intermittent starting issue

[91explorer1009]

Ok, I have searched but this is a weird starting issue. About once a week and only once a week, my sister will go to start the car and it will only crank and crank and crank. Then let it sit for a second try again and after about four or five times of just long cranking it will then start up normal and fast. Then for a while it starts up just fine, like nothings wrong. Now first I replaced the battery with a brand new one. Possible waste of money cause it is doing it still. Then I checked all the connections of the spark plugs, and they seemed ok. Now the plugs and wires were replaced less than six months ago. There is a brand new air filter in there and all the fluids are perfect and everything. There is no cel, and I am stumped after months of trying to diagnose this. I dont have the dough to go to a shop so I would like to try to fix this myself. Like I said, 90% of the time it starts right up, but sometimes it does it at the worse possible time, like an hour away from home, and after 10 minutes it finally decides to start up and runs like nothing is wrong, never stalling or anything. Once it starts up it runs great, no misses or anything, and never stalls out. So I don't think it is the fuel filter or pump? But don't know why maybe fuel isn't getting to the engine. If it was fuel related though would it have problems running? Is the starter just going bad? I wouldnt think it would crank so good if it was though. I really need your help on this one. Thanks in advance.

 

[Pyromaniac91]

Check your fuel pressure at the fuel rail some time while it doesnt want to start. If fuel doesnt spray you, you have a fuel issue. could be pump, could be the pressure regulator.

 

[11lariat]

could also be the fuel pump relay going

 

[quasarsky]

Ok, I have searched but this is a weird starting issue. About once a week and only once a week, my sister will go to start the car and it will only crank and crank and crank. Then let it sit for a second try again and after about four or five times of just long cranking it will then start up normal and fast. Then for a while it starts up just fine, like nothings wrong. Now first I replaced the battery with a brand new one. Possible waste of money cause it is doing it still. Then I checked all the connections of the spark plugs, and they seemed ok. Now the plugs and wires were replaced less than six months ago. There is a brand new air filter in there and all the fluids are perfect and everything. There is no cel, and I am stumped after months of trying to diagnose this. I dont have the dough to go to a shop so I would like to try to fix this myself. Like I said, 90% of the time it starts right up, but sometimes it does it at the worse possible time, like an hour away from home, and after 10 minutes it finally decides to start up and runs like nothing is wrong, never stalling or anything. Once it starts up it runs great, no misses or anything, and never stalls out. So I don't think it is the fuel filter or pump? But don't know why maybe fuel isn't getting to the engine. If it was fuel related though would it have problems running? Is the starter just going bad? I wouldnt think it would crank so good if it was though. I really need your help on this one. Thanks in advance.

check for an ect code. mine was doing this, and dying when i put it in reverse. i had an ect code, i had the sensor replaced (sensor is $17 bucks) and my car started up fine afterwards. a great way to get you back on the road if this is indeed your problem

 

[91explorer1009]

what sensor? and can I just get the fuel tested at a shop, how much does that run? anything else

 

[davem]

My 01 XLT had a hard time starting after running awhile. For dealer could not figure it out (cost me > $200), independent could not figure it out ($150). Fuel pressure was OK. Turned out to be the 'fuel pulse dampner'. Caused the engine to flood itself.

The part cost $180 and is located in the back of the engine, so took awhile to get to it.

 

[quasarsky]

what sensor? and can I just get the fuel tested at a shop, how much does that run? anything else

its the engine coolant temperature sensor (ect). if its broke the comp thinks the engine is really cold and floods it with gas. thats what it was doing to mine

 

[351wExplorer]

i had this problem with a 88 jetta i had in the shop. i turned out to be the feed fuel pump would just randomly not work so the primary didnt have any fuel to it. Now i know explorers only have one pump, assuming she has an explorer, but the easiest way is to hook up a fuel pressure gauge and mount it inside. Then it would be there when it didnt start so you could see if it was fuel or spark. Also when you are having the starting problem you could use this neat little tool, i cant think what you would call it, but i use it quite a bit. It is basically an extension that goes between your plug and plug wire. It has a little "window" of glass that will let you see if you are getting spark. It is either fuel or spark, so once you narrow it down to which one it is you can start to narrow it down even more.

 

[91explorer1009]

The cars actually a 98 mit. eclipse, and since the plugs and wires were replaced not too long ago I would think the plugs were fine, if they were not gapped right could that cause intermittent starting? If they weren't gapped right, wouldn't the car run bad or miss or something? I will try to talk to my friend who has a lot more tools than me, maybe he has the tool you can't think of, the plug to wire tool thing. thanks, any other ideas, it has actually been "good" for a couple of days now, so I'm guessing soon it will do it again at a bad time. Thanks guys...

 

[BrooklynBay]

There are several things that could cause this problem. When you turn the key to the accessory position before it is cranked, do you see a check engine light, or a service engine soon indicator on the dashboard? If not, then there is probably a bad ground connection going to the computer. If there is no power going to the computer, then there won't be any power going to the fuel pump. Do you hear the fuel pump priming for a few seconds before start up? It should turn on for about 3 seconds, then turn off. Check your computer, and fuel pump relays for power as well as the fuses. Do you have spark on all of the spark plugs? You could have a bad ignition module, or a sensor if it is a distributorless ignition system. They use inputs from the camshaft, and crankshaft position sensors. Some vehicles only have one of those sensors, and others have both. The idle air control could be clogged, as well as the throttle body, and mass air flow sensor. Sometimes during a no start condition, unplugging the mass air flow sensor might work if that is the culprit. If you have to step on the accelerator pedal to start, then it might be the idle air control.

 

[wcraycroft]

My 95 Explorer would occasionally crank but not start. Occurred ONLY when engine was warm -- never on the first start of the day. After waiting anywhere from a few minutes to 2 hours, the engine would then start normally. Happened between once every few months and 2 - 3 times a week, and VERY intermittently. When I drove it to work and then it sat for several hours, it would always start. When I monitored the EEC-IV codes, it would always start, of course. Finally took it to a dealer I trust and left it for 2 days so they could try to repeat the problem. They finally got it to happen and determined that there was no fuel pump pressure when the engine was in this state. They replaced both the Fuel Pump Relay and the EEC Power Relay. After these replacements, they could no longer duplicate the problem. This was almost 4 weeks ago, and I have not experienced the problem. It could just be the odds, or the relays may have been intermittent. Since it is a cheap repair you can easily do yourself, replacing these two relays would be my recommendation as a starting point.