1987 buick 3.8 Hard starting when cold.

does it do this after sitting for a little while? try this next time. cycle switch on count to 3 turn off. repeat 3 or 4 times. if it starts up pretty easy you probably need a fuel pump. no year or engine given so this is my best guess

You may need a mechanic for this.
The strong gas smell and the hard starting could be connected.
You could have a leaking injector, or faulty pressure regulator. And you could have a fuel leak in the line.
A mechanic would do a visual inspection of the line from the tank to the engine, and check the cylinders for raw fuel when the engine is off.

try and change out the crankshaft position sencor it has a lot to do with the timeing and fuel i had a 12995 chrysler concorde that did the same thing i switched that out and it ran great i now also have the same buick as your family member hope this helps

Any time people tell me intermittant no starts, and shutdowns. The first thing I go for is the fuel filter. they clog up, you still get fuel pressure, but not flow. If you haven't replaced this in a while, do so. Fuel filters are the most neglected part of the system and one of the most important.

ITS ACTUALLY a cold start issue There are several things that few people know about starting cars in cold weather. 1. Check your battery to make sure it is not rusted, leaking, and has a charge 2. Jump start your battery with another car, even if you believe the battery is good, this often times will still start your car. 3. If your engine is cold, and you have an older car, ensure to get your fuel lines to the engine flushed or have fuel injection service performed 4. The engine tends to warp the same way wood does during the extreme cold, do not be afraid to continue trying to warm up the engine by constant cranks with it is cold out. Your not going to hurt the car, the worse that could happen is too much fuel will enter the carborator and cause flooding in the system to occur. Wait 20 minutes if this happens and start to crank again 5. Bad spark plugs are a major reason why many cars take a very long time to start 6. Please have your spark plugs removed and exchanged for new ones. Over time, spark plugs become fowled and prevent the car from starting even thou you hear cranking!!!

Its likely poor connections from sitting i get it all the time; see if the dash lights go out when you go to start it this means a poor electrical connection. Take the battery terminals and clamps; sand them down to shiny and tighten them up and maybe give them a shot of wd40 for good measure(it is supposed to absorb moisture).

Timing gear may have lost its teeth. Sounds like it has jumped a tooth or so. Common problem on 3.8 vin code 3 engine for 87. To replace it you will need a front cover gasket set,timing ger set,new design tensioner,cam thrust spring & button and magnet.

I believe you have a throtle body correct? IF so you have poor fuel pressure, plugged filter of injector.If by some miracle you have a carberated engine the the fuel is leaking from the bowl. Get a carb rebuild kit.

definately don't have to reset computer....because I changed the same things before.

I had a 1987 Century and when mine started acting like that I took it to a garage and they hooked it up to a computer tester for free. Is she getting the check engine light coming on? They found that mine was running (lean) which ended up being my fuel pump. Which is in the gas tank and can be pricey to get done, between $250-$350 and of course the filter would get done at the same time and that is only$20