Car wouldn't start.

Yesterday i went to the store, about a 5 minute drive away. The car started fine when i left school. It was night, so i don't know what the temperature was but it was cold. It was wednesday, and i had not driven the car since sunday. When i came out of the store and tried to start the car, it cranked, sputtered and almost started, but didn't. I pumped that gas like i ususally do when i get in, but i sounded like it wasn't getting any fuel. I waited a few minutes and tried again and it didn't start. After a few more attempts it started to sputter, and i pumped the gas as it sputtered and got it to idle.
i checked all the wires in the parking lot, and both fuel filters have been replaced within a year or 2. I used to drive the car every day, all highway miles, but now that i am at college i don't have a need to drive it every day. My thoughts are that i didn't let it warm up good enough before driving it, but i think that it was warmed up by the time i got to the store. It didn't deisel or anything when i turned it off, so the car had idled down, but i didn't checkt he temp gauge.
When i went out later that night, it started fine. I saw a movie (Punch Drunk Love was a wierd movie. my girlfriend's idea, not mine) and the car started fine again after sitting in the cold parking lot for and hour and a half. What do you think this was? Thanks for any input.

I pump my pedal exactly 2 pumps when cold to set the choke (like the manual says).

Don't know why yours would do that, except maybe the quality of the gas or something like that.

Suggestions: I would put a container of "dry gas" in your next tank to make sure it's OK, and don't regularly let your tank go under 1/4 full.

Good luck!

grant, did u warm ur car when u started from school? was the needle in warmed up position before u started? cause on carbs, even if it starts on cold, u drive it and u shut it off, in no way ur gonna get it started for a long time. I have been there, made the mistake, left me stranded on the road. My only guess is that u might have gotten the car flooded. it sputters and its like its gonna die, but no way it would start (the car can be warm at this point, but it happens).

when u shut it off, do u just stop, and turn the key off, or stop (park i mean) rev it a lil and immediately turn it off? cause always i use to rev it like around 3K and when its there, i turn it off so that the fuel cuts off, and the fuel in the engine gets burnt out so i wont have to worry about flooding it when its cold.

DJ, i like ur turle :D

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Originally posted by smufguy
grant, did u warm ur car when u started from school? was the needle in warmed up position before u started? cause on carbs, even if it starts on cold, u drive it and u shut it off, in no way ur gonna get it started for a long time. I have been there, made the mistake, left me stranded on the road. My only guess is that u might have gotten the car flooded. it sputters and its like its gonna die, but no way it would start (the car can be warm at this point, but it happens).

when u shut it off, do u just stop, and turn the key off, or stop (park i mean) rev it a lil and immediately turn it off? cause always i use to rev it like around 3K and when its there, i turn it off so that the fuel cuts off, and the fuel in the engine gets burnt out so i wont have to worry about flooding it when its cold.

DJ, i like ur turle :D

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i did consider that i didn't let it warm up when i initially left school and i am sure that had something to do with it. So you rev it before you turn it off? Because when i do that, usually only if it's cold, the car deisels real bad and i usually have to drop the clutch to turn it off, but i usually don't rev it and turn it off when it's cold like that. I bet i did flood it.

Gas quality is something i didn't consider, and since it's getting cold i think i will put in some dry gas.

dsiseling is only when u have a bad choke, cause mine never sputtered when i rev and shut off no matter what climate. It only happened when my car had a bad choke and all other shit and the idle was at 3k rpm.

other problem could be ur fuel cut off relay not shutting ur pump off in time making u flood even after u turn the ignition from II to I.

Im not sure whats the problem, but it mite be your fuel pump. I had the same problem, and it ended up to be that

the fuel pump does not go bad in most cases. it might be rust in ur gas tank that would have caused ur pump to go bad even though they got a filter bag in the end.