89 Crn Vic LX, 302 Eng, 4dr, Loaded..........
*Vehicle has been starting as if new when cold... a touch of the key in Start position, it's running at a fast idle, lowering to normal rpms within a normal running period.
*On the road, vehicle runs perfect in all respects, BUT... stopping at a local diner, the vehicle sitting for say 45min, then attempting to restart... the starter whirls, cranks the engine over fast, continuously, acts as if either flooded or starved for fuel "until" I play with the gas pedal. I strongly suspect "Flooded" due to the following.......
*Once started, it seems the engine takes a short time to get cleared out, but then runs normally on the drive home from the diner... and parked to sit overnight. The following morning, or days afterward... once again, a touch of the key, off and running instantly, perfect until warm, shut down for 30 minutes or so.... then the flooding (whatever) is again encountered.

 

I would check the fuel pressure regulator. Pull off the vacuum line from it, cycle the key a few times. If gas comes out of the nipple where the vacuum line resided on the regulator, the regulator is bad. Replace it only if gas comes out. That means the diaphram has ruptered and is sending gas into the intake via the vacuum line, greatly richening the mixture.. My bet is the fuel pressure regulator.

My second item of suspicion would be the coolant temperature sensor for the computer. If it has a problem, it could send an incorrect signal voltage to the computer, tricking it as if the engine were cold. Cold starting requires more fuel. That extra fuel is not needed on a warm engine and could flood it.

If those checks ok, I would then check fuel pressure, making sure it's at specs (30-45 psi) and also verifying the pressure isn't bleeding down due to a leaky injector. Then check for a loss of spark with a spark tester or an old spark plug. Do this when the engine refuses to start. You can also carefully use a heat gun on the TFI ignition module mounted on the distributor and see if the engine dies. Be careful with the heat as to not melt the module. Finally if everything checks good, be suspicious of the pickup coil in the distributor. They can cause all kinds of intermittent problems.

 

To help decide where to go next, if the situation presents itself again, try holding the throttle pedal to the floor when attempting to start the engine. If it starts sooner ,it is safe to feel it was flooded and there could be a few reasons for that like the one raski mentioned. Placing the throttle to the floor and holding it there puts the system in clear flood mode and helps get rid of the flood condition .Just let off the throttle pedal once it gets running .

 

Basically putting the throttle to the floor during cranking shuts off the gas flow out of the injectors.

 

Hanky, Raski...... A health problem popped up, had to shelve the 89 Crown Vic Fuel Pressure Regulator momentarily... back at it now. Damn... though those health problems only happened to old guys! 😃

Anyhow, before I start cussing those bolts.... I find that the oil level on the Crown Victoria is a good inch higher that the Full mark. If the Fuel Pressure Regulator diaphragm has ruptured... would that allow fuel to have access to the oil pan, in turn mixing with the oil?

 

We can always count on the pros to remind us when we slip. Thanks

 

I don't understand your reply Hanky.

 

We should have thought of that and you just beat us to it. It was meant as a compliment.

Glad you are back with us !

 

OH, okay.... I wasn't aware of that, hence the question rather than a statement. I'll be draining, changing the oil before doing anything else. Thank you. My Uncle Charlie, about 75 years ago encountered that on his ole Chevy... Exploded! However, the only damage was a blow off oil cap!
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[EDIT] 06/10/2023, 3pm....... Apparently I was overly anxious pertaining to fuel in the oil pan... a family member simply added oil when it wasn't needed, sorry.

I finally got the vacuum hose off that Fuel Pressure Regulator, hooked up a hose to the regulator, the loose end in a 1 gal clear container... engaged/cycled the key a bunch of times... no fuel leaking thru the diaphragm, no trace of fuel in the test hose or the clear container. With that setup still existing... started the engine, ran at various rpms, not extremely high, mostly at idle. No fuel leaking thru the diaphragm... vacuum exists at the vacuum line as per normal. Bottom line, to my knowledge... the Fuel Pressure Regulator is okay.

At the present time, as per the start of this post...... Vehicle starts as if new when cold... a touch of the key in Start position, it's running at a fast idle, lowering to normal rpms within a normal running period.... On the road, vehicle runs perfect in all respects, BUT... stopping at a local diner, whatever, having the vehicle sit for 45min or so, then attempting to restart... the starter cranks the engine over fast but acts as if flooded. NOTE, as you suggested, flooring the gas pedal results in the engine starting, running a little rough at first but smoothing out quickly.

 

As you know, the engine requires a little extra fuel when cold that when warm may be too much , but not enough to throw a code.If it was a leaking injector that would not prevent the engine from starting when warm. A faulty ECT, engine coolant temp sensor could though.What do the plugs look like?