No Start

I bought my daughter a 95 Riviera SC and got scammed, . Never take your women with you to buy a car. My daughter, in her excitement of the Riviera, let the seller know she was gonna get it. I had no negotiation room.
It seemed like a good buy and ran good. The problem is that it does not like to start cold and now will not. The previous owner had it all warmed up allowing the fuel system to be pressurized. After hit and miss cold starts, when it started it would start all day. Now it will not even start.
I have researched including searching your forum. I still have questions.
It will crank over, fire, and die. Learning that the fuel pressure regulator is a common culprit I started diagnosing the fuel system starting with a fuel pressure check.
Static fuel pressure test. Key on engine off: Fuel pressure rises to about 30psi but drops immediately. Indicating possible weak pump or a faulty pressure regulator. How can you test just a pressure regulator?

Residual pressure test: Will not hold pressure. Indicating a leak in the fuel line (I have none), a leaky fuel pump (?), a bad check valve, a leaky regulator or injectors. Where is the check valve located? It seems logical that it is on the supply side, right?

Dead head pressure: I need to know which line is the return line.

Any other suggestions of what to check for would be great. The pressure regulator is $85.00 and I do not want her just throwing money at it. I am confused about the TPS and the IAC interacting with the fuel pressure.
I hope that you can help, (< I like that guy)

Another unrelated question. Her Riviera has 170,000 miles on it. Does that scare anyone?

One other question.
I found this quote, ...."You should disconnect the vacuum line when setting your fuel pressure regulator"...... by deekster_caddy of this forum.
Is it possible that I need to set the regulator ?

someone more knowledgable than i will b along soon to offer advice....
my Riv has 227k miles and runs stong. im not too scared about it, i just baby it a little more than i would w a lower mileage car

Thanks curious riv, .
I am running to San Antonio to look for a it's center cap for one wheel. I will check back later.

RIVIERICA wrote:

Static fuel pressure test. Key on engine off: Fuel pressure rises to about 30psi but drops immediately. Indicating possible weak pump or a faulty pressure regulator. How can you test just a pressure regulator?

-normal - the fuel pump only runs enough to build pressure, then stops until you start the engine. The fuel pump does not stay running.

Quote :

Residual pressure test: Will not hold pressure. Indicating a leak in the fuel line (I have none), a leaky fuel pump (?), a bad check valve, a leaky regulator or injectors. Where is the check valve located? It seems logical that it is on the supply side, right?

Dead head pressure: I need to know which line is the return line.

Any other suggestions of what to check for would be great. The pressure regulator is $85.00 and I do not want her just throwing money at it. I am confused about the TPS and the IAC interacting with the fuel pressure.
I hope that you can help, (< I like that guy)

Another unrelated question. Her Riviera has 170,000 miles on it. Does that scare anyone?

I'm thinking it's not fuel related yet. Is there fuel pressure during cranking? Have you checked for spark? If no fuel pump during cranking, this could be something more like VATS and the ignition switch. (the '95 still used VATS, right?)