There should have been plenty of pressure in that line. I don't know what year your vehicle is, but if it has an external fuel pressure regulator you might pull off the vacuum line on it and see if any fuel is being sucked in there and allowing the fuel to flood the engine over time, not sure. That could be why you need to start it with the throttle open when cold.
If the idle air control valve is loaded with carbon it could cause the problem you are seeing. It might be a good move to have a fuel pump pressure test done to confirm everything is OK there.

 

One other thing: Twice (once last month and once today), out of nowhere, a semi loud moan, like something "chattering" or vibrating, comes from somewhere in the area of the throttle body, as if from one of the controls mounted in that area. I was unable to isolate it, though I could feel a rapid "buzzing" vibration when I placed my hand on the throttle body. Both times, this lasted a minute or less, then stopped. It doesn't affect the idle speed or smoothness, either. Any ideas?

 

AND, what is the pupose of that shrader( like a tire valve) on the left front of the fuel rail?
One of you guys linked me to a "how to" video on changing the fuel filter, and I noticed when the guy in the video removed the lines from the filter, there was no "gushing" of gas, only a dribble for a few seconds, which is exactly the way mine did, so I figured that might be normal.
Hanky, there's a device in the right side of the fuel rail that has a vacuum line on it; would that be the pressure regulator? Thanks again for all the info.

 

The purpose of the schrader valve is to connect a gauge to it to measure fuel pressure.
That sounds like it should be the pressure regulator.

 

More on the Vic starting saga; we had 9 degrees this morning. When it got around 20 degrees, I checked on the Vic, and it started right up. Ran an errand of about 10 miles; no problem whatsoever. I stopped by a garage I use sometimes. The mech hooked up his fuel pressure guage. With the ignition only on, it read 50 PSI. While idling, it read 38 PSI; on top of that, the hose was leaking on his guage, so actual readings may be a hair more. I checked the fuel pressure switch; no gas in the vacuum line. So.... I'll see what, if anything, happens next that's out of the ordinary. Oh, and there was no fluctuation in the guage readings.

 

Let me just throw this out there. I'm not saying it's right, or that it's anywhere close to right, but....

I have an old Chevy truck with surprisingly few miles. I'm told it has a brand new engine as of 50k ago, but I don't know if that includes the entire top-end. Ever since I've owned it, it's shifted hard from first to second. I went a good ways toward resolving this by replacing a spring in the 1-2 accumulator in the tranny, though the whole assembly really needed replacing. But beyond that, I'm convinced there's something else in play that makes the computer command hard shifts some of the time, and not others. Like maybe fuel delivery for example. You see, if the accumulator were still the problem, it would shift hard, all the time every time. But a fuel delivery problem.. could be related to the fuel pump (it's original, and the truck is old), or it could be an original fuel pressure regulator.

When you described this "chattering", it made me think of something I heard the other day when I turned the key on. I often do this to build ample fuel pressure, and so I can hear the fuel pump run before it cranks. The best way I can describe it is a "clicking" noise. As if the fuel pressure regulator were trying to "hang up" and provide pressure to the central injection. I've long suspected it, especially after changing the fuel filter made little difference. My truck marks 50 PSI and does occasionally "leak down" quickly after turning it off. It ought to be marking 54 to 56, and leaking down much more slowly, hence my suspicion. I'll get around to checking it out one day.. though my FPR isnt as easy to get to as yours, since my truck has central injection and thus everything is under the top intake cover.

Now that you know exactly where your fuel pressure regulator is, if ever you hear that sound again, try placing your finger on the regulator to see if you can discern any significant movement inside. One other common "rattling" or "tapping" sound that I've heard of on these cars, is the flow ball inside of the PCV valve, which is contained in a hose assembly coming off the passenger's side valve cover. The PCV valve is part of the hose itself, and resides in the part that sticks down into the valve cover.

Hope that helps!

 

it may not be related but if you can try this the next time it won't start and see if it helps turn the key on then off then back on without starting it a couple of times and then try to start it if it starts then the fuel pump is weak on the pressure and causing you a head ache. that's what is wrong with my 94 F-150 when it doesn't start the first time I turn the key in the mornings

 

Thanks for all the info. FP pressure is well within specs. I changed the fuel filter on 1/20. After that, we dove into 0 and single digit temps at night, teens and 20's daytime; pretty much every day since. Snow and ice too. During this entire time, the Vic has started and run without incident! The filter was somewhat restricted, but I could blow through it by mouth pretty easily. So, time will tell....

 

I started the Vic earlier today with no problem. Went back to start it this afternoon, at 54 degrees ambient temp, and it would not start until I turned the switch on/ off a couple of times, as someone on here had suggested. Then it started and ran fine. I had to run an errand. Came back home and parked, and cut the switch off as normal. Waited about 10 minutes, then went out and pushed open the schrade valve on the rail. Gas shot up in the air but quickly stopped. I turned on the switch for a second, then off, and went back to the valve, and again it shot gas straight up for a second. After ward, the car started normally. It is holding pressure in the system apparently, at least for the 10 minutes I waited, but the pressure quickly releases when the valve is opened. Is this normal?? Thanks.

 

any time you push in the valve it releases the pressure in the fuel line and the pump has to work overtime to put pressure back in the system. but your problem really is the fuel pump is weak on first start up of the day. and it takes a little more time to get the fuel pressure up enough to start the engine and maintain the pressure. the only way to put a stop to that problem is to have a new fuel pump in it. the outside temp shouldn't have any thing to do with it. there is another thing that could cause the pressure to bleed off is that the gas cap is worn out or not tight on the filler tube