Weird starting problem

eggie · Joined: 07 May 2005 Posts: 720 Location: Central Coast, CA

05 xB manual, optima red top, 1,000 niles on bosch platinum plugs. I had Iridium plugs prior, same thing. You can read the rest of my specs in my profile.

When the car is cold, it starts fine. When I have driven like 20 minutes or more and the car sits in the heat, it has a hard time starting. It has that I am out of gas cranking sound, but I am fine on gas.

Again, it is usually is hot weather. I thought it might be the plugs and changed them. Clean filter, clean MAF, cleaned the battery terminals that were pretty clean anyways. All grounds are fine. Only during hot weather?

Any ideas, anything else I could check. Our fuel filters are in the tank I was told so changing it isn't something easy I guess.

Thanks
Michael

Stylis · Joined: 28 Aug 2003 Posts: 6030 Location: Scion Evolution

What up mike! try dumping some fuel treatment cleaner in there and see what happens.

itlstl13 · Joined: 15 Jun 2006 Posts: 162 Location: Florida

have u checked ur coolant levels recently??.... :eyebrow: maybe ur car is overheating?

Stylis · Joined: 28 Aug 2003 Posts: 6030 Location: Scion Evolution

I totally forgot, hey MIke clean the throttle body too.

eggie · Joined: 07 May 2005 Posts: 720 Location: Central Coast, CA

Stylis wrote: What up mike! try dumping some fuel treatment cleaner in there and see what happens.

Hey Gabe!

I tried that. I'll check the TB this weekend.

eggie · Joined: 07 May 2005 Posts: 720 Location: Central Coast, CA

itlstl13 wrote: have u checked ur coolant levels recently??.... :eyebrow: maybe ur car is overheating?

I don't think it is coolant, but I'll check.

xB_Crew · Posted: 8/22/08 3:53PM Post subject:

yeah.. an overheating car will do that exact thing (you wont always get the light)..
other than that.. ?? fuel pump, any various relay... not sure

TB sounds good too..

Good Luck :) !!

eggie · Joined: 07 May 2005 Posts: 720 Location: Central Coast, CA

good was about a 1/4 below full, so basically fine.

duck_dodgers_24_5 · Joined: 03 Jul 2004 Posts: 9389

fromwhat i've heard bosch platinum plugs are bad for ours cars... go back with the iridium plugs

eggie · Joined: 07 May 2005 Posts: 720 Location: Central Coast, CA

duck_dodgers_24_5 wrote: fromwhat i've heard bosch platinum plugs are bad for ours cars... go back with the iridium plugs

I haven't had any problems with the plugs. What have you read?

I actually threw out the iridiums before testing to see if the plug switch made a difference.

turbotc06 · Joined: 23 May 2007 Posts: 153

if you feel it deals with fuel delievery ... go buy the red can of fuel system cleaner ...not the cheap 2 dollar jet fuel crap ... give that a shot ...make sure you follow the directions too lol

stew32 · Joined: 01 Aug 2006 Posts: 588

I've heard about this with other vehicles. It sounds like the fuel line is losing pressure as the car sits. When you go to start, the fuel pump has to build up pressure in the line.

You should be able to check if this is the problem by turning the ignition to the run position for 3-5 seconds before cranking.

If this works, it wouldn't explain why it starts when cold but not hot though. I'd think whatever valve holds the pressure would work the same in any temperature.

cobb · Joined: 16 Apr 2007 Posts: 1399 Location: Richmond, VA

Hows the o2 sensor? Maybe its running rich making it hard to start when warm or the starter is over heating, so the electrical power is having a ahrder time to crank it? DOes it crank at the same speed as cold, but the engine does not want to run?

eggie · Joined: 07 May 2005 Posts: 720 Location: Central Coast, CA

cobb wrote: Hows the o2 sensor? Maybe its running rich making it hard to start when warm or the starter is over heating, so the electrical power is having a ahrder time to crank it? DOes it crank at the same speed as cold, but the engine does not want to run?

Yep, same speed hot or cold. It cranks as if I am out of fuel.

cobb · Joined: 16 Apr 2007 Posts: 1399 Location: Richmond, VA

What if you press the gas petal down when cranking? Does that do anything?

eggie · Joined: 07 May 2005 Posts: 720 Location: Central Coast, CA

cobb wrote: What if you press the gas petal down when cranking? Does that do anything?

It'll fire right up.

Stylis · Joined: 28 Aug 2003 Posts: 6030 Location: Scion Evolution

change the plugs, they might be fowled up. They probably are fowled up because you drive to fast!! :D Thats what scotty tells me. LOL

eggie · Joined: 07 May 2005 Posts: 720 Location: Central Coast, CA

Stylis wrote: change the plugs, they might be fowled up. They probably are fowled up because you drive to fast!! :D Thats what scotty tells me. LOL

Changed them from Iridiums to Bosch double platinums with no change.

cobb · Joined: 16 Apr 2007 Posts: 1399 Location: Richmond, VA

You should see about pulling computer codes. I had a vw rabbit with the motronic fuel injection. It used a 5th injector in the manifold for riching the mixture when cold and that would stay open for the first few seconds to make the car starrt when its cold. It was some how linked to the o2 sensor and had a seperate temperature sensitive air regulator that added extra air, however if the car was warm, it was closed, therefore the car would crank and need some petal action to start and after a few minutes it cleaned up and ran just fine.