Hard start

DANNY8U

MEMBER
2000 CHEVROLET TAHOE
5.3L
V8
4WD
AUTOMATIC
250,000 MILES

So, in the morning it starts right up but is starting to run a little rough. After being driven a little while, when I shut it off, if I wait more than 10 minutes to start it back up it cranks over and over then it will finally start and run poorly for a minute. When it does start it gives off a bad odor like a fuel smell but different. I'm pretty sure it's leaking gas into the engine after I shut it off and it's flooding it. Because if I don't start it for like 3 hours after shutting it off it will start fine after the gas has evaporated.

1 Reply

KASEKENNY

MECHANIC
18,907 POSTS

I suspect you are exactly correct. So, let's try and prove that by running through these guides.

Let's start with checking the fuel pressure not only when the engine is running a little rough but then shut the engine off and keep watching the pressure.

Then we need to see what the pressure is when you are trying to restart it.

Here is a guide that will show how to do this:

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

What I suspect is happening is the pressure is bleeding off and flooding the engine so you can try and hold the accelerator wide open when the engine is not restarting, and this will cut the injectors. This is called a clear flood start. If the injectors are leaking, then this may not work but it would be a good test to try.

If this checks out there here is a guide that will get us further with this issue:

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/engine-cranks-excessively-before-starting

However, I suspect we are going to find our issue with the injectors so let's start with this and go from there.

Thanks