97 SL2 Hard starting

When cold the car starts fine. After driving and parking it for a while; it
starts--but sounds like the engine is choking after is starts. Really have
to crank it. I pause for a few seconds while trying a second crank; and
with luck it does start.
Could it be a fuel pressure regulator? Cleaned injectors w/ a cleaner;
[tuned up last year] but still does same thing. Would a starter going
faulty cause anything?

You have the 97 fuel pump problem. It is a nuisance, but your car is fine.
Just wait for 1-2 seconds after turning the key to acc to let the fuel
pump prime, and you will be fine. It was an engineering defect, but
operates normal after it builds up fuel pressure prior to trying to start
it.

On Thu, 09 Feb 2006 03:42:57 -0500, "midas" >
wrote:

>When cold the car starts fine. After driving and parking it for a while; it
>starts--but sounds like the engine is choking after is starts. Really have
>to crank it. I pause for a few seconds while trying a second crank; and
>with luck it does start.
>Could it be a fuel pressure regulator? Cleaned injectors w/ a cleaner;
>[tuned up last year] but still does same thing. Would a starter going
>faulty cause anything?


NOTE: This is my story, not saying it's your problem, but you can
search for other people's stories about the CTS that sounds like
yours.

I had problems with my 97SL2 not starting after operating for a while.
I would park the car and run into a store, come out later, and the car
refused to start intially. I would have no SES light, and when the
car finally ran, it sounded like it would stall out. I would have to
keep the car running by standing on the gas pedal. Still this was no
guarentee that the car wouldn't stall when I came to a full stop.

When the car starts acting up like this, it only getst worse, at the
worse time. I read on the web to check the CTS (Coolant Tempature
Sensor). Since the item only cost 10 bucks at NAPA, heck with
testing, I just changed it. Eliminated 99% of the my Saturn's
stalling problems.

imho,

tom @ www.NoCostAds.com