no start but a sputter
 

Hi Guys, very new to forum, but I have read many threads trying not to bore you with a repeat.

My 1999 5.7 L gas Tahoe was left sitting at my dad's for a week. He went to start it and called me to say it wouldn't.

I tried starting it and it turned over in a "labored" way, then when I released the key from "start" to "on", it would ever so slightly sputter.

I had a Buick Riviera once that had a bad injector and it "hydraulic-ed", bent the connecting rod, (blah blah, another story) and this Tahoe starting attempt was reminisent of the hydraulicing of the Riv.

I thought "bad poppet" on an injector and tore into it. Hoping I hadn't already screwed up the motor.

Funny thing was I actually bought a single injector and plenum gasket thinking the bad one would be obvious. Ha Ha, took the single injector back to NAPA and bought the "spider" assembly.

Put it in, buttoned her up, and wa-la it started, purred like a kitten and ran splendidly. Yeah! I'm a genius! NOT!

That was 4 days ago, parked it, left it sit till today, and went to start it, and you guessed it, same damn thing. Turns over in a "labored" way and then sputtered when key returned to "on" position, before turning to off position.

The fuel pump whines like a M-Fer, and I have not checked fuel pressure yet. But if it was the fuel pump, why would it run the rest of the day after I replaced the "spider" and then decide not to work again?

Is there something about letting these things sit that is killing me?

Any help would be appreciated, Thanks

Welcome to the forum.:) The cold weather can be taxing on batteries. If it cranked slowly ("labored"), the first I'd check is the battery voltage level (especially while under cranking load), cables, and connections.

Thanks, I'm thinking along the same lines. I'm cleaning all starter and battery connections and borrowing a gauge to check fuel pressure tomorrow.