Hard starting '94 Pickup 2.4L

8650 Views 6 Replies 5 Participants Last post by oldyoto, Dec 7, 2007

duc_racer

Discussion Starter · Jan 30, 2007

Hello folks.

I have a '94 pickup 2.4L two wheel drive with 182K on the clock. I live in New England and this winter it began showing difficulty starting when the temp gets into the 30s and below.
Last January I had to replace the headgasket. Everything went well and no complications. And I am impressed with the lack of wear on the cam lobes, followers and cylinder walls. Incredible! But shortly after, approx 2-3 weeks, I began hearing a noise like a high frequency check ball rattle. It would occur at idle about half way through warmup and stay for about 15 minutes or until up to full temp. But only at idle. If I jabbed the throttle it would change pitch. Which led me to suspect the fuel system.
This lasted about a month or two then stopped.
Now, this winter, it will crank a long time without starting. If I use short jabs with the key, it will stumble a few times then start. This is always with closed throttle (foot off the pedal).
I suspect that a check valve is not seating properly and allowing fuel pressure to bleed off. Thus the starting with the technique described.
One thing that confuses me is the fact that I get results with the short jabs and not the long cranking that you would think allows pressure to build.
Am I way off base? Point me.
Comments please.

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Vicoor

· #2 · Jan 31, 2007

I think you are thinking too much about this.

The fuel system is not designed to hold pressure overnight. If you had a leak down problem it would likely manifest itself as a hard to start problem after the car had been driven then turned off for 10mins-30mins.

The Cold Start Injector Injects extra fuel during a cold start to enrichen the mixture so your engine can fire. If this is not working properly due to a problem with the circuit or a clogged injector then it makes it very difficult to start.
Multiple cranking attempts as you have described would help to over come this.

I would say that it would be appropriate to inspect the operation of the Cold Start Injector and it's circuit.

another thing that could contribute to this type of issue are problems with the fuel pump or circuit.

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oldyoto

· #3 · Dec 7, 2007

har to start

I've read a few of your responses to various concerns. I'm impressed.
I've got a problem that I can't figure out. I've got a 93 22re that has 184,000 miles on it. Timing gears/chain, water pump, oil pump, etc... replaced about 40,000 miles ago. About 2 months ago it started acting funny when starting. It seemed to take longer before firing. Recently it has gotten worse. After the truck has been driven and turned off the problem is worse. If I try to re-start it after 30 minutes of it being driven it will take 2-3 attempts. I have to crank the engine for 5 seconds, turn key off, crank for 5 seconds, turn key off, then repeat for the 3rd time. If the truck sits over night or longer than 8-9 hours it seems almost fine. Starts but not as quickly as other 22REs I've had.

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phburks

· #4 · Dec 7, 2007

maybe a leaky injector(s). when you turn the key off there is still pressure in the system, and if an injector is leaking that pressure will push fuel into the manifold. this would create a fuel/air mix too rich to start until some of that fuel is burned off. sitting overnight would allow that extra fuel to evaporate so it's easy to start in the morning. excessive cranking would also burn that extra fuel up. you can also try holding the gas pedal all the way to the floor when you start it warm. this cuts off the fuel supply, allowing you to clear the flooded engine.

at least, that's what it sounds like to me.

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Georgiadave

· #5 · Dec 7, 2007

I agree about the cold start injector troublshooting.

Also, a tuneup might be needed. How about your oil. Are you using 5-30 or 0-30 oil?

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oldyoto

· #6 · Dec 7, 2007

tune up

I've done a recent tune up (more or less) New plugs, checked distributor cap and rotor (cleaned but did not replace) and new oil. I've been using 5W30 but recently switched to 10W30 synthetic although the problem didn't start after switching oil viscosity.
I'm thinking of adjusting the valves tomorrow but I can't see that loose or tight valves could cause intermittant problems. For example, why does it start normal when it's cold but when it's partially warm it won't.
The leaky injector(s) may be the cause but more difficult to troubleshoot.

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oldyoto

· #7 · Dec 7, 2007

Thanks for the info. I'll try holding the thottle open the next time it does its thing. Any ideas or how to test for leaky injectors without removing them?
As for the cold start injector, when does it come into play. I assume the coolant temperature has to be down below a certain temperature.

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