sdoDrew Posted December 11, 2003 Report Posted December 11, 2003 eh! ever sinse it got cold out here i started having trouble with cold starts with my car. It takes a long time for it to turn over, adn when it does t is really weak, then the engine races to avoid stalling. I hooked it up to the computer and it gave me a fuel pump volt too high/too low. This was the same error I got last year when my fuel pump went, so i changed my fuel pump/strainer/.filter. The problem is still continuing, wont start when it is cold, however, with the new fuel pump and filter I got back a whole lot of power that i felt lacking. My fuel filter was black as tar after only 12 months. Any Ideas what else i should check for to fix this problem? My alt and battery are both brand new as well. Thanks Quote
jeffcanada Posted December 11, 2003 Report Posted December 11, 2003 12 months sounds nowhere near enough a lifespan for a fuel filter (unless you racked up a load of mileage). Does the new battery have a sufficiently high CCA rating? Maybe a block heater would help too. Maybe the charcoal canister is toast? The ECM could also be telling/causing the engine to run rich (due to a bad sensor somewhere perhaps). Rich running will also cause an increase in power, along with increased emissions, eventual fouling of plugs, etc. I think at the least you might have something wrong intake related, be it a dirty IAC, gasket leak, EGR open at idle, etc.; otherwise it wouldn't race. Even on a cold morning RPM's should drop after a minute or two. Quote
sdoDrew Posted December 11, 2003 Author Report Posted December 11, 2003 it races, because it barely turns over, its only for a few seconds to make sure there is sufficient gas in it to keep it idling. Battery is not the proble, I replaced my O2 just a little while ago. I have a block heater, but even still its only like 10 degress celcius here. Quote
Daggar Posted December 11, 2003 Report Posted December 11, 2003 Hmm sounds to me you have bad wires or bad connections. I replaced all the battery wires and cleaned up the ground points. Started fine after that. Also sounds like you had the problem I had earlier last month bad starter. After I replaced the starter it started with no problem. Then I cleaned all the wires up and now she starts with no problem. So your problem may be 2 fold like mine was. Good luck Quote
sdoDrew Posted December 13, 2003 Author Report Posted December 13, 2003 Two thigns came up 1) Dirty injectors 2) Fuel pressure regulater any thoughts? Quote
Shaners Posted December 13, 2003 Report Posted December 13, 2003 The fuel pressure regulator will cause excessive cranking before fire... If your fuel filter was that dirty then you probably have dirty injectors too... Neither of these problems should cause slow cranking though... I would venture to say that you have one of several problems. 1) bad battery 2) bad starter 3) bad/corroded cables 4) bad battery ground That motor should crank effortlessly in 10* celcius. You may have more problems too, but the motor should crank easily.... Quote
PaPaPooh Posted December 13, 2003 Report Posted December 13, 2003 new batteries have been known to be bad test it with a dvom make sure that is good for the cold hard cranking if good go to the connections. i would do a voltage drop from battery to starter good luck Quote
sdoDrew Posted December 13, 2003 Author Report Posted December 13, 2003 Excessive cranking is the problem... Quote
Shaners Posted December 13, 2003 Report Posted December 13, 2003 Excessive cranking is the problem... If the motor cranks fine, then I would say it is most likely the fuel pressure regulator... Quote
sdoDrew Posted December 13, 2003 Author Report Posted December 13, 2003 Yeah it takes 3 sets of about 4 seconds each of cranking for it to turn over. when it does it turns over ...reluctantly.. then acts normal, well, maybe it idles a little slower than normal Quote
PaPaPooh Posted December 13, 2003 Report Posted December 13, 2003 Excessive cranking is the problem... ok well i missunderstood you then because i thought you ment the starter was weak when it finally turned over sorry bout that Quote
Slade901 Posted December 13, 2003 Report Posted December 13, 2003 I would just bet your starter itself has crack on it. Quote
sdoDrew Posted December 15, 2003 Author Report Posted December 15, 2003 ...well I was doing lines of cocaine on my engine block... Quote
Bolt_Crank Posted December 15, 2003 Report Posted December 15, 2003 these cars will start perfectly fine until -15 or -20 degrees C, after that, to make it easier on the vehicle, plug it in about 30 - 45 mins before you start it.... you don't need to, but, it's easier, lol (these things could probably do -35 w/o being plugged in... but nothing touches our Suburban... power was out, so no block heater, and it started at -70 w/o any probs the tires were square, though...) and... maybe you're running bad gas in it? o.^ Quote
Slade901 Posted December 15, 2003 Report Posted December 15, 2003 ...well I was doing lines of cocaine on my engine block... I am not sure if you are trying to be cute but when I say the starter might have a crack in it, I mean literally it has a hairline crack on the starter metal casing. I have that experience before and most of the time the starter would just race itself and would not catch nor spin the engine. Confirmed that the starter metal casing has crack in it and was replaced and then it was fine. Quote
92turboLE Posted December 15, 2003 Report Posted December 15, 2003 ...well I was doing lines of cocaine on my engine block... I am not sure if you are trying to be cute but when I say the starter might have a crack in it, I mean literally it has a hairline crack on the starter metal casing. I have that experience before and most of the time the starter would just race itself and would not catch nor spin the engine. Confirmed that the starter metal casing has crack in it and was replaced and then it was fine. did you bother to check the starter solynoid (SP?)??? spinning but not engaging means thart your solynoid isnt working propperly. As far as cranking slow... mi9ne has that problem when it get really cold, i think it is just everything is stiff and the oil is REALLY thick. Lemme ask you this... after you get it started and warmed up, can you turn it off and replicate the problem again or does it crank and fire right away??? - Justin Quote
sdoDrew Posted December 15, 2003 Author Report Posted December 15, 2003 Havent looked for any cracks (Yes i was trying to be 'cute'). I don't know a terribly great amount about cars. After my car has been warm it starts just fine. It's gotte nweird now, sometiems it starts fine, couple cranks and it turns over solid. other times it is reluctant. I think Im gunna replace my fuel pressure regulater, get my injectors cleaned, run soem fuel line treatment, then see how it works. starter will be the next thing i try. Quote
Slade901 Posted December 16, 2003 Report Posted December 16, 2003 After my car has been warm it starts just fine. It's gotte nweird now, sometiems it starts fine, couple cranks and it turns over solid. other times it is reluctant. Well, if that is the case your Fuel Pump relay could be failing. Try swapping your Fuel Pump relay and your Secondary Fan relay and see what happens. The Fuel Pump relay is usually located in the Front Left which is near the battery. The Primary, Secondary Fan relay is usually located on Front Right and it has a plastic covers on it. Quote
jheiv Posted December 22, 2003 Report Posted December 22, 2003 Hey sounds like CPS to me. Also, as for the cold starting because you think the oils so cold... maybe use a lighter weight oil... I don't think this will really make much of a difference, but it might if it gets cold enough. Good Luck. By the way-- CPS is crank position sensor, it gives timing nformation to your ECM and DIS. Keep us updated. Quote
Bolt_Crank Posted December 22, 2003 Report Posted December 22, 2003 below the treeline, you will never need anything lighter than 10W30 Quote
Lee Posted December 23, 2003 Report Posted December 23, 2003 brushes in the starter, which are really graphite blocks, wear out and you loose crack, oops, crank speed until no crank at all. It's a possibility. Quote
sdoDrew Posted December 23, 2003 Author Report Posted December 23, 2003 I'm having my mechanic check it out next week. Christmas and all, it's really busy. It is really sperratic, sometimes it is fine, others it starts so weak it stalls.... how strange. Quote
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