mess up.
If i cold start my car, it will start every time without a doubt and run perfectly.
If i try to start it again after running (within about a 30 min period of shutting off), it will sometimes barely crank over but otherwise most of the time it just keeps cranking and cranking the starter with no response from the motor. If it does actually happen to start after running, when i put it in gear and try to drive it will bogg out and die after only a few feet.
The only way to get it top start again is to wait some unknown period of time until the engine cools and it will fire right up.
My check engine light has never came on it my car, not even right after start it. The bulb should be good, seeing as all of the others are.
Any ideas? I would really love to start driving my car again and not has to leave it running to get gas. Thanks.

 

[rx7ttlm]

well base question, have you checked compression etc? Engine grounds can do things like that too.

 

[VisegripMech]

Are you sure your temp gauge is functioning correctly? With the ignition switched to "ON" and engine not running, are all of the "idiot lights" on? Next time it happens, try disconnecting the coolant temperature sensor.

 

[Murdered4G63T]

I have not had it compression checked, not sure how i'd go about that. When the key is turned to "ON" all the lights come on except CEL. My temp gauge works fine and my engine never over heats.

 

[crash89]

Check engine light should come on for a few seconds upon start up, for one.. 2, at your local parts store they have compression tester kits you can buy. If not even rent. But its pretty easy, might want a buddy to help tho!

 

[thirsty]

G'day.
Get the injectors tested for flow and stop flowing.
One or two may be faulty and are 'flooding' the engine. After you stop the car the residual pressure in the rail may be pushing fuel past the injectors.
They could not shutting from crap in the pintle. Replace the fuel filter as well.
Next time it happens, immediately it will not start take any two of the plugs out and check if they are wet with fuel.
Waiting for a while allows the fuel in the barrels to evaporate and it should start.
Cheers
Ross
my 2 cents...

 

[96 420a-t]

Check for codes. Sounds like your mil is bad. U might have a hard fault and not know it. Also general rule if you can not figure it out or are uncomfortable with what you find seek out a proffessional. Generally cheaper than throwing parts at it. My 2¢

 

[Tyeler18]

Sounds like a dead ECU. The CEL should come on for 5-7 seconds when turning the key to "on." Does it ever turn on at all? Try unhooking something like the MAF and see if you can get the light to turn on so you know it isn't blown.

 

[thirsty]

'Sounds like your mil is bad'
What is a 'mil'?
Cheers
Ross

 

[sexystover]

mil stands for malfunction indicator light

 

[Murdered4G63T]

That was another idea i had was that the injectors were faulty,but i wanted to be sure before i replaced them. I took it to two shops and they thought they fixed it only for it to not start within an hour of leaving the shop each time. bottom line, does this sound like a faulty ecu? If it is the fuel system, would i need a new fuel filter and injectors?

 

[MichaelSuch]

I would pull the ecu and check the board. It will usually smell like a dead fish and you should be able to see spots where capacitors may have leaked or other parts might have fried. Just just it for burns and things that aren't normal.

 

[okm12346]

Well first replace the CEL bulb. Then scan it for error codes, post if any.

An engine needs three basic things to work - air, fuel and spark. Next time drive around get the car warmed up and make sure you pull in your driveway and shut it off.I'm saying this so you have access to some tools or whatever. Try cranking it, see if it starts. If not, Pull all spark plugs and and inspect them. Look for raw fuel and any other deposits. Wipe them dry, ground the threads and have someone crank the car. Look for spark in between the electrodes. Then you have ignition problem. Ignition problems could be from anything - crank and cam sensors, power transistor, Coil pack, MPI relay and ECU

If there's spark then you move on to fuel troubleshooting. Do not relieve the system. Undo the two 10mm bolts of the fuel feed line on the fuel rail. Have a container beneath to catch whatever fuel may drip out. As you pull the feed line, have a towel on top of it because it may spray on you. You'll feel if the line is pressurized or not. Put the feed line in the container you have and have someone crank the car. If there's fuel coming out with a steady flow then good, if not, you have a fuel problem. Fuel problem can be from fuel pressure regulator, Fuel pump, Fuel filter, MPI relay. The 2g MPI relay are split in two - one part powers up the ECU and the second part powers the fuel pump.

 

[hardcorandy]

Just throwing this out their. My camaro and my s10 had the same problem. I replaced the fuel pump in both vehicles and problem solved. As far a the Dsm goes, it could be the ecu but id look at a fuel pump.

 

[GsXdSmKingGsX]

start off with a compression check. And start looking for a new ECU

 

[Murdered4G63T]

Thanks for the info, im gonna have it compression check and scanned for thrown codes. I think it may be a problem with the fuel because sometimes when trying to crank it repeatedly i will eventually smell gas even while sitting in my drivers seat.

 

[Tyeler18]

CEL not turning on is a sure sign of a dead ecu. Why not try the easy stuff first since that's what you car is pointing to.

 

[iwillnotbleed]

Do you have a manual for the car? I'm not sure if it would tell you for a 2g, as I own 1g's, but in my haynes manual it give's you a "how to" on checking code's with an analog multimeter. One of the code's it tell's you how to read is a bad ECU. I figure you might not have any logging software yet.

 

[blueboost68]

Did you get the car from a used car lot. A lot of them will remove the MIL
cheaper than fixing it. If you smell fuel I would say check that the plugs are fireing when it wont start

 

[jay_vi]

sounds like a crank sensor thats going out.

 

[VisegripMech]

If it was the ECU why would it only not start when hot? I'm not familiar with 2g's, but if the ECU thinks the engine is cold when it is actually hot, it will set for a cold start and dump too much fuel = flooded engine. Even if the CEL is disconnected, you should still be able to pull the codes.