hard starting = fuel problems?

[tracks]

I have a 88 2.2 fuel injection mustang. in order to start it the ignition must be energized briefly several times befored the car starts. I would assume the gas is not getting into the engine. After it does start it acts like it is only firing on a few cylinders or that it is flooded. Also, when driving there is a lack power during heavy acceleration.
I could surely use some help with this problem and thanks for the info in advance.
Tracks

[84LX89GT]

You could buy or borrow/rent a fuel pressure gauge and hook it up to the schrader valve on the fuel rail and read fuel pressure. I believe for your vehicle (if i were to guess) you should have 35-40 psi of fuel pressure with the key on.
Also pull the plugs and see what they look like, if they're glazed and white then your vehicle is running lean, if they're covered in gas....it's rich.
Also on heavy acceleration is there any black smoke coming from the tail pipe. The catalytic converter may hide it running rich because alot will burn in the catalyst. You could also look underneath your car and see what your catalytic converter looks like. If it's glowing red it's running way too rich.
Hope this helps

[tracks]

Thanks for the info I'll check it out.
The question that lurks in what I call a mind is, am I on the right track with this hard starting problem or do I need to look somewhere else.
tracks

[84LX89GT]

I would look at the fuel system first, if everything checks out, the next thing i would check out is the ignition system. You can check out the resistance of the wires with an ohmmeter (specification can be found in chilton's books or ford manual), also check what the spark plugs look like and look at the condition of the contacts on the rotor and inside the distributor cap, and if you still don't see anything check the compression of the engine to see if any cylinders have less compression than the others. Also checking the timing would be advisable to eliminate that as a possibility.
It's all just a matter of narrowing things down. Also make sure to write everything you do down and your results so you can refer to it when looking stuff up or remembering your steps.

If your fuel pressure is low, try replacing the fuel filter first, then disconnect the fuel pressure regulator vacuum hose while your car is running to see if pressure goes way up. If it doesn't go up, the regulator is faulty because even with a weak pump, pressure should go up - the volume just wouldn't be there with a bad pump. Some fuel pressure regulators stock on mustangs are adjustable on older models, so you may be able to tinker around with that.
If fuel pressure is way too high, the regulator is bad.
It's all a matter of getting info from tests and interpreting it.

[tracks]

I fooound the problem.

It was the short length of hose that connects the fuel pump to the gas line inside the tank. Small pin hole.

Rare problem? Just goes to show that the smallest thing can be the biggest problem and sooooo hard to find.

Many thanks for the feedbacks.