Starts then dies when cold, restarts fine

[Vr-4-Life]

For the past two days I''ve been having a strange issue that seems to be the opposite of the main relay symptoms.

When I walk outside to start my car in the AM... It will start and then die, I'll restart it again and it will die, then on about the third try it will start up perfect...

Once I let it run for about 1 minute.. it will start up perfectly fine with no problems... Does my car just not like the cold? I hear my fuel pump come on and I do get fuel pressure, but the strange thing is.. I usually only hear it prime when I first put the key into on. Now I hear it every time I try to restart the car.

I dunno... I havent been stranded, but I worry... Maybe its just the cold..

[Foolinaround]

short somewhere?

[Vr-4-Life]

I'm not sure... I dont think so, but its possible. I was wondering if this could be the dizzy or some sensor on the TB that is sensitive to the cold.

Hopefully some one has had this happen... I have an in cabin fuel pressure gauge that I need to install.. That could give me a clue.....

[Foolinaround]

"I usually only hear it prime when I first put the key into on. Now I hear it every time I try to restart the car."

I always heard my WFP prime. last time you did plugs/wires?

[Vr-4-Life]

The wires are brand new... I usually run bkr7e's but I havent had any close by to buy... I put some crappy plugs in that I think are just cheap coppers. They were in there when the car was running rich too.. Its possible that they're the culprit, but I'll have to pull them out to see... thats not happening today lol.... my lil honda has snow up to the windows.

[Foolinaround]

well keep me posted man

[gtsiawd96]

Coolant temp sensor? Map sensor?

Check out those sensors.

[Vr-4-Life]

Map sensors fine.. If it wasnt connected I would have a **** ton of black smoke... my vac is -25 once the car is running...

Um coolant temp sensor? I dont believe that would cause something like this.

[Foolinaround]

-25 vac? vac leak?

[gtsiawd96]

Map sensors fine.. If it wasnt connected I would have a **** ton of black smoke... my vac is -25 once the car is running...

Um coolant temp sensor? I dont believe that would cause something like this.

When you start any modern day fuel injected vehicle cold, it looks for 3 things. Coolant temp to see if needs cold start enrichment(more fuel), Mass air meter or map sensor in your case also throttle angle or TPS. That is open loop mode.

After you warm up the o2 sensor heaters bring the sensors on-line, the vehicle goes into closed loop, the ECM doesn't look at coolant temp sensor to much anymore, and relies mainly on MAP, TPS, and O2 voltage for fuel mixture.

Coolant temp sensor can most definitely affect cold-start. I'm not positive on hondas but usually there will one sensor for your gauge in the dash and a separate sensor two wire that runs to the ECM.

[Keeper1343]

Do u have a iac valve on that motor? Could be faulty. It's not the plugs. Its a sensor that's broke somewhere. I know if my iac is bad the car won't run

[Vr-4-Life]

-25 vac? vac leak?

-25 is good.. that means the car has a lot of vacuum... -5 would be bad...

When you start any modern day fuel injected vehicle cold, it looks for 3 things. Coolant temp to see if needs cold start enrichment(more fuel), Mass air meter or map sensor in your case also throttle angle or TPS. That is open loop mode.

After you warm up the o2 sensor heaters bring the sensors on-line, the vehicle goes into closed loop, the ECM doesn't look at coolant temp sensor to much anymore, and relies mainly on MAP, TPS, and O2 voltage for fuel mixture.

Coolant temp sensor can most definitely affect cold-start. I'm not positive on hondas but usually there will one sensor for your gauge in the dash and a separate sensor two wire that runs to the ECM.

I have one sensor probe by the water neck in front that was unplugged because the clip was broken.. I plugged it in and it started up fine... im not sure if this was the cause though... btw my temp gauge always worked with it unplugged.

Do u have a iac valve on that motor? Could be faulty. It's not the plugs. Its a sensor that's broke somewhere. I know if my iac is bad the car won't run

possibly... hows ur lude?

[Keeper1343]

Lude is good. It's almost out of the shop. Then I have to save up for a tune. I'm just gonna run a known "ok" base map

[Vr-4-Life]

got a wideband?

[Foolinaround]

Sorry i just awoke from my nap and realized now what i said,-25 is hella deep in vac. i need to not post on tst when im asleep. Something is preventing it from going into open loop,check what gtsi said

[Keeper1343]

Yea rich I have a wideband... So I should be ok.

[gtsiawd96]

I have one sensor probe by the water neck in front that was unplugged because the clip was broken.. I plugged it in and it started up fine... im not sure if this was the cause though... btw my temp gauge always worked with it unplugged.


If it was unplugged I would say thats most likly your problem. Also you have another temp sensor somewhere for the gauge(it's got to know the temperature somehow), it should be a small single pin sensor right around the two-pin connector that was unplugged. Hope that fixes your problem.

[Vr-4-Life]

Sorry i just awoke from my nap and realized now what i said,-25 is hella deep in vac. i need to not post on tst when im asleep. Something is preventing it from going into open loop,check what gtsi said

It has no problem getting out of vacuum.. and the behavior is exactly what I would expect at idle...

Yea rich I have a wideband... So I should be ok.

Cool man.. I cant wait till its done... whats up with the move to my block? lol

If it was unplugged I would say thats most likly your problem. Also you have another temp sensor somewhere for the gauge(it's got to know the temperature somehow), it should be a small single pin sensor right around the two-pin connector that was unplugged. Hope that fixes your problem.


yea the single pin sensors fine.. its the two wire one that is screwed into the head by the water line... the clamp cracked and now its just barely hanging on.. i need to get a new sensor.. do you know the part number for those on a d series?

[gtsiawd96]

I tried to look up the OEM part number, but I'm not sure.

This is the sensor through Advance Auto.

http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_Coolant-Temperature-Sensor-BWD_3488365-P_290_R|GRPSENSAMS_529644023___

Is the clip broken on the harness or the just the sensor?

[Knaufboi00]

my car did the same thing when it was turbo'd... dont know why though...

[The Alchemist]

Are you still running the car with all that water in the coolant ressy?


Lol, you probably start your car up in the morning, with more slushy crap in the coolant than anything else.