Car wants to die on 1st startup, but imediately starts on 2nd try...

When the car is cooled off in the mornings, or after sitting all day at work, it wants to idle low and die on 1st startup, but imediately starts on 2nd try...

Happens with A/C on or off, I have the EEC tuner set to idle a good bit
higher when A/C is on...

More of an annoyance but something aint right, and its embarassing

Any idea what could cause this?

Bad injector soaking the plugs?

Sounds like one way or another fuel is not staying up in the rail. In normal operation, after a few minutes of shutting your car off there is not much pressure in the fuel lines. Fuel is still filled throughout your lines though, which allows you to turn the key and start it so quickly. My guess is that for some reason your car is not keeping fuel up in the lines, and after sitting long enough your lines empty which requires a couple key cycles of the pump running for a couple extra seconds to get pressure built back up.

try this, turn your key halfway, then shut it back off. Turn half way and shut back off. Do this 3 times, then try to start the car. If it starts right up then you have a leak somewhere. Either you have an external leak, a leaky injector(s), or the check valve in your tank is not holding the fuel up in the lines.

Chris

I had wondered if the plugs were getting soaked...

Haven't had a chance to pull em to check yet, been chasing other problems...

I can't believe I didn't think about cycling the key on and off once before starting...

It does take good while for it to leak down if that's the issue.

Its gonna be difficult to figure out which one it is if this is the case...


I got the MSD 50lbers anyone happen to have any issues with them?

If it a leak in the lines somewhere, its gotta be slow enough to prevent me from finding it.

Here is another item to throw at it.

I just removed my double IC last night for a rebuild by kenewagner, and I noticed there was more oil in the IC and tubes than I would like. I then looked in the TB and there was also some oil in there... So I wonder if this is the cause, plugs may be a little oil soaked on first startup? I think I will chase that issue first. I assume by chaning out the PCV valve and rechecking...

Ideas?

Thanks!

If the plugs were misfiring due to oil, then the second start-up attempt wouldn't be any better than the first. My car used to do this, but it was a flaw in the tune.

Did the problem randomly occur, or has it always done this?

The car sat for a few month from about Novemberish to Mayish. I don;t recollect it happening before that.

My car had this also, and it was a flaw in the tune.
From memory, I revised the the chip's 'cold start table', & 'crankstart pulsewidth vs ECT table, & 'injector pulsewidth vs battery voltage table'.

Hmmm, maybe I'm OK.

I haven't messed with it much since I've been too busy for the SC lately, but it seems to me that the car has not responded much to the eec tuner...

Maybe I'll reload the file that Dave origionally sent and see if that clears anything up...

Just a stab in the dark, but do ya'll think a low battery could cause this? I've been through a couple of alternators now and can;t seem to get 14.5 volts outta one... The alt barely keeps up and and has left me needing a jumpstart a few times... but that's a while nother issue...

If voltage is below 11.2v while running, it could certainly cause the issue. Turn your radio off before you turn off your car, so it's off when you start it.