Rough start after sitting a few hours or overnight

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

My cruiser has done the exact thing you are describing for yours a couple of times. Once when sitting over the weekend and once when sitting a full week. It kinda sputters and then works itself out. I have new plugs, don't see any smoke and am not loosing coolant...
 
I'm now wondering whether it might be related to the crank sensor or a flywheel related issue...since I did the poor man's crank seal and oil pump seal replacement using a 3/4 inch breaker bar attached to the flywheel to bust the crank bolt loose...or a timing issue...I've seen some people also describe an engine kickback due to bad timing...what a freaking rabbit hole...
 
I haven't had this happen in the Cruiser, but I had a Mustang Cobra that had very similar symptoms. It turned out to be the check valve in the fuel pump. It only happened after setting for a period. If I turned to the key to ON for a few seconds and let the fuel pump pressurize the system it would start right up and run fine, but if I inserted the key and immediately turn it to start in would stumbled and not start. Replaced the fuel pump and life was good.
 
Mine does the same thing on occasion. There is zero predictability. Sounds like it's trying to run on 2 or 3 cylinders, clunking and clanking and beating the heck out of things, sometimes hard to start, like a lot of starter spinning. When it finally starts running, it is very rough, like a lot of missing, oil pressure is slow to rise, then after maybe 20-3 seconds of idling, it smooths out and runs like nothing happened. Other times under the same conditions there is nothing. I can say it tends to smoke more when this happens, but I always have smoke on start up from leaking valves.

Something I'll try next time it happens is to let it sit a few minutes and come back to it.

You'd think the engine was trying to choke down a squirrel or something.
 
So pulled the plugs & re-installed the same ones...it hasn't repeated the same symptom since I put them back in? I had also added some fuel injector cleaner to a new batch of fuel...however, seems more connected to the plug re-install? What the heck? Anyone else experience this?
 
Tools R Us said:
So, is it a turning over/starter problem or a motor running/missing problem? We have seen a few where the starter will engage and disengage rapidly, making a nasty sound, it's intermittent, sometimes does, others doesn't. Likely the solenoid going bad, all repaired by replacing the starter with a Denso reman.
Click to expand...



I'm with Tools on this...

Mine had a bad ignition switch that would randomly (usually when cold) give some kickback when the starter engaged momentarily for a split second, then bind.

The result made it seem like I was cranking over a super high compression race motor or sumthin :eek:

Replaced the starter motor and the problem only went away temporarily :hmm:

Then I put a jumper wire on the solenoid and it tested no to low voltage :meh:

Installed a relay with a push button switch for a solid 12v trigger and she's been cranking away perfectly ever since :smokin:
 
98 SNAKE EATER said:
I'm with Tools on this...

Mine had a bad ignition switch that would randomly (usually when cold) give some kickback when the starter engaged momentarily for a split second, then bind.

The result made it seem like I was cranking over a super high compression race motor or sumthin :eek:

Replaced the starter motor and the problem only went away temporarily :hmm:

Then I put a jumper wire on the solenoid and it tested no to low voltage :meh:

Installed a relay with a push button switch for a solid 12v trigger and she's been cranking away perfectly ever since :smokin:
Click to expand...

Thanks- That's good info for sure...did your engine kinda shake and just in general seem like it was pissed off (I know highly technical term) until you turned turned the key off in horror? Did it not repeat the issue on the second start attempt, but just kinda run crappy for 1-15 seconds?

How intermittent were your symptoms with the bad ignition switch?
 
Thanks...seems crazy that they'd be worn/damaged- maybe 5K on them (OEM)...but you're probably right...
 
Bear Adams said:
M0untaineer,
Did you ever find out what was causing your issue? I'm experiencing the same thing.
thanks
Paul
Click to expand...
Bear did you ever find out what was causing your issue? I'm experiencing the same thing.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Back
Top Bottom