Problems Starting

[RowdyBurns]

Hey Guys,

Looking for ideas. Usually my ute starts first time, until the weather gets warmer and the car has been running. If I turn the car off and try and start it again in the few hours after it usually doesnt start. It either cranks once and then goes completely dead, or more commonly it continues to turn over but doesn't start just keeps trying and then has a small backfire. Any ideas why it wouldn't kick over but backfire? Always starts second try.

Ute is a BF manual and stock.

[Benji_vs]

Battery maybe

But try the usual plugs, coils and throttle clean see if that helps.

Let us know

[4SinAir]

my ute has been doin the same in the warm weather have u found a cure for it yet mate?

[RowdyBurns]

Nah dude, havent solved it yet and its cool again here so it's not happening. A few searches and the heat factor leads me to believe that it might be a fuel evaporation issue somewhere in the fuel line. If this is the case don't know how to confirm that's it and if it is how do you fix it?

[Trough Lolly]

definately not battery if u have cranking power plus a backfire....

check your fuel pump/line pressure

[Smoke them tyres]

Backfire= lean or wrong timing on spark/injectors....cam timing or crank timing.....pickups/connections bad or faulty?

Cranking issue sounds like something in the starting circuit......resistance? faulty pull in relay somewhere? Is the starter solenoid getting a good supply of 12V? A multimeter will only tell you it has 12v at the terminal, not if it has enough current to pull in and hold the starter solenoid. Does the ecu look for correct input from sensors and if it doesn't get it, it cuts the cranking? (Don't know the answer to that last one unfortunately :-( )

Falcons for some models in previous years had this backfire issue....AU's? May be the same issue still???? Anything on FF? There must be an answer on one of the Ford forums around the place??????

Good luck with it.

Edited 22/04/10 09:48 AM by Smoke them tyres

[RowdyBurns]

Thanks for the input guys. I will have it checked out but its hard when it won't do it all the time. I'll search around FF and see if I can find anything. I was thinking about it and maybe backfire isn't the best term, its not like a loud *bang* its more like a loudish *pop*. Basically I turn the key, it keeps turning over but doesn't fire, I let off the key and it goes *pop*. Second time fires on first turn over. And again, only does this when its a hot start and not on every hot start.

@Trough Lolly - Is there a best way to check fuel line pressure?

[bjc]

Try turning the key to the on position to prime the pump/system, wait a couple of seconds then start the car or try the opposite, put the key in and immediately crank it over to start.

Is there a difference?

Only reason I ask is that I just fitted my PW surge tank yesterday and assume the car is running rich now as if I prime the pump/system then start it takes 5 cranks to turn over (like a dying battery does) but if I just put the key in and immediately crank the car it starts first crank.

Food for thought!

[Smoke them tyres]

bjc,

Fuel pressure reg now too small?????

[tab]

Try turning the key to the on position to prime the pump/system, wait a couple of seconds then start the car

Was the only way I could reliably get my BA/BFs to start first time, dunno if it was a ute thing with the slightly different fuel line setup or not. FG is a different story though, flick it all the way to start and immediately release and it'll crank as much as it needs to and is all sweet.