well keep us posted either way mate.. I hope it does too but really i think its bizarre it doesn't prime but the car runs, is almost like the signal for it to prime is not there and so it takes a while to pressurize - but even that doesn't make a whole lot of sense as the system holds pressure for a while and so you'd think it would start easier after being driven rather than from cold when the pressure will have dropped right back down... Certainly a weird one.

I fitted the new fuel pump an sender unit tonight and the pump didn't prime up when I turned on the ignition ?, had diagnostic tester on it after having a drive round , and it's showing a engine speed sensor fault so gunna fit a new one , but not sure if this would cause the priming up problem .

perhaps they just don't prime before startup - it would be weird for it not too and i swear my old gt3 did prime but it was a fair while ago now.
Eklipze3k be a dear and pop out and seeing if Molly primes prior to starting when you got a mo

Speed sensor could cause funny starting if the ecu thinks the car is rolling so can see how that might cause an issue.

I have fitted the new speed sensor and it starts and idles ok , still no priming of the pump though .
,Going to the Italian masters show in the morning to see how it runs , hope the weather improves ️️️️

had a run to Stafford and had problem with the car stalling when slowing down to junctions , other than that it ran ok , I have now cleaned the step up controller on top of the throttle body and cleaned the throttle body inside and butterfly , it still stalls , put a new jen air temp sensor and it still stalls , only other thing I can change is the throttle position sensor .
so recently I have fitted a new fuel pump and sender , filter , engine speed sensor , air temp sensor , checked all the inlet pipes and vac pipes for spits , so I am stumped , I am a decorator not a mechanic !

mmm, was this a problem it had before all this or a new issue?? Is it starting properly hot and cold now?

2 things i'd be thinking next would be replace the idle control valve rather than just clean it. And maybe try a new MAF (or if you know someone with one borrow a known working one) - does it run an aftermarket oiled air filter per chance? Whereabouts do you hail from mate? I have a known working maf spare from my bravo HGT which i think is the same one which you could try if you are not too far away - i kinda want to keep it as a spare though as they are quite pricey.

Hi mate , yeah it still has the starting problem sometimes , the stalling issue is a new one , it was stalling before I fitted the new engine speed sensor , it has a stock air filter , it has a Bailey dump valve and piper cam as well .
I was reading some old threads on punto sports about trying to disconecc the maf while it was at idle , if it didn't change when it was unplugged it was broke , tried this and it cut out straight away .
can the you still buy the idle control valves ? I am in Chesterfield , where are you , thanks for the offer to try the maf ??

fair mission away then, I'm near Gloucester..

yep you can still get the ICV's - fiat part no. 7789627 (also fitted to loads of alfa, part no. 60811197). The bosch part no. is 0 280 140 553

Stick one or all of them numbers in google or ebay etc and some will come up.

yeah quite a way , nice one I will get one ordered n try it ??
Also I rang the Alfa shop to try and get a coupe of new relays , the ones on the inner wing just in case one of em was dodgy .

I have replaced the icv and it has cured the stalling problem although the idle speed seems to be a litre high around 1000 rpm ?
While I was messing with things I noticed some thing rattling about in the dump valve , took it of and there is a spring that's broke below the piston what is scored quite badly , it's not the strong spring but a fine one , looks like it holds a cap shut against the intercooler pipe , could this be a factor with the stalling ?

a high idle is usually an air-leak leak somewhere after the throttle body butterfly (possibly round the new icv??) - did the new one come with a new gasket?? If not you could try a little instant gasket to be sure its sealed properly.

I can't really see the D/V issue cause it to stall or have a high idle - i would replace it though. Does it run an actual dump valve or is it running a recirc valve? The oem valve is all plastic and not particularly strong, on my old GT i used a recirc off a modern saab - was basically the same but the innards are all metal. If you can find something to just block off the pipe with completely you can see if it effects how it runs, you will get a flutter noise when you come off the gas which is caused by the air going back out through the turbo as it has nowhere else to go and this is an area of much debate online - i personally don't think its a problem at all to run without a d/v or recirc on unless you a running lots of boost and lots of people do and don't get turbo failures - many people seem to argue it significantly reduces turbo life. Either way - its not gonna harm it to try and see if it makes it run better (it will increase spool time) but if its better you can run for a while without a valve while you get a new one.

ok thanks ??, it's a Bailey one that I am running that gives a toosh .while I have been running around trying things , a lad on the next street was under the bonnet of his rs turbo so I stopped to ask him if he knew about dump valves , he said he had a spare I could try , it's slightly smaller than mine , fitted it on put old icv back on new gasket ....... it doesn't stall now idles as normal , lad says I can keep the borrowed one till I get a new one ?
thanks for all the info and advice , see you at Stanford hall if you are goin ??

i wish i was, i am moving house so can't make it for the first time in years...

1 thing though, when you get a new dump valve, you want to get a twin piston one rather than single.. So if we are talking ones that bailey's make then you want a DV26 or DV36 and not a DV24 or DV34. Its to do the car having a MAF sensor that you need a twin piston jobby rather than single. I think baileys ones are overpriced myself though and not keen on the sound they make so do have a search around for alternatives is my advice on that one - just google or search ebay etc for 'twin piston dump valve' and loads will come up

ok thanks , I will check them out ??

if the spring on the DV was broke my guess is that was your problem all along for the stalling issue.

ive had lots of GT3s and never heard a single one do its 15 second priming thing from cold........its possible youd hear such a noise though if you run with no back seats in or have removed the cover plate over the pump or you run a walbro uprated version (they do make a noise).

yeah think it was ,it runs fine with no stalling with the borrowed one , sill not getting a noise from cold but gunna run it and see how it goes , hoping to see a few gts at Stanford hall and may be have listen to them .
I changed the fuel pump because the last one I put in was a second hand one , I have spent a few £££ s but have some spares now ??thanks