Anybody know what is going on with this car? Most of the time it has no problem what-so-ever, but once in a while it just doesn’t start. It will turn over and over but that’s it. Most of the time if I just let it sit for a few minutes (5-20) it will start right up no problem, but I’ve noticed when it does it often revs up as if I had my foot on the gas. (that took me a while to realize since I often touch the gas anyway.) Once it’s running it runs great. The idle settles down to normal after a few seconds and the car runs as if there was no issue. It does this randomly. I can drive it for days or hours with no problem, and then suddenly it just decides to leave me stranded. Usually i wait and it gets me home, but a couple times it didn’t. I’ve drained the battery twice on two different occasions months apart trying it, and waiting and trying it. Both times with barely enough juice the following day to turn it over, it fired right up, rev’d the engine, then ran fine. I don’t think it’s an issue with fuel because on one occasion while trying to start it I laid into the peddle until I could smell gas under the hood- and it never has issue while running, only on start-up.
I have little money and the car isn’t worth paying much to get it fixed anyway so I’m trying to learn to take care of it myself when I can. So far the only thing I’ve done is replace the spark plugs- it runs better now, but doesn’t start any differently.
I’ve found one other person on the internet (on this site actually) who has the exact problem- that post is several months old, and they didn’t seem to find an answer.
I have searched and search but this seems to be a unique issue- that or I am one of a few who really know nothing about cars (which I don’t) and are hopelessly doomed to paying for mechanical services. 
Please if anyone out there has in-site to this specific issue, I need your help!
If it happens in damp or rainy weather it could need new spark plug and coil wires if applicable.
If you smelled gas while laying on the gas pedal there may be a fuel leak into the engine as vehicle sits. Such as from a leaking fuel pressure regulator.
When stepping on the gas pedal while trying to start the engine tells the computer that you’re in the flooded mode. The computer then cuts the injector pulse widths in half or shuts down the injectors altogether to clear the flooded condition so the engine can start.
The next time you get the engine to start, let it idle for a minute and shut the engine off. Locate the fuel pressure regulator on the fuel rail and remove the vacuum hose from the fuel pressure regulator. If gas leaks out of this connection replace the fuel pressure regulator.
http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/moreinfo.php?pk=1111924&cc=1391161
Tester
Does this only happen on warm starts? Like if you park to go to Target, then it won’t start when you get bafck to the car? Or does it happen first thing in the AM, befgore you’ve driven the car?
I will check out the regulator tomorrow and let you know. Thanks to all for your thoughts.
ok so i checked the fuel pressure regulator as Tester described and there was no leaking at all. Dry as a bone. Today she started up beautifully just like brand new, and idled very quietly- didn’t do the revving thing at all that it does when it has a hard time. i was hoping that was going to be it.
Well, if it were my car here’s what I’d do.
- Bring all routine engine maintenance suggested in owners manual up to date. Esp air filter, fuel filter, ignition spark & timing, and valve clearance.
- Have all current and pending ECM codes read.
- Test vacuum hoses and devices for leaks.
- Test the ECM coolant temp sensor thermistor. Note, this is usually different from the sensor which controls the dashboard temp guage.
- Test fuel pressure at the fuel rail.
If it isn’t any of those, there’s a pretty good chance you are looking at something which will be semi-expensive to expensive to fix. If I wanted to go further, next I’d check the compression, the real-time O2 sensor readings, and the cat.