starting issues after car sits for a while

[CrisZenithBlue]

Originally Posted by JFP in PA

I would start by running the car with a fuel pressure test gauge attached, reading the pressure. Then shut it off with the gauge still attached and let it sit to see if the pressure bleeds off. It should not.

i'll order a fuel pressure gauge and test.
i tested a few months ago and it was within specs but this does seem to be a fuel pressure issue somehow.

could this be related to the fuel regulator in any way?

[JFP in PA]

Originally Posted by CrisZenithBlue

i'll order a fuel pressure gauge and test.
i tested a few months ago and it was within specs but this does seem to be a fuel pressure issue somehow.

could this be related to the fuel regulator in any way?

Possibly.........

[CrisZenithBlue]

i did the fuel pressure tests.

- ignition on without cranking the engine shows 52 psi which is on the lower end of the spec which i understand is 55 +/-3 psi but i'd say acceptable.

- with the engine on at idle it sits at 46-47 psi which should be good as spec is 48 +/-3 psi

- I pulled the vacuum out of the regulator as well, there's good vacuum, no leaks and no smell of gasoline on the regulator or line. fuel pressure jumps up a few psi when I pull it which indicates the membrane inside is working correctly.

- here's a video of idle, steady revving at 3000 rpm and short revs. doesnt seem to indicate anything might be wrong with the fuel pressure.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8OGCSFgcLY

- lastly, i turned it off and left it for 30 minutes. pressure went down 1-2 psi which i think is ok? or should it not drop down at all?


not sure what's going on, i was expecting a quick bleed out since it had issues starting after just a few minutes. weirdly enough yesterday while doing all these tests the car started fine.

remember these issues started as soon as i refurbished injectors and the gas tank was opened as well by my mechanic who supposedly tightened down the fuel pump which was loose. car never had an issue starting up before.


i heard if an injector o ring is pinched it could cause a slow leak. i also heard the gas pump has a valve that opens and closes when you start/stop the engine to prevent losing pressure. if that doesnt close it might cause a pressure bleed.


any idea guys?

thanks,

Cristian

[deemce1]

"remember these issues started as soon as i refurbished injectors and the gas tank was opened as well by my mechanic who supposedly tightened down the fuel pump which was loose. car never had an issue starting up before. "

thanks,

Cristian[/QUOTE]

When this happens to me, I always go back to the old saying "If it was working and you did something and now it no longer works..... you broke it. Go back and retrace your steps"

Good luck. We can feel the frustration in your posts.

[CrisZenithBlue]

Wanted to update this post, because i did and learned some things in the meantime. The P1128 and P1130 codes were actually caused by having the wrong MAF version, i did sort that out quite a while ago and no more codes, definitely closed the book on those.

The P0455 code was indeed from a major evap leak, it was actually the fuel sender unit. Under the battery tray the plastic neck that the line connects to snapped of, it was old yellow brittle plastic. i replaced the fuel sender, made sure the fuel pump was sitting right and fixed that issue right away, no more fuel fumes coming into the cabin.

I still have the hot start issue, and i believe what is happening is what Blue62 and particlewave (in an older post here) mentioned, fumes ending up in the intake, when i press the gas a bit more air is mixed in and it starts right up, never takes more than 2-3 seconds. it's most likely something in the EVAP ecosystem that is not doing its job.

I was going to change that valve that sits behind the right headlight, i have the part just never got around to replacing it. I thought it was supposed to go on the charcoal canister according to DYI guides but i guess that was for a different version, mine goes behind the headlight along with another valve. If that doesnt do it i'm considering replacing the charcoal canister.

I'm gonna do that soon and report back. Thanks to all that shared really valuable info, very much appreciated!

[Stl-986]

Originally Posted by CrisZenithBlue

Wanted to update this post, because i did and learned some things in the meantime. The P1128 and P1130 codes were actually caused by having the wrong MAF version,

Not sure where you read that, but that isn't right at all. 1128 & 1130 make many people think it's the maf and it almost always isn't the maf.

[CrisZenithBlue]

Originally Posted by Stl-986

Not sure where you read that, but that isn't right at all. 1128 & 1130 make many people think it's the maf and it almost always isn't the maf.

I know what you're saying. Those codes were the first issue I ever had with the car and i did the whole shebang, smoke tested for vacuum leaks and all that good stuff. I later realized that I didn't buy the correct MAF for my car, I bought the updated one but it wasn't the right one for my ECU. When I replaced the MAF with the right one the codes went away. This was a few years ago.