Weird Start-up problem

[Palm0913]

My car is a 97 trans am. Over the past two weeks or so its been acting up. Sometimes the car starts right up, and other times I have to hold the key in the start position for 5-8 seconds before it will crank up. Even after the troublesome start ups the engine sounds like it wants to kill for 8-10 seconds, but it does stay runnig. Also, when this happens the "Trip" setting on the odometer resets. My battery is fairly new (less then 6 months old).

Not sure where to begin solving this problem. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance,
Dan

[jasonisdn]

have you checked your plugs? almost sound like a opti not sending the signal to the ecm. do you have access to a scan tool or something of that sort?

[Palm0913]

I do have a scan tool, and have run a diagnostic. No codes have popped up. I changed my radiator about a month ago. While doing so, I also changed my thermostat to a 160* with a minimal amount of coolant spilling onto the opti. The car ran fine right after the radiator/thermostat change. Didn't start acting up till a couple weeks after.

[zggill04]

My car was kinda doing the same thing about a year and half ago, especially when it was wet, but not the trip meter, just the start ups. It ended up being bad wires, when I changed the wires I also changed the spark plugs of course. How long has it been since the plugs and wires were changed?

[jasonisdn]

watch your 02 voltage while it is idleing. keep a check on knock and knock retard if any at start up. mine was doing somewhat the same thing. it didn't want to crank untill it had some heat in it. turned out to be the MSD opti showing its arse. after a swap to a factory opti, it cranks with ease and fires on all cylinders.

[Palm0913]

Changed my plugs and wires about 2 months ago. I installed Long tubes and they were giving me problems burning up the wires. I ended up putting all new accel wires and NGK plugs all around, then ran all my wires carefully around the headers and haven't had any problems since. It hasn't showed any misfire codes since the plug/wire change.

I did have an 02 code pop up a couple times awhile back, probably 6 months ago. It was saying High Voltage on Bank 1 Sensor 2. I looked at the sensor itself and the wires running from it, and they looked fine. I had to clear the code probably 3 times but it hasn't shown up since.