But then it runs fine. I allready changed the fuel pump, both injectors, and a diaphram in the TBI housing. No change. Any ideas?

Did you check for codes? When you turn the key to on, can you hear the pump run for a couple of seconds? Is there any fuel pressure?

When you crank the engine, do the injectors pulse? You can use a noid lite on the injector plug. Sometimes you can use a long piece of fuel injector hose, put one end to the injector and the other end to your ear, have a helper crank the engine, listen for a click.

If the injectors won't pulse and other than the initial prime, the pump won't run, then I would look for an rpm signal.

I have not checked for a code but ses light is not on . I can hear the pump run but the injectors dont spray upon cranking , only after I spray in the ether and the engine starts does the injectors start spraying. I can also hear the pump run after I turn off the ign. I also have not checked fuel pressure , but the car runs fine down the highway , sometimes it will stall sitting at idle or when shifting from park to drive, and sometimes it will restart wo/ether but most times it needs a shot of ether to restart.

SO...fuel pump provides the initial 2 sec burst at KEY ON, and injectors do not fire during cranking....but from what you say, I do not know if they do fire during the initial fuel pump primer burst....do they?

You should check also for the signal from the starter solenoid to the ECM : purple/white 806 at connector C9 on diagram 8A-20-1. SIgnal comes through fusible link B in picture www.avigex.ca/xport/fusiblelinkh.jpg
www.avigex.ca/xport/ignition31.jpg
www.avigex.ca/xport/fuelcontrol31.jpg
If the fuel pump had not given the initial primer burst, I'd have thought the fuel pump relay was dead..; once the engine is started, the fuel pump is maintained alive by the oil pressure switch and does not need the relay.
.... the crank position sensor or related ignitor/ignition module is a potential culprit...but then you would have spark problem too....

My 92 died and I happened to have some either with me. I sprayed it in the injection and it would start fine but not stay running. A few days later it would not start with either, checked and no spark and no injector pulse. Turns out it was the control moduale in the distributor. Try checking that maybe.

I changed the fuel pump relay , $12 and it starts fine now. Thanks for the help.:)

I thought my problem was solved , but the car is back to starting with ether most of the time. It also stalled at a light but started right back up. So I put a new ecm in it today and it started right up but then it stalled when I parked at the gas pump. It started right back up and I drove it 25 miles down the highway, but when I come to a stop it will shudder and stall unless I put it in nuetral then it takes off just fine when I pulled in my driveway it ran fine and I shut it off with the key???:banghead:

... I put a new ecm in it today ...???:banghead:

...well....I'd be interested in investigating the ignition module or the crank position sensor. ECM influence is quite distant from ignition on this model.
www.avigex.ca/xport/ignition31.jpg
www.avigex.ca/xport/ckps31.jpg

Maybee I used the wrong term , but what I changed today was the flat black module in the distributor. Its called ign.mod. in the schematic you sent me. Should I now turn to the crank pos. sensor?:frown:

OK what you changed www.avigex.ca/xport/ignitionmodule31.gif is logical....yes indeed, in same situation, I'd go for the crank position sensor or/and ignition pickup. www.avigex.ca/xport/ignitionpickup31.jpg
That really looks like an intermittent ignition problem. WHen it refuses to start, I'D pull a plug and insert a spare plug, let it rest on block then start to verify for spark....car needs fuel and spark; one is missing.....
At that age, all those parts become rather "mandatory maintenance items". I would not risk a long trip with the originals. Last summer I changed them all before a long trek and felt much safer, given the occurrence of mishaps of that nature constantly reported for cars that age.

..thinking it over and reading back from your first post......are you sure all the contacts to the fuel pump relay are OK?...in fact, if it starts with ether, this tends to prove it HAS spark, but no fuel..unless ether ignites more easily with poor spark than gas....I'd check for pressure at the injectors when it refuses to fire up...maybe the contacts were shaken by replacing the relay and worked for a time...I'd like you take special attention to listen to the pump at KEY ON....quite puzzling...maybe another odd problem...

I watched the injectors today while my son started the car and it did spray fuel upon cranking and it started right up. Also just before I changed the ign. mod. it stalled at a light and started right back up again but as soon as I put it in drive it just died, I repeated that about 8 times before I pushed it off the road. About 15 min. later it started right up I drove it right to the parts store and put in the ign. mod. It had never done that stalling when put in gear before or since.

Okay this thing wont start at all now and I checked it for spark and it has none. I guess my next move is the crank pos. sensor. Where is it located? It looks like a dealer only item , but I did see it online for about $60.:uhoh:

...I thought this problem was solved since you had the ignition module changed already. THis one is the culprit im most cases.
WIth the "old style" distributor type 3.1, the "crank position sensor" is the ignition pickup coil www.avigex.ca/xport/ignitionpickup31.jpg ...and this component is rather sturdy, as well as the ignition coil itself.
THe separate crank position sensor mentioned by error at the beginning is used with electronic distributor type.

I have a 94 3.1 has the same problem every two to four months i change the fuel filter and it runs fine easy fix over looked a lot

Has anyone looked into the OPS? If the van runs, the fuel pump uses the fuel pump relay on start up then switches over the engine oil pressure to run the fuel pump. It may be bad... I've had to replace the oil pressure switch a few times.. Good luck... It may or may not be the problem in you case.

Okay , tonight I went out there just to see if anything has changed. I plugged another spark plug on the middle front wire and held it up to the exh. manifold and the car started right up on 5 cylinders. The spark did have a lot of orange color to it. Then I put the plug wire back on and it wouldnt start , no spark at all. Could this be a ground problem? I did plug on a spare ign. coil I had laying around but still no spark. Does that square frame around the ign. coil have to be grounded because I just layed it next to the old coil? Also could that Ign. pickup coil be tested?:banghead:

Well , I put in a new pickup coil and it still wont start . I have good spark coming out of the coil wire into the center of the dist. cap. I also have good spark at the spark plugs and its pumping fuel. I'm about ready to tow this thing to the charity yard:banghead:

Obviously, if it starts on five, then it should start on 6. Something happens out of control between one try and the next....
I would certainly test on contact C9 of the ECM
www.avigex.ca/xport/ignition31.jpg
www.avigex.ca/xport/chargingsystem.jpg
www.avigex.ca/xport/fusiblelinkh.jpg
or on the ECM side of fusible link B
(If necessary, I use a needle to connect to the wire through the insulation..then cover the tiny hole with silicon afterwards to prevent corrosion)
This contact comes from the starter solenoid. SHould read 12V when starting. That is not a big hint, but at least this is a thing that can be checked .

I can finally close the books on this one. after I changed the pickup coil I must have put the distributer in 180 degrees out. It's running fine again. Thanks for all the help.:grinyes: