The car is a 1988 GL 1.8 non-turbo 5spd. Rides real nice. Starts nice when cold and drives well. The problem happens when we shut it off, and then try to start a short time later. We have to floor the gas pedal and get it revving up high before it will run, and then it will die when we go from 1st to 2nd. Seems to be backfiring through the intake. Exhaust smells plasticy. Has a good throttle body, not touched. New pcv and O2 sensor.

Plugged cat? Running rich? (old O2 was carboned bad). MAF shot? Help!

Run a d-check and see if you get any codes.

 

I suspect you may have a leaking injector - flooring the pedal while cranking puts the computer into "flood clear mode" and will basically shut down the injector.

 

Might want to clean the IAC as well.

 

GD

Thank you for the suggestion. This motor has a throttle body, not a carburator. As the vast amount of my experience is with a VW 1.6L diesel engine, I am not sure what you mean by a leaky injector or IAC, nor where to find them, so any guidance at all is appreciated. Thanks again.