QuestionI have a 96 Silverado with a 5.7 liter. It does not start like it should. When it sits over night or longer it turns over and over before starting. Once it is running, it runs perfectly fine. If it has been running and I shut it off for a short time, it will start back up fine.
AnswerHi Dan,
Either the fuel is draining back down into the fuel tank, or the fuel pump relay isn't working.
When you first turn your key to run, you should hear the fuel pump inside the tank operate for about three seconds.
That means the relay is working.
But there is a backup power system for the pump, and that is an oil pressure switch. As long as there is engine oil pressure, that switch will power the pump, weather the relay works or not.
Yours may be depending on the oil pressure switch, and that requires the engine to crank over a bit to pump it up.
If you do hear the pump running when the key is turned to run, you could cycle it to run for three seconds, then off, then to run for three seconds, then crank it. That would just pressurize the fuel system before you crank the engine.
Run some injector cleaner through a couple tanks of gas. A dirty injector could allow air to enter the system, and allow the fuel to drain back.
Van
