Ok HT, I don't usually make many posts in this forum, and Im usually answering questions, but this time im stumped. Heres the deal. My car when its cold wont start, it just cranks. It started starting rough about 2 or 3 weeks ago, and it gradually got harder to start...i think because of its getting colder. It will just crank and crank but wont start. When it is warm enough to start, it starts up rough and dies about 3 times before it will stay running. When I try to keep it going, but applying throttle when i first start it up it either dies out, or miss fires alot, almost like a fuel cut. This all disappears when the car warms up.

Backround on the car:
98 GSR in a 95 hatch running OBD2 Engine harness plugged into an OBD1 underdash GSR harness, with an OBD1 ECU.

This is what I have done to try to fix it:

New NGK Spark plugs
New Distro King Distro

This is what works:
I am getting spark, with the old distro and the new one, so i don't think it was that, as i thought it was the ignitor. I tested this by grounding each spark plug wire to the chassis. I have semi-new NGK wires also.

When i click it over to just before i crank it, the fuel pump primes. When cranking the fuel pump pumps fuel to the hose after the filter, so the injectors are getting gas and are each firing. I tested this by getting the car to run right, then removing one injector clip at a time. The car would run rough each time, and it did the exact same thing on each cyl.

This leads me to believe that the car is getting spark and fuel and the main relay is fine??

Timing is the old other thing i can think of:

I also believe the timing is off because I have to ADVANCE the ignition timing via the distro ALL the way to get it to run the best/even start up. I think the intake cam is retarded a tooth or 2, causing the spark to happen way to late in the combustion cycle.


Im going to check the cam timing tomorrow, as i believe its way off...
I just had my timing belt done in the spring as it jumped time because a wire sheeting go into the timing belt and made it skip.... I don't have an upper timing cover.


I believe something similar happened or it jumped for another reason that i don't know... Anyone have any ideas why it jumped (if it did)? Or what else can be wrong with my car. The reason I didn't initially believe the timing was off, because this was a gradual thing, not a instant thing. The last time it jumped it wouldn't start right away. This slowly got worse. The weather has been gradually getting colder, so maybe that was it. Like Wednesday i could start it up, but it was very rough till it warmed up. It was 30 something. Today was 11 degrees and it wouldn't start up at all.

Let me know any ideas you guys have, thanks in advance.

 

holy crap i should proof read stuff before i post it, it sounds like im more retarted then my intake cam

 

First I would check the starter. Hit it with a hammer. My Impala was just doing the same thing. Ended up being a dying starter.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by SuperSteve737 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">First I would check the starter. Hit it with a hammer. My Impala was just doing the same thing. Ended up being a dying starter.

Lots of people are gonna tell you to check for the 3 things you need for a motor to work. Air, fuel, and spark. Check these 3 and report back. It's cold here in Chicago too. Park in the garage, if you can.</TD></TR></TABLE>

The motor cranks....

 

Mine did too.

 

Whats up man, I had a problem like that too. but mine was all f'' up. I checked the main relay, replaced plugs added MSD, fuel pump and filter so did some research and everyone said the symptoms sounded like a bad main relay, so I went to the junk yard and pick 3 up and ever since i replaced it i haven't had problems. They say the are 35-45 bucks so going to the junk yard is not a bad idea. Hope i was of some help man.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by ridindeep2001 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Whats up man, I had a problem like that too. but mine was all f'' up. I checked the main relay, replaced plugs added MSD, fuel pump and filter so did some research and everyone said the symptoms sounded like a bad main relay, so I went to the junk yard and pick 3 up and ever since i replaced it i haven't had problems. They say the are 35-45 bucks so going to the junk yard is not a bad idea. Hope i was of some help man.</TD></TR></TABLE>

what he said.

 

Im assuming you think my starter is stuck, thats why you want me to hit it with a hammer...ok...it has nothing to do with the starter...the car cranks fine, just wont kick over....if your car already cranks why the hell would you hit it with a hammer....

 

I have a new fuel filter, the pump pumps plenty of gas, it primes, and im getting spark.

If the main relay is shot, wouldnt the car just not crank, the fuel pump wouldn't prime/work, and I wouldn't get any spark?

 

Thats what i thought too man but i replaced it and i have not had any problems since then. my car would not start just crank. I could run to the gas station and try to start the car it would not start just crank turn over and then die almost instantly. checked it with meter just like manual say and still had problems. what the hell man worth a shot anyway.

 

Relax dude, I'm just trying to help.

 

I checked the sparkplugs, and adjusted the gap, as the gap on the sparkplugs was way off. They are NGK's and should be pregap'd but, when i took them out they were no where close to .052 for GSR.

Is my firing order off? I dont believe so, starting from the bottem left clockwise it goes 1 3 4 2.

Here is a picture of my Cam timing with cyl num 1 at TDC according to the Crank pully
or It looks like the intake cam is off, but its not that much at all...it dosent look like a whole tooth...IDK, opinions?



My next idea is replacing the main relay...does the main relay have anything to do with the injectors firing, as the pump primes and pumps while cranking...

The only thing I can think of is clogged injectors or water in my gas? Ive put 2 bottles of fuel injector cleaner in the car with no reslts.

 

Check all engine grounds

 

maybe your dizzy?

 

honestly...its not that hard to read the thread before just posting random things up...

I have a brand new distro.

Jdmlifestyle, all my grounds are good, i checked them all.

Tranny, valve cover, starter, alternater, thermo

 

i say the main relay same thing happened to me as it got colder it was harder to start my car and when it did it died out instantly changed the relay and it was all better. good luck.

 

Guess we'll find out tomorrow.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by xerox445 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Endyn &gt; All</TD></TR></TABLE>