I am in need of some serious help guys. Below is an account of what happened should it help diagnose the problem.
I had my 1993 fd in to a body shop for the fitting of a new kit and change of radiator almost 1 month ago. In that time the car was only pushed in and out of the bodyshop as there was no radiator on the car, also the hardpipes to turbo were taken off, battery disconnected etc.
On Wednesday, when everything went back in. I had the radiator put back in. The engine oil was drained out and filled with 10w/40 semi synthetic oil. Car started up fine and pulled, boosted near enough like before. Although wheel alignment was out. Parked the car up again at the bodyshop on Wed and on Thursday morning. Took her for wheel alignment. It started up fine and I dropped her off.
Shortly, after. I received a call saying the car would not run, it turns over but not firing. I shot down to the wheel place and it seemed as thou the car had flooded it self. Got it on a ramp, took out the plugs (which were wet) brushed them off and popped back in. Car started fine.
The wheel place since started and stopped the car a few times during the checks and the car had problems. Went to pick her up. Car started first time again.
It was only when I got back to the bodyshop. The car would not start. Got her on the ramp. Plugs out, covered in muck and wet again. Did the full de flooding process using new NGK racing 10.5 plugs. Started her up, fired first time!
However, since then. Each time the car is stopped. It will not start. At times, it could just about crank but die out again. I can push start it, hill start it. But I just cant start from standstill. It would just turn the engine over constantly at standstill and eventually flood the car. :(
I rang up bodyshop again, they suggested because the car was standing there for a while. It needed a good thrashing. I tried that, went through 1 hour of just driving and no change.
The observations I had from all this was when the car is started from push start or hill start. The revs start dying out. You\'d need to keep revving it hard for around 10 secs for the car to start holding it revs. Once it starts, the power delivery etc is normal.
The aftermarket boost guage is stable, it does not flicker one bit at idle. Oil pressure on the aftermarket guage is 1.5-2 kg/cm2 at idle (is this correct), Oil temp is around 75 and water temp is at around 85.
During driving the car was popping a lot. Running rather rich.
It is a long post so much appreciate reading through. It could just be something or nothing but I really did want to make the MRC next sunday. :(
Hmmmmm,
diffecult to diagnose this one, i think it might require remapping or a general search around the engine to see if there is a vacumm problem or loose hosing or something else completely, you\'re in London so might be wise to get down to the closest specialist to give it a once over, no point us guys speculating when it may require an expert opinion.
Cheers
Gurj
Why do you have 10.5 plugs?
This is a cold plug, if it\'s not a must to have then you should consider a hotter plug, what\'s the spec of your car?
Also sounds like you don\'t have a very good battery.You may want to look at that and finally poor compression wont help depending on the state of your engine this will make starting difficult.hope this helps some.
Thanks for the reply guys.
The car is running a TD07 single turbo, along with apexi fmic and greddy rad. The ecu is HKS although it was soon to be replaced for power fc. I used 10.5 plugs as I was under the impression the drive would be much more progressive. Could using colder plugs result in an increase chance of flooding?
I have been using an power pack each time I tried starting the car. Although that has not made a difference.
Car was compression tested about 2 months ago and showed 7 bar on all 6 chambers. Prior to going in the bodyshop the car never ever failed to crank first time. Even at the bodyshop, it used to crank first time. Its only in the last few days this has developed. :(
Any other pointers guys? Really want to try and sort this out. :(
with probs like this get it to a specialist and let them sort it u could spend an awful long time trying to diagnose prob and they might take a moment
Funnily enough, the TII I\'m renovating had the same problem, would not start, and then when it did start the the revs would slowly drop to zero, no idle. However, since disconnecting the ecu to wire up a MIL and replacing the battery etc the car now idles perfectly. I\'d suggest you look at your ECU and then your injectors. (If the injectors are old they may be leaking after your the engine off resulting in a flooded eninge b4 you even start turning the key)
I did deflood the car yesterday and used some 7\'s and 9\'s which I found (used, bt gave them a good cleaning). The car did crank up straight away, took it for a drive and no problem.
Got back, 15 mins after switching off. I tried to re start and car would not start again. :(
I have an Power FC here, is it worth me just plugging in the power fc and then trying to start the thing? Currently the ECU is HKS.
Or could one of the sensors gone amiss? How can I check if the injectors are leaking? I\'d really wish to try and sort out myself as I probably couldnt get it to a specialist atleast till next week. Only just got my stand pass for Jap show today. :(
I would start with checking your battery. It could be on it\'s last legs. It may have had enough charge in to start it first time, then afetr your fifteen minute drive, it failed to hold it\'s charge, and therefore couldn\'t start it next time around. Check the charge in the battery. Should be about 12.4volts. Any less and it\'s discharged.
The only thing is however, that I did try and re start it again with the power pack attached to the battery. So surely it cant be down to an almost out battery? :confused:
Well, I wouldn\'t start ruling things out until you know for sure. Get it checked - if its fine, it\'s not that. However, if it is screwed, you know you\'re on to a winner! :)
Check your Earth cables when your checking the battery, these can casue gip too.
I gave the battery a good charge. Then I did try to start it from cold and fired up straight away!
I then left the car to warm up for around 8 mins after which took her for a quick 5 mins drive. Came back and minutes later thought to try and start her from HOT. Car would not fire. :(
If I push my accel peddle to the floor and try to start, it just about fires up but then dies out again.
Any other pointers guys? The did seem to run rich, although there wasnt any obscene amounts of popping and bangs from the exhaust whilst driving. Is the oil pressure gauge right to be at around 1.75-2 bar on idle? This is on an aftermarket oil pressure gauge.
:confused:
I kno you said it was compression tested 2 months ago, but that was two months ago. A lot can happen in 2 months. Get it compression tested again.
funny this. Got into my rex yesterday, turned the key and.........
absolutely nothing, nada, jack. Not a light on the dash, nowt. Hopefully the battery has just totally died but we\'ll see.
As long as it was fine before, unless there\'s a relay I\'m not sure of, surely that can only be down to the battery?
I had this the other day on my calibra - but i had run it flat the day before! :p Once tested (Zero volts in battery! :o) and re-charged, it was fine! :)
Yours defo sounds like battery. Good luck with that.
I have just been speaking to a friend, who suggests the COLD START could be out. After which, they promptly disconnected me as calling from work!
Anyone else has an insight to this?
Thank you
[ Now out of my depth! :p ]
hehehe. Come on mate, you\'ve been great so far. :p
There is a possibility that the battery connections are bad, thus may start on the odd occassion but once you\'ve been driving they have moved around and no fire ???
Also if you charged the battery and it was ok but upon restart nothing, the battery itself may be dead thus get a new battery, as i had this fault with the battery not 2 months ago, everything ok now.
The battery should be easy to check - get a cheap tester (Mine was £5 from Maplins) and check the voltage on the battery before it\'s re-charged. If less than 12.4 volts is shafted.
The bad connections/bad earth is a common problem on FDs as far as i understand. I know that even my earth connector is loose and will not tighten up, but have not actually had many problems with it.
So, is there a consistent pattern that you can describe? Starts fine with a fully charged battery when cold, but then won\'t re-start after a good drive (The drive should be for at least 15 minutes in my opinion, to make sure it has warmed up properly, so it doesn\'t flood).
If it\'s inconsistent, then probably look for bad earth.
If it\'s consistent, like i just described, look at either duff battery (possible - get it checked), duff alternator (Check it for charging when the car is idling with no other load on it - should be in the region of 14 volts at the battery terminals), or something else - like this cold start thing which i know nothing about.
At the moment, since you haven\'t yet checked charge in the battery, and capacity to hold that charge, my money is still on a battery being duff.
Hi Makino
Sorry to hear your having problems.
Here\'s a couple of things
You say you have had the water out so is it bled properly because if the water is not going around the system properly the cold start will activate but won\'t come off .
Also are you on a little now old battery, if so if there\'s not enough volts to turn it properly it could be that you have flooded it again and then putting a jump on it won\'t help.
Somtimes it does take quite a wile to get rid of the unburnt fuel after a flood so give it a good run next time but after you know your water system is O/K.
Iwould put in 9\'s all found as the 7\'s are really to hot for a "tuned car" and unless your on real big power you won\'t need the 10\'s anyway!
Is there any chance that the problems with hot starting could be down to very low compression? sorry to be a pessemist!