Just got an 08 Corolla that is still under the warranty, so I figured I'd inquire around and try to get an answer. Upon turning the ignition, the car will start but it seems like I have to turn it over a little more than "normal" and if I don't do it that way, I've had 2 times where it did not start. My initial thought was the battery, and so I went to have it checked and sure enough it did need to be replaced. But even after doing that, I still feel that the issue remains. In this situation, what could the problem be beyond the battery? Thank you for any assistance.
the newer returnless fuel systems do tend to crank a little longer than older toyotas. my 93 would start if you just bumped the key, my 00 celica however takes a few revolutions to start and is harder when the engine is hot. 1-2 seconds of cranking before it starts is normal i think.
Hm. Well hopefully that's it, I guess I'm just asking because I've never driven one before and am unsure to begin with, and since the car is still under the 36k warranty I'd like to take it in and get it fixed if it really is a problem. Thanks..
I've always noticed that my car takes longer to start hot than when cold. I guess that's normal? It'll crank maybe 1 second to start when cold, but maybe 2 seconds to start when hot. I never knew what caused the difference. That's the first time I've noticed it on any vehicle I've owned.
It's due to changes in fuel density. Because our cars use a return-less fuel system, after the car has been shut off after being driven to operating temperature, the fuel that was remaining in the fuel rail gets what is called "heat soaked". The residual heat from the engine heats the fuel inside the rail and since the fuel is not circulated back to the tank upon turning the key to "run position" like it is in a return-type fuel system, it is less dense and therefore has less energy per given amount because the gasoline molecules are heated and more spread out (think back to your high school physics ). when you try to start the car with heat soaked fuel, more revolutions/more injection cycles are required to get the same amount of energy from the fuel. hope that clears things up!
Last edited by TrdSpeed140; 01-04-2010 at 08:09 PM.
I always chalked it up to some type of vapor lock. I don't know, but I guess this is the first vehicle I've had with a "returnless" fuel system, simply because my other vehicles don't exhibit this behavior.
Also, I think on a hot start, the computer injects less fuel. In fact, on my 92 Camry, the users manual suggested to press down on the throttle when you start it hot. On that car, the throttle was still mechanical, and this advise is probably not relevant any more on drive-by-wire cars.
no, if you pressed the throttle while trying to start on most newer cars the computer will do what is called "clear-flood mode". basically the computer thinks you're opening the throttle and cranking it to clear out flooded cylinders and therefore won't inject in any more fuel. so if you're trying to start your car, it'll take even longer if you do that! lol
I always chalked it up to some type of vapor lock. I don't know, but I guess this is the first vehicle I've had with a "returnless" fuel system, simply because my other vehicles don't exhibit this behavior.
Thanks!
that is also true, i totally forgot about that. if the gas in the rail gets heated enough it can vaporize inside the rail leading to an extended crank symptom until the vapor is pushed out. Good one Jason.
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). when you try to start the car with heat soaked fuel, more revolutions/more injection cycles are required to get the same amount of energy from the fuel. hope that clears things up! 
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