Car Starts Cold, Not Warm: Searched, Looking for Other Ideas
02-11-2012, 08:29 AM
#1
Honda-Tech Member
Thread Starter
Car Starts Cold, Not Warm: Searched, Looking for Other Ideas
Hey All,
I have a 99 Civic EX with stock everything. The car starts up perfectly when it is cold or if its been sitting for about 30 minutes. If it has been less than that, I run into problems with it starting: the engine cranks, i can smell fuel after a few times of attempting to crank it but there is no catching/starting. After I sit for about 30 minutes from the time the car is shut off, the car will start right up; if I have cranked it a few times in-between, the engine has a hard time starting up (bogged down, probably from the extra fuel in the system) but after a few seconds it idles smoothly.
What I found out lately is that my car will run relatively smoothly, no stalls or anything, but if I shut the car off and then immediately try to start it, it wont start. This only happens some of the time but the times that it does happen seems to be more frequent. It seems like the days that it starts fine, it wont have a hard time starting too much, but the days that this does happen, it happens every time Also this seems to be accompanied by a slightly higher idle RPM.
I'm not sure if this is related but it seems like off and on, my head/dash/interior lights will pulsate from regular brightness to slightly dimmer and then back again. There was also a few codes that said engine misfire on 1, 2,3,4 and another that said random misfire.
What I found through the search function is to check:
1.)Coolant Temperature sensor
2.)Ground
3.)Ignition Control Module
I don't think the ground would be a problem because i have 4 gauge ground from the dizzy to the negative terminal of the battery, 4 gauge ground from the battery to stock ground, 4 gauge ground from the power steering pump bolt to the front rack and the ground from the alternator to the drivers side strut mount (bolted to where the cruise control bolts into that area.
Edit: The pump does prime.
Does anyone have anything else i should check, or have any other advice?
Thanks for the help!
I have a 99 Civic EX with stock everything. The car starts up perfectly when it is cold or if its been sitting for about 30 minutes. If it has been less than that, I run into problems with it starting: the engine cranks, i can smell fuel after a few times of attempting to crank it but there is no catching/starting. After I sit for about 30 minutes from the time the car is shut off, the car will start right up; if I have cranked it a few times in-between, the engine has a hard time starting up (bogged down, probably from the extra fuel in the system) but after a few seconds it idles smoothly.
What I found out lately is that my car will run relatively smoothly, no stalls or anything, but if I shut the car off and then immediately try to start it, it wont start. This only happens some of the time but the times that it does happen seems to be more frequent. It seems like the days that it starts fine, it wont have a hard time starting too much, but the days that this does happen, it happens every time Also this seems to be accompanied by a slightly higher idle RPM.
I'm not sure if this is related but it seems like off and on, my head/dash/interior lights will pulsate from regular brightness to slightly dimmer and then back again. There was also a few codes that said engine misfire on 1, 2,3,4 and another that said random misfire.
What I found through the search function is to check:
1.)Coolant Temperature sensor
2.)Ground
3.)Ignition Control Module
I don't think the ground would be a problem because i have 4 gauge ground from the dizzy to the negative terminal of the battery, 4 gauge ground from the battery to stock ground, 4 gauge ground from the power steering pump bolt to the front rack and the ground from the alternator to the drivers side strut mount (bolted to where the cruise control bolts into that area.
Edit: The pump does prime.
Does anyone have anything else i should check, or have any other advice?
Thanks for the help!
Last edited by imadigitalgod; 02-11-2012 at 08:33 AM. Reason: Add Grounding Info
02-11-2012, 08:33 AM
#2
Re: Car Starts Cold, Not Warm: Searched, Looking for Other Ideas
Do some basic troubleshooting.
When the engine won't start, check for spark and listen for whether the fuel pump primes.
When the engine won't start, check for spark and listen for whether the fuel pump primes.
02-11-2012, 11:17 AM
#3
Re: Car Starts Cold, Not Warm: Searched, Looking for Other Ideas
When you say pulsating, I would check your battery and alternator.
Also check the coil as well, look in the stickies on how to do it.
Also check the coil as well, look in the stickies on how to do it.
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