[TonD]

Thanks a lot, I will certainly add that to my list.



However, for now I am thinking more and more along the lines of dirty (be it oil or be it coolant) combustion chambers. Today I was looking at the car again, and here is what I found:











One of the valve cover bolts has snapped on me <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/sad.gif" class="smilie" alt="" /> This really sucks, as I'm not sure i'm up to the task of removing it, so it'll have to be done in the shop I guess. So now that valve cover has to come off I will definitely put in new gaskets.



Any good source for those bolts? I read somewhere about Rennbay making an improved version yadda yadda etc but can't find them anywhere.



After having removed the excessive oil yesterday (and drove a bit after that), here's what the front most s.p. looked like today. What's the expert opinion on the color/state of this thing, and what can it say?

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[DaveN]

Those bolts at 20.00 something a piece and I recall. You can search the forum as they have been discussed before. The torque is really low on those bolts (7 lbs.) so the last guy probably gave them a bit too much not knowing how fragile they are.

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[TonD]

More than a year later, and my hard starting isn't solved, in fact, it has gone worse. Now it also takes a lot of cranking when cold. But when cold, it does start at first try eventually (within a couple of seconds, but not instant as it once used to be).



When warmish, the car won't start at first try, will start at second try but stall, will start at third try and nearly stall but keep running. After that, it's all fine and dandy. As I write this, I start to doubt if nowadays there even is such a big difference between cold and warm starting. I will go and try this tonight...



In the meantime I haven't done much to try to solve this problem, as I was getting used to it. But now that it seems to be getting worse, I feel like hunting this down.



I've had some suggestions (that I haven't followed up yet) throughout last year. Anyone wanna chime in on what's the best order to try these?



1) Leaky injector: yank injectors and have cleaned. I had this done, but not 'all the way': they were just thrown in a tub of cleaner and put new o-rings. No before-after measurement etc. Might have to redo this the right way?



2) Bad FPR? How to test, easy to replace myself?



3) Check-valve at fuel pump



4) Head gasket? When I start up the car from cold, there is a smell from the exhaust I can't quite put my fingers on. It's not 'sweet' nor 'rotten eggs' so I'm not sure it's anything out of the ordinary. I don't seem to be losing coolant, oil has no apparent sludge in it.



Thoughts, advice? All is very welcome!

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[94SilverCab]

1) swap DME relay again, you might have got a bad one and its cheap and simple.



2) Could this be a starter problem? The wires on my starter were frayed, so I replaced it.



3) Crank Sensor?



4) Your plug wires, while very colorful, may not be delivering enough charge...



I leave it to the group for more difficult solutions.



Jay

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[TonD]

Hi Jay, thanks for your ideas. The ugly yellow wires have been replaced by original Beru ones. Already forgot that, pictures are old <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/smile.png" class="smilie" alt="" />



Actually now that I think of it, I think I've put the old DME relay back once, to see if I'd notice any difference. Might be the old one still in there, and the 'new' on in my glove box. Will swap them tonight.



Don't think it's a starter problem, as first time when it starts, it stalls, seems unrelated to starter itself. It's (almost) definitely something with fuel (or air, or spark <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/glare.gif" class="smilie" alt="" /> ).

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[flash]

you're going to need to eliminate the things you can by performing a differential diagnosis.



on the presumption that the starter spins freely, thereby eliminating an issue of providing current to it, compression, fuel and spark are needed to make the car start and run.



get a compression test. if that's fine, then move on to fuel.



if you have already changed the check valve, then verify fuel pressure.



if those are fine, then get the injectors done right.



if the problem persists, then it's spark related. this gets more difficult due to the electronics involved. of course i would check the obvious areas for loose connections and such, but would leave diagnosing this portion until after dealing with compression and fuel.

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[TonD]

Flash, compression was tested about a year ago (the problem already present at that time) and was found to be "fine" (I don't remember the values). Fuel pressure was tested while running and immediately after shutting down. We didn't check say half an hour after shutting down.



As this was kind of done in a hurry, no notes have been written down, but I seem to remember the values weren't low. Perhaps on the contrary but I didn't think much of that at the time. But recently I've learned that a bad FPR can cause too high fuel pressure, correct? Which would lead to a noisy fuel pump (which I believe I have...)?

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[flash]

it could. that's why we have a regulator



that's shy i said to measure the fuel pressure and make sure it is the right pressure

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[TonD]

When I measured it, I didn't know it could also be too high, and hence only checked it was at what I thought at that moment was a minimum. Knowing what I know now, the pressure is probably too high. Does that indeed cause a noisier fuel pump?

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[flash]

i can't comment as to what the change at the pump would be.



get a measurement of the fuel pressure. it should be 3.8bar at idle. there should almost no variance from that figure.

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[TonD]

Thanks. Will need to get my hands on the right tool again and do that.

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[TonD]

Went to the car this evening to diagnose some more. Did take notes this time as well as audio recording. But I don't think I'll have to get into too much detail on the results, cause after I was done, I decided to yank the vacuum line from the FPR and... sure enough, not only fuel smell, but actually wet from fuel.



Time to replace FPR, I'd think? Are there any particular pitfalls for a not-so-well-trained-home-mechanic?

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[pure&amp;simple]

I had a similar problem on cold start. Engine would catch, sputter, shake, and then die. Would usually start up fine on the next attempt. Replacing the wear parts on the distributor fixed the problem.

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[TonD]

Thanks, just in case I'll check them again before ordering the FPR, but I'm pretty convinced they are fine. Despite Flash saying he notices a difference after 20 miles on them, I'm pretty sure mine are fine as I replaced both less than a year and less than 4000 miles ago. But just in case, I'll have a look.

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[flash]

lol - even i don't change mine that often. it really depends on how i have been driving the car. i blew through a set doing the dyno testing, but the previous set were on there for about 5k

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[TonD]

It was the FPR. I'm all over the moon that the troubled starting is over, and that I did the job myself (as a novice with wrenches). Only slightly bummed that it took me 14 months of annoyingly difficult starts to finally come into action <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/smile.png" class="smilie" alt="" />

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[DaveN]

I have mine running now so it will be a wait and see now to determine if my starting improves with the change of the check valve. If it is still hesitant I may chance the FPR change as it helped you.

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[TonD]

Dave have you checked the vacuum side of the FPR? I could smell and actually see petrol on that side, which I have been told (and seem to understand) is only happening with faulty FPRs...



BTW it was you who mentioned the FPR to me 14 months ago, so thanks <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/smile.png" class="smilie" alt="" />

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[DaveN]

I will check the FPR when I insure the car after the alignment (next week). I was going to replace it last year with an adjustable one but Flash said it would make no difference to the SC install so Ieft it unexplored.

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[flash]

correct. in fact, using an AFPR on the SC setup actually RAISES the ratio. it's like squeezing off a garden hose. you get more pressure, but less volume. when talking about the SC, what the engine needs is more volume not pressure, as the injectors are maxxed out already.



dave - i was not aware you had a hard starting issue. ring me up.

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.