I've started having problems starting my MT '91, and for the life of me I can't figure out what the problem is. I was hoping you all could help.

If the car is shut off, it immediately has a problem getting started again. The longer it is left alone, the worse it becomes trying to start the car.

When you crank the engine, it doesn't seem to start up at all.

If I keep cranking it for several seconds (if it was just turned off) up to maybe 30 seconds (if its been off for 15 minutes say), and I keep pumping the gas pedal, eventually it starts catching.

First I'll here one or two cylinders go off, then slowly the engine will sputter to life. Once it gets going, I give it some gas and it sputters and misses for about another 30 seconds. During that time it emits visible smoke out the tailpipe.

Eventually, after giving it gas and waiting, it stops sputtering and behaves totally normally; no missing cylinders, good acceleration, idles fine, as if nothing was wrong.

Any ideas on what this could be?

Thanks!

Update: After several 55 readings, the car spit code 13 'Bad Temperature Sensor", is there any way a bad temperature sensor could cause this?

-Chiem

 

gears may not be place.

 

 

yes

 

Sweet, I'm off to replace it. I sure hope thats the problem; I've already spent way much time replacing everything (timing belt, cam shaft oil seals, water pump, belts, gear oil, steering rack, blah, blah, blah) else... don't know how much more of the "it was fix but now it broke!" I can take.

 

Aloha! Enjoy the winding Hawaii roads! I use to live in Hilo for 3 yrs and enjoyed riding those coastal highways as well as saddle road coming down to Hilo off of Mauna'Loa! Hawaii has a awesome car following and awesome modified imports( old bugs, Celicas, Corollas, 510's and 4x4's)..... enjoy beautiful Kaua'i!

 

Pumpin pedal only moves steel to and fro, gets TB butterlfies flapping, no real effect on anything. Used to help on leaky carburettors ...but yes, its recommended as it works as a remedy for the frustrated driver.

Time window aspect points to temperature relation... can mean almost anything. Sensor swap is easy and cheap; resistance can be measured /verified. Connectors are typically oxidized, effect will be the same. Youre one of the lucky ones: U got a error code!

Long startup means fuel flowing around. At startup, every/all injectors inject every rotation. Will cause sputter and smoke...

 

yes like wiking said the injectors all fire together on startup, and holding the gas pedal firmly to the floor will bypass that, and they will not fire until the engine starts. That helps to relieve a flooded engine. Pumping the gas, and it starting to catch indicates that when your foot pushes the pedal it stops spraying gas and the AFR is almost good enough to start but when you release the pedal a half-second later it goes back to mad-rich again. so just press and hold the pedal once it's all flooded and stuff.

 

That should be articulated somewhere in the FSM. Where could that be? EF&EC18 speaks only about simultaneous multiport injection during startup, no mention on pedal angle...

 

i know that it's mentioned in the owner's manual. dunno where it is in the FSM. greeny may know, as he's mentioned that startup procedure before.

 

Owner's manual mentions it as the way to clear out a flooded (with fuel) motor. Most (possibly all) fuel injected cars have that feature.

 

ya that what i was going for. since he keeps pumping it he isn't really un-flooding it. he either needs to hold or let go. pumping it changes the conditions too much to really get a feel for what is going on.