ThatOneKid

Hey guys. I've finally gotten around to addressing my hard start problem. It happens randomly. When its warmed up, and when it cold.
What it does: sometimes it cranks over instantly, other times it takes it a few seconds.
I just put in a brand new, charged, battery yesterday. Didn't help anything. Based on my research, I think it might be the coil, or ICM. I'm really hoping its not the opti, I really don't want to rip the whole front of the car off.

Can someone confirm this, or was having similar problems and know a fix? Thanks in advance.

ChevyOwner

From my experience icm, and coils normally work or don't work (with the excepting of a few ford icms).

I would look at the fuel pump relay.

My old Camaro would do this and I did not figure it out until after I wrecked it and the wiring harness with the fuel pump relay was installed into a different car. In the new car the fuel pump would not turn on via the relay and I found a faulty wire connecting it.

ThatOneKid

I'm assuming that'll require me to drop the tank correct? Or do the trapdoor mod?

ChevyOwner

No, dropping the tank or the trap door mod is for the fuel pump not the fuel pump relay.

I am not sure if the relay is located in the same place on a 93 as it is in a 97, but on the 97 it is on the drivers side under the kick panel.

ThatOneKid

Ill take a look at it tonight. How can I tell if its bad or not?

NewOrleansLT1

The coil can defiantly work just enough to start the car and cause all sorts of drivability issues..

ThatOneKid

The connections to the coil are a bit dusty (DD probs) When I get home tonight, itll try to clean them up with some of that electrical connection cleaner in a can

ChevyOwner

Unless you see something I don't this about occasional hard starting.
I would think if the coil were the problem it would be something other then hard starting.
Can you explain for future readers (form searches).

NewOrleansLT1

If the car is getting weak spark it can either be hard to start or not start at all.. But it will also feel sluggish under load..

Fastbird93

iTrader: (10)

What are the outside temps like when the issue presents itself? A failing ECT (the one in the water pump) with a dead spot in it can easily cause a extended crank, yet act normal when temps are in an area where the ECT is still picking up and reporting properly.

ThatOneKid

I don't really remember, but i'm confident it's always done it, but I started noticing it when it started getting cold.

EDIT: started it today after I got home from school, its cold and snowing. Fired right up. Im pretty sure its the coil

c.bayens

iTrader: (2)

When my coil went bad it would turn over a really long time before starting if it was bone cold. If I had driven the car in the past 5-6 hours it would start up right away, but letting it sit overnight always made it hard to start, regardless of the temp outside. It always ran fine once it started tho. Took a month to figure it out and over that time the cold cranking kept getting longer and longer!