Need help! 95 325 vert starts but immediately dies

[mp66226]

Of course on the nastiest day of the year, snow falling like crazy, running late to get to a doc appt, go out to the garage and try to start my car. Starts but then died immediately. Seems to have done this a few (2-4?) times over the last couple of weeks. Always started on second attempt though. Today, won't start. Cranks, doesn't seem to slow down at all but, to me it sounded a little different, almost like the starter was turning without engaging the engine. Grabbed my wifes car and went to the dentist, got back about 90 minutes later and tried to start. Again, it started and ran for about 1 second and then died. I cranked on it for about 30-60 seconds, tried to start a couple of times but never quite made it, I can smell some kind of half-burned fuel smell after cranking. Cranking doesn't seem to slow down like a dying battery but...? I put a charger on it (it is a vert by the way) and am going to give it another hour or so before trying it again.

Anybody have any ideas?

[IanPaul]

Clogged Fuel Filter? Changed it recently? Fuel pump, check your fuses

[mp66226]

Another couple of details. I poured in a half can of seafoam Saturday afternoon while the car sat in the driveway. Started the car yesterday and pulled it into the garage from the driveway where it had sat since putting in the seafoam, shutting it off immediately after, so it probably ran for 30-60 seconds without trouble.

Also, has 185K miles, I've had it since 104K and I have never changed the fuel filter. Smells a bit like trying to burn seafoam more that fuel after cranking for a bit.

[IanPaul]

sounds like your a in need of tune up. prevenative maintance my friend

[GMe36]

put seafoam in the gas? or ?

[mp66226]

...Seafoam went into the gas tank. Run a can through about every 6 months or so.

Regarding preventive maintenance, I do a bunch of it all the time, but the fuel filter has been one item I've just never touched.

And it has actually been running very well, sits you back in the seat without any problem. I suppose it has about 15-20K on the last set of plugs, but when those started acting up last time it was just a miss under load. Nothing at all like that this time. The seafoam was actually intended to be "maintenance".

Picked up a fuel filter but thought I would pull the battery out and run it down to get checked. Turned out the battery was fine. Came back home, stuck the battery back in and cranked it, like usual, started initially, and I immediately started reving the engine a little, pumping the accelerator, ran pretty rough for about 30 seconds, smoked like it had been flooded. Smoothed out and ran just fine. Apparently it was indeed flooded. I didn't know you could flood a fuel-injected car. Wow. I'm keeping the fuel filter for later when spring comes around though.

The wind is supposed to start blowing at 35mph tonight and temps drop to -2F, so I wasn't looking forward to laying on the cold wet garage floor changing out that filter tonight!