Pontiac Repair: engine repair, fuel pressure gauge, mass air flow sensor

Question
i have a 1990 pontiac firebird auto trans with the 3.1L v6 and when trying to get it started i have to try and try and it will start then die and after a long time of doing this i can barely get it running but it will run as if burning way to much fuel and eventually flood itslelf it is fuel injected any ideas? thanks

Answer
Hi Cody:

well it could be a few things. it could be a bad Mass air flow sensor those were noted to go bad on that year car or you have fuel injectors that are leaking into the enegi nwhen the car is shut off and causing the "flooding" condition. the injectors on that year car were noted for that too. Has any service engine soon lamp come on? If so it will have set a trouble code and then that would be a place to start looking. as far as the injectors leaking a easy way to check that is to put a fuel pressure gauge on the engine and turn the key on to pressurize the system turn the key off and see what happens with the fuel pressure it should hold stead and not drop off rapidly if it does it's either a leaking injector(S) or it's leaking back into the gas tank.. that is where I would start looking.. good luck :)