I put in a new battery into my del sol and it ran perfectly fine, I drove it for about 15 min. No check engine at all but I knew there was still something wrong because once I turned the car off for a bit of time ranging from around 2-8 min it would take longer to start the longer I let it sit off and so I tried testing if it would stop working after 40 minutes off and sure enough it wouldn't start anymore. It cranks good like it is about to start. All the basic electronic things work (A/C, Headlights/Highbeams, Radio) so I don't believe it has anything to do with the battery? which does not make any sense to me because I "fixed" the car when I had put the fresh battery in and would work when jumped. I'm very inexperienced and need some info about starting problems when off like what other things die when off besides the battery?

 

Ignitor in the distributor gets heat soaked and stops making a spark. Essy enough to verify.

 

I mean I do live in Arizona so... heat soak would definitely make sense. What should I do to fix it?

Edit: It doesn't work when it's cooled down btw.. if that's the solution to fix it I already tried multiple times starting it at night.

 

New update. I jumped it and it worked but I have to wait like 2 sec before cranking it because something turns on and gets rid of my check engine… here’s the sound. I can start it up perfectly after noise happens and car works perfect, only gets bad when I let the car sit off for a long time

 

Bad main relay?

 

It's like a sucking noise (my phone is placed in the engine bay close to the driver side I believe the sound is coming from around the alternator)

 

That sounded like the 2 second fuel pump prime that should happen every time you turn the key to II (on). But no crank if you turned the key to start. Engine didn't turn at all, means starter not being engaged which as others stated could be the common main relay issue.

 

I had thought the fuel pump prime was closer to the back of the car?

 

Rubber nub on the clutch pedal fall out from age? Not pressing the clutch interlock switch allowing for the starter to energize.

The fluid sound is the fuel bypassing the regulator as expected.

 

Oh yeah, if the main relay is faulty you usually don't get the prime....

So yeah clutch nub or ignition switch itself is going bad. Mine is starting to do that. Primes but sometimes the crank part doesn't work and I get nothing. These old ignition switches are gettin up there in age... Not the first one I've had to swap.

 

It's automatic and as I said before I have to wait until that noise happens until I am able to start the car and it takes a while turning it on and off from auxiliary mode... I really think the sound is related some how I just don't understand anything. It feels like a really simple problem but I can't grasp it.

 

If you are waiting to hear that noise (which sounds like the priming of fuel) before the car will start, that does sound like a possible bad main relay. Solder joints have probably cracked and it sometimes makes decent enough contact and sometimes does not. When it doesn't no prime, no start. When it does, prime and start.

 

Okay, I'll look into it. I've also been able to jump it recently so that's how I've been getting by. It works perfectly fine after the jump just deteriorates over time I guess when it's idle.

 

Ended up changing the main relay, still nothing. Fuel pump not priming anymore

 

Check at the pump to see if you get voltage. If you get 2 seconds of voltage and the pump is not priming then the pump itself if probably bad.

If the car has ever been run dry that tends to kill the fuel pump.