Hello,

My 2003 Monte Carlo SS has been giving me loads of trouble lately. The vehicle has roughly 124,000 miles, so it comes with the territory. I have recently replaced the spark plugs, plug wires, fuel filter, fuel pressure regulator valve cover gaskets, oil pan gaskets, and plenum gasket, and ran seafoam through the vacuum line and the car was running like new for the first time in a long time. I have also cleaned the idle air control and MAF with their specific spray cleaners. Today, I started my car up and noticed it was running a little weird at first, like it was cutting out briefly and there was a slight fluctuation in the RPMs, but it ran for a little bit. I made it about 200 feet to a stop light where my car literally died at the light. After a few attempts, my car started up with me hitting the gas and made it about 1/4 to 1/2 a mile to the gas station up the street where it ended up dying and refused to start back up. I ended up unplugging the negative battery cable for a hard reset on the computer and got a ride to work. About 7 or 8 hours later, I returned to my vehicle and plugged the battery cable back in and it started after a little bit of effort. The whole process was basically the same as before, drove it down the street, made it about a mile or so, got to a stop light, and it died. It started back up again at the light, made it a little further and I pulled into a parking lot where it died while pulling in and without it starting back up again. I got the car towed to my house and it still will not start up. Part of me thinks it could be the fuel pump, but I feel like I hear it initialize when I turn the key on. How would I let the pressure out of the line to check that? If this doesn't sound like the problem, any suggestions or help would be greatly appreciated!!

 

Hearing the fuel pump prime only verifies that it is receiving power, not that it is providing sufficient pressure. There is a Schrader valve located on the fuel pressure regulator for testing purposes. Unscrew the black plastic cap and thread a fuel pressure tester onto the nipple. Check pressure with key ON (no start) and again with engine running. Compare your readings to acceptable specs. If pressure is low conduct a second test with the pressure tester attached to the fuel line prior to the fuel filter. If pressure readings improve there may be an obstruction in the filter or possibly a crimped fuel line between the filter and regulator. If you don't have a fuel pressure tester you can probably borrow one from a local parts store like Autozone or O'Reilly.

 

Just because you cleaned the IAC and MAF doesn't mean they still aren't bad. Try unplugging the MAF and double-check your IAC

 

The car will not start at all, is that test on the line before the filter doable still?

 

Even with the MAF unplugged the car won't start?

Could be an ICM or ignition switch problem then

 

Yes, even with the MAF sensor unplugged. It turns over, doesn't start, and almost I feel like it smells like gas or burned gas when trying to start it.

 

Actually, it appears that there's gas on the ground in the front driver's side area of the vehicle. It starts around the front of the drivers side tire and goes to the front of the vehicle. The puddle is about 3 feet wide and 1 foot tall from the side view.

 

Time to check those fuel lines, they go up around there

 

Definitely not the fuel lines, I have gas in my oil and gas comes out of cylinder 1 and cylinder 6 if I remove the spark plugs.

 

Injectors stuck open?