Hard To Start

Uditha88 · September 1, 2011

Hi Friends,

Car(EFI, Automatic) is hard to start after drive & sitting for about hours in day time.

If we off & try to start after these hard startings, it starts just fine.

I say "daytime" because it's parked in evening & try starting next morning, it starts first time.

Running condition is perfectly fine & the following things got checked & no issues.

1. Battery voltage & charging system.

2. Cleaned & oiled the starter motor.

3. No error codes after scanning.

4. Correct fuel pressure.

5. Plugs & wires are ok.

6. Cleaned injectors, iacv, TB

Please give a help

smiling cars · September 5, 2011

sell ur car and buy a new one

ShintaroX · September 5, 2011

On 9/1/2011 at 6:13 AM, Uditha88 said:

Hi Friends,

Car(EFI, Automatic) is hard to start after drive & sitting for about hours in day time.

If we off & try to start after these hard startings, it starts just fine.

I say "daytime" because it's parked in evening & try starting next morning, it starts first time.

Running condition is perfectly fine & the following things got checked & no issues.

1. Battery voltage & charging system.

2. Cleaned & oiled the starter motor.

3. No error codes after scanning.

4. Correct fuel pressure.

5. Plugs & wires are ok.

6. Cleaned injectors, iacv, TB

Please give a help

Good you checked fuel pressure, that was my first thought, did you check the rest pressure too? Check it - make sure it is correct. Also, can you hear the fuel pump pumping? Could it be an issue with your fuel pump relay? Please let me know the sounds you hear and when you crank the engine what happens. IN as much detail as you can.

Sorry didn't reply earlier, only saw this now, bumped thanks to the idiotic response from 'smiling cars' at least he was good for something, eh?

nexus · September 5, 2011

On 9/5/2011 at 1:18 PM, smiling cars said:

sell ur car and buy a new one

wow nice advice genius very helpful to the op "facepalm".

Killer-B · September 5, 2011

On 9/5/2011 at 1:18 PM, smiling cars said:

sell ur car and buy a new one

Idiot.... why were you ever born?

The Stig · September 5, 2011

On 9/1/2011 at 6:13 AM, Uditha88 said:

Hi Friends,

Car(EFI, Automatic) is hard to start after drive & sitting for about hours in day time.

If we off & try to start after these hard startings, it starts just fine.

I say "daytime" because it's parked in evening & try starting next morning, it starts first time.

Running condition is perfectly fine & the following things got checked & no issues.

1. Battery voltage & charging system.

2. Cleaned & oiled the starter motor.

3. No error codes after scanning.

4. Correct fuel pressure.

5. Plugs & wires are ok.

6. Cleaned injectors, iacv, TB

Please give a help

Hard to exactly pinpoint the problem, machan can you give more info like the y.o.m, age of battery, any recent parts replaced etc.

Also can you explain this with a bit more clarity "Car(EFI, Automatic) is hard to start after drive & sitting for about hours in day time.

If we off & try to start after these hard startings, it starts just fine."

We might be able to help you out if you give us more info

On 9/5/2011 at 3:12 PM, Killer-B said:

Idiot.... why were you ever born?

His dads condom failed

Uditha88 · September 6, 2011

On 9/5/2011 at 2:27 PM, ShintaroX said:

1-> can you hear the fuel pump pumping?

2-> sounds you hear and when you crank the engine what happens.

ShintroX,

Thanking you,

1-> Ya. I hear "hmmmm..." sound of the fuel pump when key "ON"

and I always as a practice, start the car after that initial fuel pump working. I used to do so.

(And also tried key "ON" "OFF" few times & crank. It didn't work)

2-> Engine tries to start. But it hesitates like no fuel. (Not like what u experience when battery is dead & say starter motor is bad)

Uditha88 · September 6, 2011

On 9/5/2011 at 5:17 PM, The Stig said:

1-> y.o.m, age of battery, any recent parts replaced etc.

2-> Also can you explain this with a bit more clarity "Car(EFI, Automatic) is hard to start after drive & sitting for about hours in day time.

If we off & try to start after these hard startings, it starts just fine."

Stig,

Thanking you,

1-> 1996, Nissan GA15 EFI 1.5L engine, Battery age is 1 year & 8 months. (Checked voltage, alternator etc. & all fine)

2-> This is the explanation mate. what else u want more clearly? Ya. this seems to happen if drive the car sometime, stop it, let it parked about 30 minutes or few hours. Eg. go office, park the car, try starting evening

Morning starting happens just fine almost all the time. but there were some times it was hard as the same too....

ShintaroX · September 6, 2011

On 9/6/2011 at 12:14 AM, Uditha88 said:

ShintroX,

Thanking you,

1-> Ya. I hear "hmmmm..." sound of the fuel pump when key "ON"

and I always as a practice, start the car after that initial fuel pump working. I used to do so.

(And also tried key "ON" "OFF" few times & crank. It didn't work)

2-> Engine tries to start. But it hesitates like no fuel. (Not like what u experience when battery is dead & say starter motor is bad)

I still think it's the pump relay (no jokes please) although the fuel pump sound is indication of it working to some extent, the hard starts are possibly signs of an erratically functioning relay.

Stig, you think the issue is with the battery? If the problem is with the battery, wouldn't the hard starts be in the morning?

Uditha88 · September 6, 2011

On 9/6/2011 at 2:56 AM, ShintaroX said:

starts are possibly signs of an erratically functioning relay.

ShintaroX,

So then, won't this indicate bad readings when checking with "Fuel Pressure Regulator" ?

It gave correct readings.

???

MkX · September 6, 2011

On 9/6/2011 at 2:56 AM, ShintaroX said:

Stig, you think the issue is with the battery? If the problem is with the battery, wouldn't the hard starts be in the morning?

I would try with a different battery, a newer one to be sure its nothing related to battery. If you have jumper cables or a friend has.. try with there battery and observe any differences.

The Stig · September 6, 2011

On 9/6/2011 at 2:56 AM, ShintaroX said:

Stig, you think the issue is with the battery? If the problem is with the battery, wouldn't the hard starts be in the morning?

No machan it cant be the battery cause if it was the exact opposite would happen (wont start in the morning)

And you might be right on the fuel pump thing as well

On 9/6/2011 at 12:21 AM, Uditha88 said:

Stig,

Thanking you,

1-> 1996, Nissan GA15 EFI 1.5L engine, Battery age is 1 year & 8 months. (Checked voltage, alternator etc. & all fine)

2-> This is the explanation mate. what else u want more clearly? Ya. this seems to happen if drive the car sometime, stop it, let it parked about 30 minutes or few hours. Eg. go office, park the car, try starting evening

Morning starting happens just fine almost all the time. but there were some times it was hard as the same too....

Okay i think the battery is not the problem, however there cold be something wrong with your starter motor. They tend to be less efficient when heat builds up in the engine, which explains your "this seems to happen if drive the car sometime, stop it, let it parked about 30 minutes or few hours" theory.Btw when you start the engine do you hear the usually "ignition sound" or do you not hear anything or hear a clicking sound ?

AS for the starter motor theory check this page out, its fairly detailed http://www.misterfixit.com/starttst.htm

Also the fuel pump theory could be right but im not entirely sure on that,

Edited September 6, 2011 by The Stig

ShintaroX · September 6, 2011

On 9/6/2011 at 3:51 AM, Uditha88 said:

ShintaroX,

So then, won't this indicate bad readings when checking with "Fuel Pressure Regulator" ?

It gave correct readings.

???

An erratic relay will not ALWAYS affect your fuel pressure - it can mean that you will not always be able to start your car first time. Anyway out of the whole fuel pump mechanism, the relay is the most likely to go phut (why? not sure - is it cos of oxidization?).

Chulanga · September 7, 2011

On 9/6/2011 at 3:51 AM, Uditha88 said:

ShintaroX,

So then, won't this indicate bad readings when checking with "Fuel Pressure Regulator" ?

It gave correct readings.

???

Hi Uditha,

Read this "http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=54982"

One of my friend who owns a Yaris had the same issue and he changed his injectors. Problem solved. My injectors are on their way...

Uditha88 · September 7, 2011

On 9/7/2011 at 9:21 AM, Chulanga said:

Hi Uditha,

Read this "http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=54982"

One of my friend who owns a Yaris had the same issue and he changed his injectors. Problem solved. My injectors are on their way...

Many Thanks Mr. Chulanga,

Let me follow ur advices & will surely give an update.

Thanks again...

lasi · October 1, 2011

On 9/7/2011 at 10:09 AM, Uditha88 said:

Many Thanks Mr. Chulanga,

Let me follow ur advices & will surely give an update.

Thanks again...

Uditha88,

any update pls.... were you able to get your problem fixed?

fonfe · October 9, 2011

If a vehicle is hard to start when hot (after being driven) or when its been sat in the sun all day it is usually down to a few possible things:

ECT sensor faulty (engine coolant temperature sensor) if the ecu thinks the car is cold it will trigger the injectors to fire more fuel untill the engine is at running temperature just like an old car with a carburettor uses a choke for cold starting. so if the sensor is faulty the ecu usually goes to a pre set value of treating the engine like its cold, if the engine is hot the car wont start. its just like trying to start a hot engine with the choke on, it just wont start and if it does because its over fueling so much you will have a big missfire.

It could be fuel pump relay but i doubt it as this shouldnt change if the car is hot or cold. easeist way of checking if its a faulty relay is to remove the relay and bridge the connectors with a piece of wire so the fuel pump runs constantly.

If the engine is turning over very slowly or not at all when the car is hot then the started motor is suffering from heat soak. turbocharged cars where the turbo is very close to the starter usually suffer from this. the way round it is to fit a heat shield around the starter motor.

Basic things you need to check when the car is hot are:

have you got a good strong bright blue (not dim yellow) spark to ALL of the spark plugs?

what is your fuel pressure with ignition on and what is it when cranking? petrol EFI engines usually require 3-4bar of fuel pressure and MFI engines 5-6Bar.

PreseaLover · August 29, 2015

Sharing my experience....

Today I started the car and it started the first time... went about 2km's and stopped the car for about 5minutes and tried to start again and it didnt start... tried around 10 minutes cranking it, but it didnt start... since the battery is also new, i disconnected fuel out line from from the engine and switched on the engine petrol came out from that outlet... then i closed it and switched on again.... and it worked... swtiched it off again and cranked and it still worked.... So I'm assuming that there must be some kinda vacuum or something that fuel didnt flow into the filter yeah? if there was a fuel block, just by removing it and plugging in again how does it start like that?

Uditha88 · August 29, 2015

You gave re-birth to 4 years old topic.

which was also for presea

I couldn't solve the issue until it was sold but it was not a problem that made it unable car to be sold either.

See the list, u could see that ive done almost all possible too

keep track whether she gives same issue again & again. who knows this is presea specific hehe. but i don't think ......

PreseaLover · August 29, 2015

On 8/29/2015 at 5:52 AM, Uditha88 said:
You gave re-birth to 4 years old topic.
which was also for presea

I couldn't solve the issue until it was sold but it was not a problem that made it unable car to be sold either.

See the list, u could see that ive done almost all possible too

keep track whether she gives same issue again & again. who knows this is presea specific hehe. but i don't think ......

lol poor buyer

Oh dear, I hope this issue wont arise again :/ it scares me....