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97 chevy express wont start seems to not fire


herbie1974
01-24-2011, 12:06 PM
I have a 97 chevy express with a 350 engine, at times it seems to not start in the cold. I drove this van on friday, saturday, and let idle on sunday, today is monday and it wont start. It seems to not be firing at times cause the engine sound is different. sometimes it will get a short fire burst and back to sounding as not firing. what could be the problem? It has not been tuned up in the past few yrs but seems to run fine once started. I tend to have this problem more in the cold but have experienced it a time or two in the summer or warmer weather. replace fuel pump about 1 1/2 yrs ago. I know it is getting fuel cause i can smell it, starting fluid does not help either.

MT-2500
01-25-2011, 09:54 AM
I have a 97 chevy express with a 350 engine, at times it seems to not start in the cold. I drove this van on friday, saturday, and let idle on sunday, today is monday and it wont start. It seems to not be firing at times cause the engine sound is different. sometimes it will get a short fire burst and back to sounding as not firing. what could be the problem? It has not been tuned up in the past few yrs but seems to run fine once started. I tend to have this problem more in the cold but have experienced it a time or two in the summer or warmer weather. replace fuel pump about 1 1/2 yrs ago. I know it is getting fuel cause i can smell it, starting fluid does not help either.

Check for lose of fuel pressure on cold cranking per specs.
Check for lose of spark to all plugs?

Post back what is is losing.

herbie1974
09-19-2011, 12:05 PM
Ok so it has been a while since this problem has happened. Here is what i found yesterday. dumping fuel in the air intake will start, may keep running and sometimes dies once i quit dumping fuel. As stated before I have a new fuel pump about 2 yrs now, tuned up about 4 months ago. Always drives well just wont start sometimes. If the fpr is stickin open would it cause this to happen. It is very intermitant and hard to discover. For sure a fuel problem and not spark.

MT-2500
09-19-2011, 04:42 PM
Ok so it has been a while since this problem has happened. Here is what i found yesterday. dumping fuel in the air intake will start, may keep running and sometimes dies once i quit dumping fuel. As stated before I have a new fuel pump about 2 yrs now, tuned up about 4 months ago. Always drives well just wont start sometimes. If the fpr is stickin open would it cause this to happen. It is very intermitant and hard to discover. For sure a fuel problem and not spark.

New 2 years ago.
If it was a airtex pump tkat is real good.
Some airtex pumps do not even make it out drive way.

Check that fuel pressure.
If no up to 65 cold craning it will not start.

herbie1974
09-21-2011, 07:23 AM
Ok, so I checked the fuel pressure and found this morning after sitting all night it fired right up, let sit about an hour and tried again "FINALLY A NO START".... Key on 60-62 psi, Cranking drops to 50 psi, after several times cranking it finally started and idled at 55 psi. I let engine warm took short trip around the block and shut off, watched fuel pressure and as the engine set for a second or so the pressure would " Climb " key off engine warm from 55 psi to 60 psi. Also when the engine was cool and i shut off pressure would drop from 55 psi to 40 psi.... Is this normal? One other thing is when hard start it throws a P1351 code. I installed a new Ignition Module and Pickup Coil three days ago when it left me stranded 2 hours from home.

MT-2500
09-21-2011, 10:17 AM
Ok, so I checked the fuel pressure and found this morning after sitting all night it fired right up, let sit about an hour and tried again "FINALLY A NO START".... Key on 60-62 psi, Cranking drops to 50 psi, after several times cranking it finally started and idled at 55 psi. I let engine warm took short trip around the block and shut off, watched fuel pressure and as the engine set for a second or so the pressure would " Climb " key off engine warm from 55 psi to 60 psi. Also when the engine was cool and i shut off pressure would drop from 55 psi to 40 psi.... Is this normal? One other thing is when hard start it throws a P1351 code. I installed a new Ignition Module and Pickup Coil three days ago when it left me stranded 2 hours from home.

Fuel pressure should have a slow leak down key off.

Your fuel prssure is low.
Cold start cranking you need 64-65 lbs to squirt injectors.
You can not leave home with out it.


The only true test on a fuel pump is to check the direct fuel pressure from fuel pump.
A quick test is to block off the return line and see if fuel pressure comes up to 95-105 lbs.
But do not run the pump at full pressure very long.
Also when testing fuel pump and pressure you need to tape a gauge to outside windshield or outside mirror and drive it on the road for 20 -30 minutes
until the pump gets has run a while to check for a pump fading out after hot.

Hard to start cold or hot and fuel pressure testing guide lines.
Check cold start fuel pressure.
Check engine running fuel pressure.
Check engine running on the road fuel pressure.
Then shut it off and watch for fast leak down.
Pinch off at rubber part or block off return line and check full pressure.
If pump has full pressure with return line blocked and low pressure without it blocked most usually the fuel pressure regulator is leaking or not holding pressure.
Later V6 and V8 gm engines should have 60-66 fuel pressure.
Cold start should be 64-65 lbs of pressure.
If you do not have full fuel pressure on a cold start the injectors will not squirt fuel.
Do not leave home without it.
Engine running should be 60-66 lbs pressure depending on engine load.
Full pressure with return pinched off should be 95-105.
And if it has a fast leak down after shut off you have a leak in system.
Post back fuel pressure readings.

Tony Silva
09-21-2011, 10:24 AM
Pinch off at rubber part or block off return line and check full pressure.



Do not pinch a plastic portion of the fuel line. You will damage it. As MT-2500 mentioned. Pinch off the fuel line at a rubber part or block (plug) off the return line completely.

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