220TC

Hi,

Recently did the headgasket and lowered the compression but now it gives me terrible problems when starting from cold, so much so that I have to bump start it everytime I use it from cold.....lucky I live on a hill really It will start just by cranking but I'm paranoid I'll run the battery out as it takes at least 3 or 4 goes on the starter, each time I will crank it for around 30 seconds. When it does finally start I have to keep my foot on the gas for a while as it cuts out. Also the longer I leave the car for the harder it is to start.

I have a spark & fuel but I will be replacing plugs, leads, rotor, dizzy cap & coil tommorow to see if that makes any difference, the aux air valve is definately open when the engines cold so I know thats ok. Other than that I stuck as to what it is, I suppose it could be just a really weak spark signal couldnt it

What confuses me though is that when it finally starts it drives ok with no misfiring etc.. One other thing I have noticed is no matter how long you drive it for it always gives a really low idle.

Any help much appreciated

Duncan

220TC

CabrioTurbo

well you can adjust the idle via the screw under the throttle body,
as regards to the starting it could just be crap spark/ignition etc.. but whats it like when its warmed up?
have you reconected the cold start injector (blue plug in middle of plenum) try unplugging this and see if it helps!
cheeRS
Phil

220TC

its fine when its warmed up, idles a bit low though thats the only thing.

I disconnected the cold start injector earlier, I'm at work at the monent so the car will be cold when I go to start it later, I'll report back then !

Any other things I can check ?

cheers, Duncan

mechanick

may sound funny my m8s 1 wouldnt start from cold tried everything then he put a fuse in fuse box for heated seats and it used to run werid

James Raby

iTrader: (1)

Mine did the same, replaced Fuel ECU and runs fine now
This is so recently, that I did it yesterday

220TC

was this just a case of unplugging the old one and swapping them over, is there anything else that needs to be done ?

cheers, Duncan

RSeb

im sure the relay for the heated seats is also a relay for an important part of the injection system

220TC

I've checked the 'heated seats' relay and its ok.

I'm running out of things to check now

What I dont understand is that when the car finally starts, whether its off the key or bumped, its runs fine ! Does this mean it cant be the fuel ecu ?

Duncan

220TC

up

220TC

tried unplugging the cold start but that made no difference, it still took about 30 - 40 seconds of cranking before it spluttered into life I have to keep my foot on the gas at about 2500 rpm for a while otherwise it stalls , after that it runs fine apart from a lowish tickover and lots of 'pops & bangs' out of the exhaust when I let off the throttle, Im starting to think this may be the fuel ecu like James's, anyone else any ideas or anything

Duncan

CabrioTurbo

Have you got a spare ECU to try.. ? maybe it could be the problem.. was worth trying other things first though.

220TC

UPDATE !!!

Worked on the car today for a bit and have replaced the following and it still dosent start right

new dizzy cap
new rotor arm
new HT leads
new coil
new spark plugs

car also had a new dizzy about 7 months ago

I replaced the fuel ecu as well today, made no difference at all !!

Moved the dizzy but that made no difference except the revs increased and decreased at idle.

Checked the 'heated seats' fuse as well, that was ok.

Checked all the multi plugs are plugged in correctly.

Thermo switch has been tested by disconnecting the plug to the cold start, made no difference at all.

Aux air valve is ok & working.

...............what else could it be as I'm stumped now ! I suppose it could still be the coolant sensor under the inlet manifold but apart from that I cant think of anything. Once the car starts it drives fine except for a very low idle and splutters a bit when you lift off the throttle.

Also bear in mind the car will ALWAYS splutter when I'm trying to start it, whether its cold or just been driven. When its cold I usually have to bump start it down a hill and even then it dosent do it straight away When its been driven it will splutter a tiny bit but the starts after a few seconds.

Also, when running it earlier on the spot loads of moisture came out of the exhaust

PLEASE HELP

Duncan

220TC

220TC

apples24

time for a compression test

220TC

the compression will be fine, only did the headgasket 2 weeks ago ! As I have said before the car drives fine once its started, its only running about 10psi at the moment but it pulls really well.

Duncan

220TC

up !

vroooom ptssssh

well, for a start if u dunno about ignition timming an how to set that up, this could be a problem cos if its wrong it wont start or struggle.
same goes for cam timming.
why not take it to someone who knows what their doing? everything you've replaced would of cost the same as a RR session and they would of told u exactly what was up with it! or at best set it up properly so it will start.

ian rst

He has a point there Dunc take it to steve he will sort it.

220TC

I'm 99.9% sure the problem is its overfueling a lot, I can smell fuel in the car quite a lot now. Im going to drop it off at my local garage, you've probably heard of them ian, Broadway, they have a fair bit of knowledge about rs turbos and the owner knows steve quite well so he can always see what he thinks the problem could be. I've just about had it with this car now

vroooom ptssssh

Well ye cant really give up cos u been playin about on a driveway and aint got it right, not many ppl can with RSTs if its not set up proper!!

hope u get it sorted

p.s. if u smell unburnt fuel it could be ignition timming again! plus if it was overfueling it wuld start easier.

220TC

me to mate ! when I do its going to get a right good caining, just for pissing me off

vroooom ptssssh

lolol, rightly so

220TC

UPDATE 17/12/04

right, got the car back from the garage a couple of days ago and the bloke had managed to fix it !! What it turned out to be was the wires in the multiplug going into the pressure actuator had snapped, I think thats one of the only things we DIDNT touch when doing the headgasket etc... Anyway, I couldnt wait to drive it, I've been driving a citreon ax for the last few months while mines been of the road. Took it for a drive and all was ok.

Got up in the morning to go to work, go outside to start the car but the starter motor isnt working !! I've had problems with this before and it was thought the immobliser playing silly buggers so I bypassed it, but now I know its deffinately the starter So I get out my crocodile clip and bit of wire, connect it up to the battery and then touch it straight onto the terminal on the starter, it clicked a few times and then came into life and started. On my way to work I needed petrol, after filling up I walked back to the car and it suddenly hit me that I forgot to re connect the starter, shit !! I popped the bonnet and got my wire out again and promptly burnt my hand on the manifold I finally managed to get the wire to touch the terminal but it wouldnt start, thats funny I thought, what could be wrong........fucken immobiliser was still on So I dissabled that then tried again, finally managed to get the wire to touch the terminal, god knows what people were thinking as they were walking past, theres me dangling a live wire into my engine bay, sparking everywhere (in a petrol garage ), trying not to burn my hand Got to work a little late


















then, on the way home................














































my clutch cable snaps































then, while my dads towing me to the garage.................











































the tow rope snaps

So now Im back to the good old citreon after driving my rs for 1 day

Sorry for the long update ! but I'm bored, pissed off & skint now

merry christmas , Duncan

ECU Monitor Enthusiast

iTrader: (1)

Be thankfull you dont own a cossie

CabrioTurbo

wounded! i had a similar poroblem with my starter.. i just replaced the wiring to it and the alternator and all is well.

turbo.jon

the joys of owning an RS
its not just yours mate everyone has same problems

hope you get it sorted i cant wait for mine to be done its a long time away though

220TC

yeah I know mate, I've kind of got used to it now, when my cable snapped yesterday I just sat their and thought 'oh well, something else to fix'

I've never had so many problems with a car in all my life

ECU Monitor Enthusiast

iTrader: (1)

I always carry in my car these spares....

clutch cable
throttle cable + clip
crank and phase sensors.
Ignition amplifiers
map sensor
cam belt
alternator belt
spark plugs
oil
water

I do have AA membership but will always try and fix it myself first

220TC

bloody hell mate, I think I'll have to start doing the same though

vroooom ptssssh

your not having much luck lol

220TC

I know ! Its getting a new clutch cable fitted now so I should hopefully get it back tonight. Its due to get set up on tuesday so hopefully nothing else will go wrong However much this car pisses me off I will NOT sell it, I WILL make it reliable

vroooom ptssssh

pmsl, well good luck your jus replacing stuff thats probably due to wear out so once ud one all that blown engine is next pmsl, touch wood it dont !! get it set up by a well known place!!