Well, my z has now given me something else to worry about.
I came out to go to work this morning, try to start her up, a couple of cranks, vroom!, and dies. Again, and dies. And again. So I hold the gas down, start up, and it feels like its running on 4 cylinders About 10 seconds of this and then all of a sudden everything is normal, car runs fine. I leave work today and it does the same freaking thing. I had the gas pedal most of the way down so it didn't die, and then all of a sudden, vroom!, the rpms jump way up there. I know my ignition switch is in question, but I didn't think it could do that, and its been doing better since I put some graphite lube in there. Is my fuel pump heading south? What on earth could this be? It runs like crap for at most 15-20 secs., and then all of a sudden its fine. I'm afraid I'm gonna come out there soon and its gonna do that all the time. Any suggestions

 

Definitely sounds like a fuel delivery problem...I would change your fuel filter and check the fuel pump...I don't know how cold it is there, but I know in my old '84 trans am, moisture in the fuel tank would freeze up in my fuel lines and block the fuel...which would allow it to run sometimes and not others...but you're from north carolina, so i doubt that is the case with you. Just check the filter and have the fuel pump replaced if that does not fixthe problem

 

If the problem started all of a sudden, I don't think the filter would be the problem.

 

Yeah it was pretty much a "I don't feel like running today" problem. But I don't think it's gonna go away. And I have no idea what it is. My car has always been a quirky starter but not like this. It always ran once I got it started...

 

Low battery will cause the same problem. Bad spark, slow start, once it turns the alternator over a few times, the voltage picks up and you run fine. Might want to get it checked/replace it.

 

The battery is only a few months old. I guess I could make sure everything is tight, though...
Other than that I really can't think of what it could be.

 

Have your ignition module checked.....

 

Ignition.

Plugs, wires, or coil.

 

Well.... All this is what I've had replaced since August...
Opti- Cap & Rotor
Bosch Plugs
Accel Extreme 9000 etc. wires
Accel Coil
Holley AFPR

So I guess it's either something up there in the steering column or else it's that stupid pump.

I assume that ignition cylinder & switch i something I'm going to have to have replaced by GM? I went to advance auto and they wanted to give me a cylinder with a key that looked like it belonged to a little tiny cash box. Anybody know how much something like this will run me? I want money for more mods, not screwing around with silly parts I never thought could go bad.

 

If you can actually get the car to finally start and get you from point A to point B, then I doubt it is the fuel pump. I believe they either work or don't, I could be wrong. Check the IAC, pull it off and clean it up real good; could possibly have a bunch of carbon build up and not letting the car breathe (stalling). Mine was doing this also, no problems since cleaning it. Start simple.

 

I don't think its your ignition switch because in my car (passat) when the ignition switch broke, the car would not start at all. I would turn the key and nothing at all would happen.

Right now I'm having the same problem as you in my passat, Does your car start fine if the engine is warm, like if you drove the car earlier that day?

You may be getting poor spark because fuel is harder to ignite when teh combustion chamber within the cylinder is cold.