Hard To Start Bird

Crunchee

Registered User
My 1993 SC-5 SP has had a warm/hot starting issue for several years. This is a very common complaint on these boards.

Here is some information.

-No codes (engine off tests)
-New injectors
-New Coolant Temp Sensor
-Good plugs/wires
-New Exhaust Sensors
-Vacuum is solid (not leaking)
-New fuel filter.
-Fuel pressure? Not sure, never starves when running.
-No apparent compression leaks (head gaskets ok)

Crank and Cam sensors original equip.
Engine mechanical essentially original.

OK EXPERTS, SHOW YOUR STUFF !!
 
What do you mean when you say hard start? Hard to turn over? Turns over a lot then finally fires? Stumbles for a while, then fires? Does your tach do anything funky when you are having problems?

Here are a couple of things I might suggest, cam sensor, would cause it to have hard starts if it is going bad. Tach usually shows signs of this. Crank sensor could be bad, or lose and not sending a good signal. Likewise the balancer could be going and causing a wobble so the signal would be bad from crank sensor. Then there is always the DIS module that can do all kinds of funky things.
 
I've had a similar problem for over a year now...actually it comes and goes. If I shut the car off after running it for about 10 minutes and then get back in to start it up, it will generally start without pressing the gas pedal down but acts like it's flooded and stumbles and stammers until I put it in netural and rev the engine once or twice. Then it's fine and will run perfect until the next time. The problem is worse in the summer and if I let the car sit for 30 or 40 minutes to cool before restarting, it starts and runs fine.

I have changed every sensor on the car and even had some real time data gismo hooked up to the EEC test port while tuning that showed everything with the sensors was working fine.

I've come to the conclusion that fuel is getting hot and boiling in the rail shortly after shutting the engine off, and there is nothing I can do about it. Depending on where you live, there are winter and summer gas formulas that may be contributing to the problem.

David
 
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Hey good question.

Specifically under the conditions I wrote...I will have to turn the starter 3-4 times for 3-5 seconds each time to fire up the engine. Then it idles rough for a moment..and off I drive. I never hold the gas ped down, or rev it after it starts...I just let it settle out (that must the patience that comes with age :)

The best answer I have seen in reading about this topic over time is the fuel injector version of vapor lock (fuel boiled in the lines)

For an experiment I will try to insulate the rails and see if there is a diff.

Thanks
 
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