Engine starts then stalls?

JIMC18045

MEMBER
2000 CHEVROLET EXPRESS
V8
2WD
AUTOMATIC
21,000 MILES

I have a 3500 cutaway van with a 5.7, sometimes when I go to start it, it wont start. It cranks over very fast, so no battery problem, I do notice that if you turn the key on and the amp guage and the fuel don't move it wont start, but if you mess with it a little and those 2 guages come on it fires right up and runs like a clock. I did have a couple of codes 1 being the mass air and that was changed, and the codes were cleared out. If you can help it would be great, I don't think it's the fuel pump, because once you get those 2 guages to come on it fires right up and I just let it run as long as I need it, sometimes I don't shut it off all day, and it runs great. And I also replaced the fuel pump relay, and that made no difference

1 Reply

KASEKENNY

MECHANIC
18,907 POSTS

So if when you turn the key and the engine cranks but does not start then this still could be a fuel pump issue. Here are a few guides that will help get us started:

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/stall-at-idle

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/car-cranks-but-wont-start

I suspect it is a fuel pump because I am not sure sure it has anything to do with the gauges. When you say you are messing with them, I suspect you mean you turn the key on and off a number of times. When you turn the key on and off, you are priming the system. Then when you get the gauges to operate you have primed the system repeatedly and the engine starts. So this would be a coincidence.

Let's check the fuel pressure and go from there.

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-to-check-fuel-system-pressure-and-regulator

Please let us know what you find. Thanks