koco

My '94 Civic is hard to start after it sits for a week or more. It sounds funny when cranking the engine. It does turn over at full speed. It seems like all the fuel pressure is gone from the system because after leaving the key turned on for a minute, it finally starts up. It runs rough for a couple of seconds and then smooths out. I'm leaning towards some sort of fuel system trouble. The car runs and drives fine otherwise.

phantoman

it may be bad or flat gas.
gas looses its octane fairly quickly. especially nowadays. the gas companies are trying place less amount of octane in their fuels inorder to keep prices lower and more competive.

tominos

whats your fuel pressure at? maybe change out the fuel filter.

iriemark

iTrader: (1)

might be a faulty charging system as well. better check your alternator and the rest of your electrical system. something might be draining your battery and you don't even know it. it happened to me a while back, good thing my car still had under 36,000 miles so replaced my alternator and put in a fresh battery for all my troubles. i may be wrong in your case but it's worth a try.

WangChung

if it was cold, thats normal. its the battery, mine did it once.

koco

The car cranks like mad, the battery is less than a yr. old. I don't suspect battery or charging system as the #1 cause.

I do think I should check the fuel pressure. It seems like the pressure in the fuel lines bleeds off after a while.

Sometimes if the car sits for 3 days, when it starts up it'll run rough for few seconds like maybe theres a lack of fuel.

layZ

good looken out, never knew that happened.

NonovUrbizniz

I've posted this a couple of times....

When it's cold the gas that WAS pressurized in your fuel lines cool and eventually loose pressure.... when you live in cold environments or let your car sit in the cold for a while... simply turn the key to the third ON position (accesory power) wait till all the beeps stop ( you only have to wait for the fuel pump to come on and pressurize but that's harder to hear) then crank away like normal your car should start just fine.

good luck

koco

I don't live in a cold climate. I live in Florida, It was like 90 degrees and it wouldn't start. I thought the fuel system was supposed to be a closed system, pressurized at all times, hence the hissing sound when opening the gas cap. At least sometimes you get a hissing sound. When you crack the fuel line for instance at the fuel filter, it should spray fuel out. I thought maybe there's a common place that gets a slow leak or something. At least that's what it seems like to me.

NonovUrbizniz

sealed or not temperature is directly related to pressure.. so if there is a temperature drop like there is when you park your warm car in the cold.

as far as your specific case.. even if it is constantly pressurized if a ballon sit's for a week it's going to loose pressure. anything will. nothing is really sealed.

give the pump warm up a try if you let it sit again. also I think (since this never happened to me before either) that it could be do to the age of my fuel pump. 1401k mi.+.

or like you said it could be a slow leak somewhere like the evap canister or in the return line.

SqueezinDaJuice

Thats nothing. I had my 99 Si sitting in my driveway for 2 months before I turned it on. I had to get a new battery. Of course I had to jump start it.

Hatchy-Ownzjo0

when your car sits the battery looses it's stored power.. especially when it is cold outside. That is most likely what you are experiencing.

koco

The battery cranks the engine very well and for a long time. It dosen't behave anything like a dead battery at all.

FlatlineEF9

my 98 civic does that too. i usually only drive it on weekends, and it takes longer than usual to start. i think its just because the motor is junk