Now, this isn't my car.
But it is a phenomena I have come across on many occasions. If you have experienced it you will know exactly what I am talking about.
Basically, on a cold start, the engine will fire and then almost immediately splutter to a halt. On attempting to re-start it is noticeable that the starter motor sound is very different (Instead of the ChugChugChug, you just get a constant whine) This is because there are no compressions on any cylinder.
The problem is that the valves are no longer seating properly.
Typically, this happens if the previous start only involved the engine running briefly (Say, to back away from a garage door to gain access, that sort of thing)
Some engines seem particularly vulnerable to this (1990's Jag V8's were one of them)
My advise is do not start an engine unless you intend to warm it up. Allow it to run for at least 5 minutes before switching off again if you want to avoid this problem.
Extended cranking and some fancy footwork can get the engine going again (First one cylinder, then two and eventially if you can get it to run once revved up the problem will clear and once warm it will be as if it had never happened)
Of course, it will flood while doing this so you also have to do stuff like disconnect injectors or short out the temp sensor to foll the ecm into thinking the engine is warm and so on (You may have to clear fault codes that this action might generate)
Of course on many modern cars with push button start, you will not be able to do this so I imagine if this happens on any car where you do not have direct control of the starter you will be royally stuffed. Fortunately I have not come across any push button starts with this issue....Yet!
Now, there are various theories as to what is happening here.
I would be interested to know if anybody here has any thoughts on the matter.
(Or indeed how one might possibly start an engine with this issue with a push button start short of a cylinder head strip down!
)
But it is a phenomena I have come across on many occasions. If you have experienced it you will know exactly what I am talking about.
Basically, on a cold start, the engine will fire and then almost immediately splutter to a halt. On attempting to re-start it is noticeable that the starter motor sound is very different (Instead of the ChugChugChug, you just get a constant whine) This is because there are no compressions on any cylinder.
The problem is that the valves are no longer seating properly.
Typically, this happens if the previous start only involved the engine running briefly (Say, to back away from a garage door to gain access, that sort of thing)
Some engines seem particularly vulnerable to this (1990's Jag V8's were one of them)
My advise is do not start an engine unless you intend to warm it up. Allow it to run for at least 5 minutes before switching off again if you want to avoid this problem.
Extended cranking and some fancy footwork can get the engine going again (First one cylinder, then two and eventially if you can get it to run once revved up the problem will clear and once warm it will be as if it had never happened)
Of course, it will flood while doing this so you also have to do stuff like disconnect injectors or short out the temp sensor to foll the ecm into thinking the engine is warm and so on (You may have to clear fault codes that this action might generate)
Of course on many modern cars with push button start, you will not be able to do this so I imagine if this happens on any car where you do not have direct control of the starter you will be royally stuffed. Fortunately I have not come across any push button starts with this issue....Yet!
Now, there are various theories as to what is happening here.
I would be interested to know if anybody here has any thoughts on the matter.
(Or indeed how one might possibly start an engine with this issue with a push button start short of a cylinder head strip down!

