I have a 2002 Oldsmobile Silhouette which has been a great car, but due to its age has had some issues in the past year. The most recent is that it does not start well. When I turn the key, it chugs but I have to push the gas to get it to start and then there is a very strong fuel smell. We had it “tuned up” recently, but that did not help ( in fact the starting has gotten worse) I would like to drive this car from Wisconsin to Colorado in a few weeks, but I am worried that at some point it won’t start at all. Any advice?
It sounds like you probably have a leaking fuel pressure regulator. Is it harder to start after you’ve driven it, shut it off for 15-30 minutes then restarted? You can remove the vacuum line going to the regulator and check for the presence of fuel. If you can see or smell fuel in the vac line, then the diaphram has ruptured in the regulator.