hi,

i had this problem a a long time ago, and took it into the dealership to get it checked, they said it was ok, now its back a few months later

anyone know what how i could fix this starting problem?

my xb is an 06, and it has about 39k on it. its all stocked in the engine compartment..so i dont know what the heck is going on..recently changed my spark plugs as well, then the problem came back...


so the problem is like this:
i would go into a store or some place, then like 30 min. later i come back, and start the car as usual, (its an automatic btw) and it takes me a few tries to start it.
please help!!
thanks in advance



sorry i just noticed i posted this in the 2nd gen...can someone move it to the 1st gen... sorry again

 

Are the spark plugs the only thing you have changed?

 

That and a k&n air filter.

 

My first thoughts are gasoline and where you get it from. If it has a poor formulation or if the place has water in the tanks your little 1.5 just does not like it on ignition. I know my 1st Gen always started different in the winter so I held the key a split second longer but I doubt you have owned it this long and noticed something like that before.

 

Strange, yeah I dunno, I have 73K on mine and I haven't run into this problem yet, a little harder in the winter but not much.

 

If it's only happening after being run and then it sits and then tried to start again, it could be your injectors. You could be getting a minor leak from the O-ring seals of your fuel injectors and it's causing the motor to be partially flooded after it sits for a time.

When you try a few times to start it, each time you try you're venting or burning off some of the excess fuel that has accumulated in the cylinders over time. When you changed your spark plugs, were any of them really fouled up with gunk on them? This could be an indicator that you're leaking fuel slowly from an injector.

If the old ones were fouled (or if only one of them was) you should be able to track down which cylinder's injector might be leaking. Just pull the new plugs one at a time and find the one that's gunked or looks like it's starting to get messy compared to the other ones. Replace or repair the injector for that cylinder.

 

the gasoline i use is always at a shell gas station, never at any other gas station..i used 87 all the time back then, but now i use 89. but i dont think the gas is the case.


the spark plugs all seem fine, it could be the O-rings you were talking about? i dont know what that is...sorry for my car illiteracy...



also, when the problem occurs, i would put press down the gas pedal to give it some juice, and it would start...i dont know if that helps you guys determine what the problem is.

 

O-rings are the little rubber seals on the injector head. If they are not sealing correctly, they can allow fuel to seep from the gap and slowly fill the cylinder. Not enough to be a big deal, but enough to flood the cylinder and quench combustion.

The fact that you push the pedal to get it to start would suggest that it's NOT the injectors flooding the cylinder. If the o-rings were bad, pushing the pedal would add MORE fuel and flood it worse, so because you're pushing the pedal and it's working...you're probably not flooded.

 

It could be a combo of dirty injectors, dirty MAF sensor and throttle body. First try a tank or 2 of Seafom treated fuel. 1oz. per gallon and take some extended drives of 30-40 miles non stop. This will allow the Seafoam to clean the injectors and combustion chamers of carbon. You might be surprised at how well it will run after this process. I do the treatment about every 5K when I change the oil.

 

I have used the zmax for both my gas tank and when I changed my oil.. it did improve it a lot..noticed the difference right away

Where can I get that sea form?

 

I have used the zmax for both my gas tank and when I changed my oil.. it did improve it a lot..noticed the difference right away

Where can I get that sea form?

 

Seafoam is sold at most auto parts stores but it's cheaper at Walmarts. It comes in a white metal can. You will notice an improvement right away but use most of the treated tankful of fuel to get the full benefit of the treatment.

 

Just to clarify you post. If injector o rings were bad it would only create a vacuum leak. Or an external fuel leak if it were the top ones. The only way motor could flood would be an injector that was stuck open but the symptoms as described doesn't indicate that.

 

Possible fouled MAF from an over oiled K&N?

Clean the MAF as bB2NER suggested. Just a thought.

Robert

 

sorry to ask this, but what is an MAF?

and i will try to clean the K&N, it could be that...thanks you the help yall!

 

I am going to guess 2 things
1) fuel filter
2) slightly loose battery cable

 

Mass Airflow Sensor, it's mounted between the throttle body and air filter.