Cold Start....

[rude_life]

Hey guys i have been having trouble with getting my car to run right for a long time. I have been noticing that it is getting hard to start when the engine is cold. But after its warmed it up starts right away.. If i remember right that means something. What is this indicative of? Also..I havent pulled my codes, Im kinda broke and i dont know anyone with a code-reader..Isnt there a manual way of doing this, I read something on it but it was explained in a very patchy, inconclusive way. Can someone break it down for me so i can get some codes?


Thanks..
Kris

 

[HISSIN50]

Assuming that it cranks just fine but wont catch, the IAC might not be up to par. It's duty cycle is 100% at cold start up. There are actually many things that could do it, but this is where I might start, absent more info.

Here is some info on yanking codes.

Good luck Kris.

 

[rude_life]

Got a code scanner from auto-zone...Went to yank the codes and i wasnt understanding the way it was putting them out so i re-started the test twice..And now it doesent seem to be putting out any more codes. I think i erased em. How do i get em back?

The test i performed was a KOEO test and when it first flashed the codes i got lost about 20 seconds into it..The second time the same thing happened so i aborted the test both times.

 

[rude_life]

Hissin50...?

 

[HISSIN50]

It seems to me that disconnecting the tester in the middle is a means of erasing codes, so that probably did it.

No biggie - just drive the car for a day or two and the big stuff will come back. Then try again.

Dont sweat the 'getting lost part'. I like the look of the newer scanner that is out there which has an LCD display to show codes (and it remembers them too IIRC). I have not used it, but it looks cool. Were I to buy a reader, that is what I would get.

You can probably set the reader to 'beep', which means you can read the book and/or write down beeps and not have to watch the reader. If you still get lost (I do easily), try writing the codes like this (random number here, but you get the idea):

III IIIII III

II IIIII II

That way if you got confused, you have hash marks rather than numbers to look at when you redo them or they repeat (I think this is an easier way - I am slow. ).

Anyhow, dont sweat it. Just post back when you get something (and remember that for intermittant/non critical codes, they will get stored w/o illuminating the CEL).

Good luck Kris.

 

[rude_life]

Sweet. Random question. Where do you live?

 

[HISSIN50]

Sweet. Random question. Where do you live?

In a house.































Tucson, Az.

 

[CManT1914]

In a house.

No friggin way!!

You know with as much as you know about cars, I'm surprised you don't have a code scanner.

Kris, another thing that can happen with cold startup (although this is unlikely for you) is when the motor sits for a while (overnight or whatever) the fuel pressure can bleed off. Then it can take a few cranks to get fuel pressure built back up before it will start. It's unlikely, but it's possible. I had this problem with my old car.

 

[HISSIN50]

Chris, I do have a code reader (the '88 is SD and has no functional CEL - SD cars dont). I should have said, 'if I was going to buy a reader today' (those LCD readers were not around when I got mine).

Kris, Chris is absolutely correct about the pressure bleed off and that is a great point. It seems to me that the SN cars tend to bleed off pressure more than foxes - I have no idea why. This is just based on the number of threads I read and observations. I know with mine at cold start up (esp if I have not started it for a day or two), I have to let the pump prime its entire time or it will sputter for a split second before falling into cold idle. If I prime it twice before cranking, bang - instant start up. I figure the check valve in my pump is getting weak.

Good luck.

 

[rude_life]

Chris, I do have a code reader (the '88 is SD and has no functional CEL - SD cars dont). I should have said, 'if I was going to buy a reader today' (those LCD readers were not around when I got mine).

Kris, Chris is absolutely correct about the pressure bleed off and that is a great point. It seems to me that the SN cars tend to bleed off pressure more than foxes - I have no idea why. This is just based on the number of threads I read and observations. I know with mine at cold start up (esp if I have not started it for a day or two), I have to let the pump prime its entire time or it will sputter for a split second before falling into cold idle. If I prime it twice before cranking, bang - instant start up. I figure the check valve in my pump is getting weak.

Good luck.

Yeah but it never used to do that until about a month ago, used to start right up every time..My fuel pump and filter and regulator are all brand new also.


Thanks...
Kris