Hard starting in the AM
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 3,896
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From: Manchester - Political correctness is tyranny with manners.
Hard starting in the AM
Over the last month, my '98 coupe has been getting harder to start in the morning. It starts instantly the rest of the day after the first start, but cranks much longer than it should intitially. I can hear the fuel pump working when I turn on the key, and it doesn't seem abnormal to me. Runs a second or two and them stops. Any ideas what this might be? I am suspecting the fuel pump. I have no tools to check the fuel pressure, but I am going to eventually have to do something about this, for sure. Also, it seems to me like I read something about an inline check valve not long ago? Might this be a problem? Car has 77K.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 5,479
Likes: 13
From: Dallas/Grand Prairie Texas
I am having the exact same problem on my 02 A4 coupe, only been doing it for about 2-3 weeks also.
Seems to take a second or two to crank over in the morning but is fine throughout the rest of the day???
What gives?? starter?? the battery is only a year old btw.....
Seems to take a second or two to crank over in the morning but is fine throughout the rest of the day???
What gives?? starter?? the battery is only a year old btw.....
Race Director
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 16,667
Likes: 1,209
From: Raleigh, NC
St. Jude Donor '15
mine does this sometimes when i'm low on gas or when i don't let the fuel pump run for a few seconds before trying to start it, doubt that helps but thats all i got...
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 3,896
Likes: 26
From: Manchester - Political correctness is tyranny with manners.
Originally Posted by JoshVette
I am having the exact same problem on my 02 A4 coupe, only been doing it for about 2-3 weeks also.
Seems to take a second or two to crank over in the morning but is fine throughout the rest of the day???
What gives?? starter?? the battery is only a year old btw.....
Seems to take a second or two to crank over in the morning but is fine throughout the rest of the day???
What gives?? starter?? the battery is only a year old btw.....
Tech Contributor
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 32,910
Likes: 2,402
From: Anthony TX
CI 6,7,8,9,11 Vet
St. Jude Donor '08
That is what I was going to suggest. Turn the key to "ON" and back to "OFF" about three -four times without starting the engine and see if that makes a difference. That will allow the fuel pressure to build up to the highest that it will get. It it is a fuel pressure problem, that should let you know.
Check your codes and see if you have any.
If you do, write them down then clear them. If you have not checked your codes for a while, you may have quite a few listed. Some of them are spurious and mean very little as to daily normal performance.
Monitor the codes for a few days and see if any come back. Make sure that you list if they are H history or C current.
BC
Check your codes and see if you have any.
If you do, write them down then clear them. If you have not checked your codes for a while, you may have quite a few listed. Some of them are spurious and mean very little as to daily normal performance.
Monitor the codes for a few days and see if any come back. Make sure that you list if they are H history or C current.
BC
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 3,896
Likes: 26
From: Manchester - Political correctness is tyranny with manners.
Originally Posted by Bill Curlee
That is what I was going to suggest. Turn the key to "ON" and back to "OFF" about three -four times without starting the engine and see if that makes a difference. That will allow the fuel pressure to build up to the highest that it will get. It it is a fuel pressure problem, that should let you know.
Check your codes and see if you have any.
If you do, write them down then clear them. If you have not checked your codes for a while, you may have quite a few listed. Some of them are spurious and mean very little as to daily normal performance.
Monitor the codes for a few days and see if any come back. Make sure that you list if they are H history or C current.
BC
Check your codes and see if you have any.
If you do, write them down then clear them. If you have not checked your codes for a while, you may have quite a few listed. Some of them are spurious and mean very little as to daily normal performance.
Monitor the codes for a few days and see if any come back. Make sure that you list if they are H history or C current.
BC
I tried that a couple times, but not several times. I'll do that tomorrow morning. I think I'll just buy a fuel pressure guage and check that too. But first, I will change out the fuel filter...thats the cheapest thing I can do, and I have no idea when it was last changed. If that doesn't help, I will check the fuel pressure and leave the guage on overnight. I sure don't want to replace that pump, but if I must, I must. I'll let you know what I find out.
Thanks guys.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 5,479
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From: Dallas/Grand Prairie Texas
Originally Posted by DidntSettle98
Thanks Bill.
I tried that a couple times, but not several times. I'll do that tomorrow morning. I think I'll just buy a fuel pressure guage and check that too. But first, I will change out the fuel filter...thats the cheapest thing I can do, and I have no idea when it was last changed. If that doesn't help, I will check the fuel pressure and leave the guage on overnight. I sure don't want to replace that pump, but if I must, I must. I'll let you know what I find out.
Thanks guys.
I tried that a couple times, but not several times. I'll do that tomorrow morning. I think I'll just buy a fuel pressure guage and check that too. But first, I will change out the fuel filter...thats the cheapest thing I can do, and I have no idea when it was last changed. If that doesn't help, I will check the fuel pressure and leave the guage on overnight. I sure don't want to replace that pump, but if I must, I must. I'll let you know what I find out.
Thanks guys.
I'll try that on off on off thing and then crank it also.
Is it fairly simple to change the fuel filter......I did it once loooooong ago on an old 87 nissan sentra, I figure the vette is maybe just a liiiiiiittle bit different though.
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Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 3,896
Likes: 26
From: Manchester - Political correctness is tyranny with manners.
Originally Posted by Bill Curlee
That is what I was going to suggest. Turn the key to "ON" and back to "OFF" about three -four times without starting the engine and see if that makes a difference. That will allow the fuel pressure to build up to the highest that it will get. It it is a fuel pressure problem, that should let you know.
Check your codes and see if you have any.
If you do, write them down then clear them. If you have not checked your codes for a while, you may have quite a few listed. Some of them are spurious and mean very little as to daily normal performance.
Monitor the codes for a few days and see if any come back. Make sure that you list if they are H history or C current.
BC
Check your codes and see if you have any.
If you do, write them down then clear them. If you have not checked your codes for a while, you may have quite a few listed. Some of them are spurious and mean very little as to daily normal performance.
Monitor the codes for a few days and see if any come back. Make sure that you list if they are H history or C current.
BC
Tech Contributor
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 32,910
Likes: 2,402
From: Anthony TX
CI 6,7,8,9,11 Vet
St. Jude Donor '08
If your fuel pressure is leaking down, there are a couple of possibilities. You could have a leaky fuel injector, bad check valve in the pump assembly or a bad fuel pressure regulator. If you have a 97-98, it will be on the fuel rail. 99-04 are in the filter.
Try running some Chevron Techron fuel system cleaner. You can pull the injectors out of the manifold and set them on top of the manifold. Pressureize the fuel system and see if any of them leak/ drip fuel. They should be DRY at the end of the next day.
Bill
Try running some Chevron Techron fuel system cleaner. You can pull the injectors out of the manifold and set them on top of the manifold. Pressureize the fuel system and see if any of them leak/ drip fuel. They should be DRY at the end of the next day.
Bill
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 5,479
Likes: 13
From: Dallas/Grand Prairie Texas
Originally Posted by 01vetteC5
i had the same problem i gto some fuel injector cleaner and it hasnt bugged me since - also turn the key to on for a few seconds then start the car - also helps
I did the turning it a couple times and then it cranked right up also.
I'll go with the injector cleaner first, then maybe the filter.
Race Director
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 16,667
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From: Raleigh, NC
St. Jude Donor '15
As you probably already realized, you're loosing fuel pressure for one reason or another..not a big deal but annoying (mine does the same). My guess is either at the pump or injectors with the pump being my first guess..
Team Owner
Joined: May 2001
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From: Dear Karma, I have a list of people you missed.
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16
Originally Posted by schpenxel
As you probably already realized, you're loosing fuel pressure for one reason or another..not a big deal but annoying (mine does the same). My guess is either at the pump or injectors with the pump being my first guess..
Either of these two are definite possibilities especially on the higher mileage cars. On the lower mileage cars that are experiencing this I am more inclined to look at the injectors first. Fuels vary by region of the country and time of year and create a lot of variables for a fuel system to have to deal with.Mine just started doing this within the last three days. This is the first time since I have owned it that it has done this now on each and every start-up. Of course I have 106K miles too. I may have to do an injector leak check. Next would be the pump. FWIW, I have been running 3 1/2oz of Red Line SI1 in each tank of gas within the first year of ownership (bought it new) and a full bottle at oil change. Actually I'm kinda hoping it's the injector(s) since they are soooo much easier to work on.