All Stock Ls2

Vet Interested

dlcain

My 76 firebird started doing that right after I installed headers (overheated starter) may be related.

gandeboz

if its that slow id investigate the battery or cable. Mine starts up smoother if i turn it off and restart and thats because everything is warmed up. But starting slow is an issue

OregonMike

Sounds a lot like a heat soaked starter to me.

Goodz04

Just went through this with mine and solved the problem by doing a few things.

1. Check the battery.
- My battery was a little low on voltage and cranking amps. This definitely attributes to some of the problem to slow starting in general.
2. The main issue was that the starter was getting too hot sitting next to the passenger header. As OregonMike mentioned a heat soaked starter.
- I replaced the starter after having it tested. Solenoid was fine when cold, but when hot it was having issues. Wrapped the new starter and passenger header in exhaust wrap. Starts up every time with no hesitation now.

Patriot Six

saplumr

Lab guarding the starter?

Patriot Six

torquetube

I suspect the starter itself or the connection at the starter. A weak battery would drop so much voltage under load that the computer would brown out before a healthy starter would slow down. Once the computer stops running, it stops turning over the engine. That's why Corvettes with weak batteries don't crank slowly, they just don't crank at all.

Jimmy W1

The reason it is hard to start again immediately after you shut it off is because the heat in the engine has caused the metal to expand. After it sits for a while, the metal cools off and the metal contracts which makes it easier to start.

So, as mentioned, you need to check your charging system. It's impossible for someone on here to diagnose the problem without being there to check it out.

Good luck.

Bruze

What "metal"?


Note to anyone who didn't read the OP: The screen name of the OP is "All stock LS2." If words still mean things, that means NO HEADERS.

All Stock Ls2

Jimmy W1

Well, the metal that is used in your engine. Pistons, rings, engine block, crank, cam, bearings, etc., etc.

Have you ever placed your hand on your engine just after you shut it off? Yep, it's hot. And when all that metal gets hot, it expands and all the parts get tighter. That makes your engine harder to start.

And after your car sits for a while, the entire engine cools off. And when metal cools off, all the parts aren't pressing against each other so tightly because they have what is called, "contracted". And your engine becomes easier to start because of this reaction.

So, quite often, this is why an engine won't restart immediately after you shut it off. Yet when you try to start it, say, a half or an hour later, it starts right up. You with me now?

Bruze

BS, unless you have some specific problem with the engine. All engines get hot when running, and all engines start okay after they are hot unless there is some problem. The "metal" all expands, not just some of it. Clearances may be slightly different when cold vs. hot, but certainly not enough to cause the engine to be so tight it turns over slower than usual.

Back in the day with points ignition and spark timing adjusted by twisting the distributor, if it was advanced too far then it would crank slowly when hot. This is supposed to be automatic today, so that wouldn't be an issue. If an engine cranks slowly today it isn't because the timing is off and it isn't because the engine is "hot." It has to be a problem with the starter or its circuitry caused by engine heat.

mhmayhem88

I'm noticing a similar pattern with mine as well. Heat seems to be the common factor and here in Florida, heat is easy to come by. First start of the day and parked in the garage = no problem. If I drive somewhere and park for a little while outside in the sun then it seems to struggle starting. I've had two separate instances in the last couple of months where it just didn't start on the first try after being parked outside for a bit. It starts right up on the second try but now I'm starting to worry that I'm going to get stranded somewhere. Should I look at replacing the starter?

Jimmy W1

It will be an issue and happen like I said if his battery is weak or he has other problems that doesn't give him the full starting power that he needs. If you have a ground that isn't making good contact, or a starter that is weak or another problem that causes a problem, but only weakens the starting of the car, then yes, the expansion of the metal in the engine can cause it to not start when it will start when the engine has cooled off.

TorchRedFred

Bruze

Double BS. I stand by my previous answer.

S.C. vette