starting trouble

[Greggie7]

I know there are a couple threads similar to this right now but i didnt want to piggy back my issues onto those.
I have a 1998.5 svt. engine has 91k, it has headers, bassini exhaust, kkm intake, BAT kit, and an upgraded clutch and flywheel (not all of these apply but i was trying to be thorough).

After spending 4 days in the garage between driving (in west michigan, very cold days) i went to start it and it turned over and ran for about 3 seconds and then died, the short time it ran is was very rough. i tried to start it again and it wouldnt fire up. I had some friends i trust, as far as car knowledge, come over and listen to it and we ruled out the starter, battery, and fuel pump (we could hear it click on). so wednesday of this week i go out and try it again and it wont start, its been a full 2 weeks of trying to survive with 2 kids on 1 car so i call aaa and get it towed to a place in muskegon. i had called ahead and told them the symptons. i get a call from the tech at the shop and he tells me the car started right up when they tried it! So i had them leave it outside overnight and try it again yestrday and it started right up again. they ran the engine and the only code that came up was for 1 of the o2 sensors, which wouldnt affect start up, the fuel pressure was constant and didnt drop off.

So my hope is for ideas on what could have caused it to not start for me in my garage for 2 weeks and then after a short 5 mile tow job it starts right up. I apologize in advance for the longwindedness of this explanation and thank you in advance for any thoughts or ideas.

 

[Pugulis]

Sounds to me like the wires are shot. I had the exact same problem. At first it was random. Then, whenever it dropped below freezing it wouldn't start. This meant I couldn't leave my house at night and it would take an hour to start in the morning. I ended up wrecking my starter before I checked here to find out that the ignition wires are notorious for going bad on these cars. When I went to check them, the first 2 I pulled fell apart on the inside. Changed them and everything was fine.

 

[jd2-98s]

We get this alot. Car dies, then towed in, and starts right up. Sucks. However, usally what happens is with it going down the road on the hook, the tank is subjected to vibration, which sometimes is enough to "shock" the pump, so when we go outside to start it, it lights off no problem.

I would try using a rubber mallet, and hit the center of the tank while someone cranks it over just to see if it does light off. also you could pick up a cheap fuel pressure tester I'm sure from a autoparts store, or push in on the valve on the fuel rail with the tip of something like a small screw driver and see if fuel does spray. Put on some safty glasses, gas in the eyes sucks. Or to rule out fuel, spray a little bit of carb cleaner into the throttle body, you will have to take off the intake bellow from the airbox to the throttle body and open up the throttle plate and spray some in there. If the car starts and dies you know it's not getting fuel. If it doesn't start at all, you have a ignition issue.

Other problem could be a connector or harness issue that road vibration effected.