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Random hard start long crank times

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Old Jun 29, 2015 | 12:37 AM
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Default Random hard start long crank times

Need some help here. Recently my z06 started having a hard time starting. It will crank for long periods of time, 4-5 seconds, and I can see in the logs the LTFT's are in the low teens on bank 2. Bank 1 is usually below 10, but not as high.

I swept the engine for vacuum leaks, but can't find anything. Is it possible I have a bad o2 throwing the trims off? Any help or advice would be appreciated.
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Old Jun 29, 2015 | 11:56 PM
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anyone?
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Old Jun 30, 2015 | 10:09 AM
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I always ask the question when something works one day and doesn't work the next, what changed between when it worked and now that it doesn't?

Did you add any mods or do anything between when it started well and now that it doesn't?
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Old Jun 30, 2015 | 10:14 AM
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The only thing that changed was I have vararam that used the crappy plastic hose barb through the silicone boot. I changed to to mirror their setup now so the fresh air line is now in the same block aa the maf.
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Old Jun 30, 2015 | 10:20 AM
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Originally Posted by SlowBusa08
The only thing that changed was I have vararam that used the crappy plastic hose barb through the silicone boot. I changed to to mirror their setup now so the fresh air line is now in the same block aa the maf.
Not quite sure what you mean, but does the car start properly if you put things back the way you had them when it started properly?

If you've allowed unmetered air into the intake that's not getting measured by your MAF then it very well would likely cause the problem you're describing.
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Old Jun 30, 2015 | 08:07 PM
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Originally Posted by Joe_G
Not quite sure what you mean, but does the car start properly if you put things back the way you had them when it started properly?

If you've allowed unmetered air into the intake that's not getting measured by your MAF then it very well would likely cause the problem you're describing.
I took the cannister line going to the dry sump off, plugged it, and plugged the port going into the air intake and not much change in the ltft.

Of course the car hasn't actually had the long crank issue at all tonight so I'm all sorts of confused. LTFT's are still all over, i'm sort of surprised it's not throwing a code, one of the times I looked down the bank 2 ltft was at 19

I'm going to pull the o2's and swap them side to side and see if the high ltft follows the bank 2 sensor.
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Old Jun 30, 2015 | 08:46 PM
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Check fuel pressure before starting, should be 50-55 psi. Ignition on should jump to just under 60 psi immediately.
If the fuel pump's internal bypass fails, it causes a loss of fuel system pressure after shut off. This results in an extended crank until fuel pressure builds back up.
An easier way to test is to cycle ignition on, wait 15 seconds then crank. If it starts without the extended crank, you heed a new fuel pump.
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Old Jun 30, 2015 | 09:11 PM
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Originally Posted by SlowBusa08
I took the cannister line going to the dry sump off, plugged it, and plugged the port going into the air intake and not much change in the ltft.

Of course the car hasn't actually had the long crank issue at all tonight so I'm all sorts of confused. LTFT's are still all over, i'm sort of surprised it's not throwing a code, one of the times I looked down the bank 2 ltft was at 19

I'm going to pull the o2's and swap them side to side and see if the high ltft follows the bank 2 sensor.
I wouldn't bother with your 02's.

You need to replace the MAF metered fresh air supply to your oil tank. By plugging your fresh air supply to your oil tank your engine is drawing vacuum on the crankcase via the port behind the throttle body to the lifter valley, but there is no fresh air supply to allow the engine to breathe. So it's going to draw fresh air from somewhere - your oil cap perhaps - but wherever it's drawing from is not metered by the maf so it's throwing off your fuel trims.

Replace that line and see if your fuel trims don't get better. And I suspect your starting will be better too.

It'll only set a CEL for LTFT's above 24% by the way.
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Old Jun 30, 2015 | 09:31 PM
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I only pulled the cannister line off as a test to see if it was disrupting the maf. It's hooked back up the o2s metered fine. Well one only went up to .8v and seemed to decline as it got hotter so to be safe I am getting a new one.

Fuel pressure is dead steady at 57.9 psi.
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Old Jun 30, 2015 | 10:10 PM
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Originally Posted by SlowBusa08
I only pulled the cannister line off as a test to see if it was disrupting the maf. It's hooked back up the o2s metered fine. Well one only went up to .8v and seemed to decline as it got hotter so to be safe I am getting a new one.

Fuel pressure is dead steady at 57.9 psi.
Just because it only went up to .8v doesn't mean it's bad maybe that's what the mixture is at that time...lol ok I'll stop trying to save you money!

Any hard starts since you hooked the fresh air supply back up?
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Old Jul 1, 2015 | 01:34 AM
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the fresh air was hooked up the whole time, there was no change from when it was hooked up vs when it wasn't.

fyi, I was testing the o2 with it out of the car. you can put a torch to it and read the voltage. the one sensor went up to close to 1v and held there while the other one went to .8 and actually started to fall with the torch on it, which is bass ackwards...
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Old Jul 1, 2015 | 10:47 PM
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I pulled that fresh air line off years ago. Plugged the hole and put a filter right at the oil tank. Its a little gas line filter about 3/4" diameter by 2" long. I guess you need a filter so you dont suck any bugs into the engine. There was no difference in any sensor readings.
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Old Jul 2, 2015 | 07:22 PM
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O2 sensors are ceramic. Thermal shock from torch not the best idea.
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Old Jul 2, 2015 | 08:24 PM
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Ceramic materials handle heat pretty well.

Thanks for the input.
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Old Jul 3, 2015 | 10:50 AM
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Good luck
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Old Jul 3, 2015 | 12:49 PM
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Educate me here.

Isn't the car in open loop during start up? Meaning it is not looking at the O2 sensors yet.


DJ
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Old Jul 3, 2015 | 01:04 PM
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Originally Posted by djbrun
Educate me here.

Isn't the car in open loop during start up? Meaning it is not looking at the O2 sensors yet.


DJ
Correct. Closed loop only starts after coolant temp reaches a certain value and other parameters are met.

There are starting airflow tables and other tables to adjust for startup, but you normally don't need to mess with these unless you put in a cam.
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Old Jul 3, 2015 | 01:18 PM
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Thank you Joe G,

OP, when your car does start, is it smooth right away, or does it stumble a bit before smoothing out?


DJ
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Old Jul 3, 2015 | 01:40 PM
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Another question I forgot to ask is, when it happens, if you give it some gas while cranking, does it start right up?

Often when you put a cam in a car you have to increase the starting airflow table, which is essentially like putting your foot on the gas when starting.

I can't imagine that's what your car needs with the stock cam, you have a different problem, but please try it and let us know if giving it some gas fixes it.
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Old Jul 4, 2015 | 03:51 AM
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the cam isn't stock, ls7R from texas speed.

When it starts it will sometimes stumble just a little then fire right up, once it's at idle it's fine, idles fine, and runs fine. It also diesels on shut down.

I threw the new o2's in and cleaned the MAF, I'm really thinking the tuning is just still pretty rough. I didn't get a chance to check the ltft's tonight. When I started it up it fired up pretty quick.

So enlighten me on the open loop/closed loop, I assume it's coolant temp and some triggers for time after start and/or possibly min engine speed?
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