Car Only Starts Half The Time!
09-19-2007, 03:39 PM
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So about 3 months ago I was at my friends house and my car didn't start when I went to leave (I heard the engine crank but it never started). I went back the next morning and worked on it for about 6 hours (mainly focusing on fuel system b/c thats what I figured it was) so I tested all relays leading to the fuel pump (fp), all fuses, took the fuel pump out and tested it with a different power source and the motor in the fp worked, put my older smaller fuel pump in and it didn't help the situation either, disconnected my ecu and reconnected it, tested continuity between wires for fuel pump, re-did my smt6 connections to the ecu, and nothing seemed to make any difference. Anyway, my dad and I took a break, went in to my friends house to get a drink, came back outside and the car just started. No idea why.
SO, it started fine for the next month, then I wrecked my car (not bad just some suspension stuff.) After I had everything back together from the wreck I started the car and pulled it into the garage to double check everything. I went to start the car to pull it out of the garage and the same problem from earlier occured again, but it was really late at night and I didn't feel like dealing with it so I want to bed. Next morning I went back down and it started first try.
Then a couple weeks later it happened again, so I ripped my back seats out and fooled with the fp wires again and it started fine for another two weeks, which takes us to the present week in time.
For the past week everytime I would go to drive nothing would happen, so I just fiddled with the fp wires and eventually the car would start. Unfortunately today, playing with the wires didn't do much. So i ripped my dash apart and checked out my ignition switch and turbo timer connections (couldn't do any testing b/c I was in the parking lot at work). Anyway, I kept randomnly trying to start the car, but I got nothing, so I went back to screwing around with wires, tried to start the car again and got nothing. I got mad and took a 15 min break without touching anything and then tried to start the car again and it started.
Ok, so to conclude, my car only starts some times. When I turn the key, I hear the engine crank and crank but the car doesn't start. I think I can rule out the following as being the source of the problem:
Battery
Starter
Fuel Pump
ALL Fuses
FP Relays
ECU connection (b/c everything else in the car works)
I really don't know what the problem is. I want to say its faulty wires, but I don't know where it would be at (half the time it seems like the wires right at the fuel pump and half the time it seems like ignition switch wires) and before I start replacing wires under the dash (which would be a very big job) I would like some people's opinion b/c I am lost here.
SO, it started fine for the next month, then I wrecked my car (not bad just some suspension stuff.) After I had everything back together from the wreck I started the car and pulled it into the garage to double check everything. I went to start the car to pull it out of the garage and the same problem from earlier occured again, but it was really late at night and I didn't feel like dealing with it so I want to bed. Next morning I went back down and it started first try.
Then a couple weeks later it happened again, so I ripped my back seats out and fooled with the fp wires again and it started fine for another two weeks, which takes us to the present week in time.
For the past week everytime I would go to drive nothing would happen, so I just fiddled with the fp wires and eventually the car would start. Unfortunately today, playing with the wires didn't do much. So i ripped my dash apart and checked out my ignition switch and turbo timer connections (couldn't do any testing b/c I was in the parking lot at work). Anyway, I kept randomnly trying to start the car, but I got nothing, so I went back to screwing around with wires, tried to start the car again and got nothing. I got mad and took a 15 min break without touching anything and then tried to start the car again and it started.
Ok, so to conclude, my car only starts some times. When I turn the key, I hear the engine crank and crank but the car doesn't start. I think I can rule out the following as being the source of the problem:
Battery
Starter
Fuel Pump
ALL Fuses
FP Relays
ECU connection (b/c everything else in the car works)
I really don't know what the problem is. I want to say its faulty wires, but I don't know where it would be at (half the time it seems like the wires right at the fuel pump and half the time it seems like ignition switch wires) and before I start replacing wires under the dash (which would be a very big job) I would like some people's opinion b/c I am lost here.
09-19-2007, 03:46 PM
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Vehicle: 2001 Hyundai Tiburon, 2004 Kia Sorento, 2010 Kia Soul
1. You can test your fuel pump without messing with the wiring under the seat. Look in the DIYsection, I posted up a how to.
2. Check your Crank Position sensor. make sure it's clean, tight, and working.
2. Check your Crank Position sensor. make sure it's clean, tight, and working.
09-22-2007, 10:18 PM
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Well its not that crank sensor. I tried the one out of my other engine and still didn't help my situation.
09-23-2007, 11:15 AM
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Hmmmm, reading through this I was certain it would have been the crank position sensor. I had the same problem in the spring, car would only start sometimes and finally not at all. I traced back to the fuel pump cause it wasn't working. I also checked for spark and had non of that either. Turned out it was the crank position sensor for no spark, but the fuel pump not working was a faulty connector. Mice had gotten up under there over the winter and knawed some wires a little. mad.gif
09-23-2007, 04:38 PM
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^^^ That sucks.... I checked spark (which I had) and switched cp sensors yesterday with no good results.
Does anybody know of any wires to the fuel pump that would only need to be working to start the car?
Does anybody know of any wires to the fuel pump that would only need to be working to start the car?
09-23-2007, 11:28 PM
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Run the fuel pump test, like I said above. If it works, then the wiring is fine.
When is the last time you checked or cleaned your spark plugs? Changed them? Changed the wires?
Ever use any fuel injector cleaner? Change your fuel filter?
When is the last time you checked or cleaned your spark plugs? Changed them? Changed the wires?
Ever use any fuel injector cleaner? Change your fuel filter?
09-24-2007, 02:40 PM
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^^^ The plugs and injectors only have 5-10k on them, so I doubt that they are the problem. I'll try running injector cleaner through again. Fuel filter isn't too old either. I might try changing the plug wires tonight, the only thing is, is that the car runs perfect once it starts. If it was anything with the wires/plugs or even clogged fuel inj/filter it would probably misfire when it was running.