Cold Start Issues! Please help me to a resolution.

[InfiniteGSX]

Alright. Got this 97 GSX for a direct trade for my blown up 94 Talon. Sexy lil black bi***. But it was halfway parted out and hasn't ran in almost 5 years! Not because of damage, because the people were stupid. It had bent shift linkage and they thought it was a trashed transmission. Easy fix.

So I start out by restoring it. Get a manifold, Stock Turbo, Sell the large injectors it had, Ordered a FMIC Kit, got a radiator, repaired some damaged wires. Got it to start. But when I first started it I had no MAF. I mainly just ran it to confirm certain things worked like the water pump and that there was no knocking rods or anything. 6bolt motor has 120psi across the board. Not inspiring but not bad. I've had high 11 second DSM's with the same compression. However not my issue. I got a MAF Sensor finally and it started getting cold, like cold weather. I couldn't get it to start at all. So one day, a couple days ago it was really warm outside. Took about an hour of "tricky" cranking to get it to run. I would have to just tap the starter to get some fuel in, tons of times. You'd hear it pop, and then pop pop.... But wouldn't start. Finally it started, then died. Started and ran for a minute or less than died. Finally it eventually stayed running. I let it run to confirm it was running on 1 cylinder. Then you could hear it start to "catch up" and another cylinder would fire, then another... It was finally running somewhat decent. Turns out I had a completely dead injector. So I replaced it right away. It started right up and I adjusted the new Biss Screw I got for it since it had non when I got the car. Not sure I'm on target since the entire gauge cluster is dead, but I dropped it to a quiet idle. I have video, (ignore the exhaust leak sound, I need a welder to weld my 3" downpipe together)

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I drove it around the block, actually a couple times and it ran GREAT! Goes through the RPM's very smooth like. But this was all in a warm day. Today and tomorrow is very cold! I tried today but only for a few minutes and it fired twice but no start.

I don't have a autozone close enough to test the codes. I think its only a O2 Code. But O2 Sensor wont prevent the car from starting, It should start but just not be up to par. So what else should I be looking at? Sticky Injectors? IF so what would I do about this if I can't replace them cheap... What about something in the TB? I remember last year when I had a blockoff where the FIAV/ISC was it would take a lot of convincing to get the car to start. I ended up replacing it with a new Unit and said screw the blockoff plate.

What about this ECT? I'm using a 1g Water Neck since I couldn't find a 2g Water Pipe. I know the 2g has two sensors and the 1g has like 3. There is three wires dangling that I know goes to the 2g water pipe. Two have pin sockets on them but no plug. I'll fix this soon but I assume they plug into the matching top 2 wire plug. And the single wire goes to that little single wire sensor...

But what I was reading on here is that the ECT on 2g's is 1 wire and on 1g's are 2 wire with the plug in a T Format....

anyway what do you guys suggest?

Car:
1997 Eclipse GSX
6Bolt Motor (120/121/124/120)
7bolt Head
14b Turbo
2g Manifold
3" Real Turbo Back (3" Tubular O2 Housing)
SSAC Short Route FMIC
Stock 1g Injectors
Stock 2g MAF
98 Black Plastic ECU
BPR6ES (NEW)
Coil On Plug
"Car that hasn't been daily driven in over 5 years and possibly only driven at all in 4 years, by me in the past couple days"

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[DSM1G90]

Temp sensor for starters - not doing its thing for it's telling the ECU that it's 77 degrees outside.

Could have ECU issues in itself ...

When starting, hold down the gas pedal slightly and it should catch quicker

... and stay away from Autozone.

 

[InfiniteGSX]

... and stay away from Autozone.

AutoZone has a code reader! I don't! Not until I get my OpenPort. ECU was tested in a 97 GST.

I tried something a week ago. I took a spare sensor (the 1 wire sensor) from the 2g water neck. Connected it to the cars harness and put it in a bowl of hot water. Thinking I could trick the ECU into thinking it was already warm. No Such Luck.

 

[DSM1G90]

Actually, it needs to be in reverse: put the sensor in ice cold water then see what happens.

For what you did was like if the sensor was bad and the ECU senses a warm condition.

The one wire sensor is the sending unit. The temp sensor is the one next to it to the left.

Good luck-DSM

 

[InfiniteGSX]

Remember this is a 2g with 1g water neck. 2g has only 2 sensors and 1g has 1. The two sensors on the 2g is the small one wire on the bottom and the two wire round plug on top. The T 2 Wire plug on the 1g is what your talking about.

That doesn't really make any sense then.... It doesn't start in cold weather!

However starting to think the problem is the Injectors. Cause it starts a tad better now with the one newer injector. Still having issues. Just not as bad.

 

[turbotalon31]

the temp sensor is a 2 prong plug that kinda looks like this -| hope this helps. i just went thru the same cold start issue myself replaced the temp. sensor and no more issues.

 

[AlaskanDsm]

Had pretty much the same problem when it was cold. Warm I never had an issue, ended up being because "T" temp sensor wires were broken. Once I replaced the connector, never had another problem.

 

[InfiniteGSX]

the temp sensor is a 2 prong plug that kinda looks like this -| hope this helps. i just went thru the same cold start issue myself replaced the temp. sensor and no more issues.

Not on a 2g! Remember I own a 2g! Your talking about a 1g.... 2g ECT is a 1 wire plug.

1g Housing has 3 Sensors, the Two Wire top plug, the 1 wire bottom plug and the 2 wire -| plug.

2g Housing has the two wire bottom plug and the 1 wire top plug.

Even tho I'm using a 1g housing doesn't mean I use the 1g sensor.... There is nothing to connect it to since the 2g harness doesn't have it.

2g:

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1g:

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I'm on a 2g Head with 1g water Neck, And yes they are interchangable... Well. a 1g water neck will work on a 2g head but a 2g water neck will not work on a 1g head. I'm using the 1g water neck because I don't have a 2g water pipe.

 

[AlaskanDsm]

Oops *facepalm*. Got confuzzled. Sorry. It still sounds similar to a temperature problem though. Have you tried swapping out the sensors from a working car to see if the car will start cold? Also, You might try swapping the ECU to see if there is a problem internally.

 

[DSM1G90]

Yea, my bad too ,but still do the trick with cold water and see what happens...

 

[InfiniteGSX]

I don't see how its a trick... The water is already cold, why would I add additional cold water to it? .

I already tried a different ECU from a working car. Its not the ECU. Car runs fine. It just has issues starting. My friends brothers car has the same cold start issues. Taks a lot of tricky cranking to get it to fire, then when it fires and runs it runs for a few seconds, dies, then over and over again a couple times till It finally stays running.

I don't think its these sensors. Cause even tho people claim the ECT is one of the leading causes, I've completely disconnected the entire harness off of the Water Neck Sensors on my Talon, and my friends GST and it doesn't change shit. Starts right up.

I think the issue has something to do with why most of the Gauge Cluster doesn't work... Possibly the Injectors or stock fuel pump.

Boost Gauge Needle is MAXED OUT, Oil PRessure somewhat works. Fuel Gauge Works, Temp Gauge Doesn't. Speedo and Tach don't work. Warning lights work.

 

[DSM1G90]

(sorry on that last one .. working too much on less sleep ... BUT, do this trick: When you get the car going, take a VOM and put the red lead on the sensor and the black to ground and see if the resistance changes when the water gets warm and if it does, then you good in that area...)

Wonder if the FIAV in the throttle body isn't up to snuff then ... for it's more pointing now to an intake situation since you did every other test managable.

Good luck-DSM

 

[InfiniteGSX]

I was kinda thinking the FIAV/ISC as well because I've had a block-off on my talon and had issues cold starting it. But Not this bad. A fully charged battery goes almost dead with how many times I have to crank it before it finally stays running as the battery is almost dead.

Maybe its all a few things. Couple sticky injectors. Bad Sensor. All resulting in the larger issue.

Alright! Freezing cold day, Snowing outside. Had to go to the store and my Jeep has worse issues. Car wouldn't start. So I unplugged the two top nipples on the intake manifold, and sprayed carb cleaner in each hole. Car started right up, idled rough but it didn't die. Idle smoothed out as it warmed up. I turned the heater on and went inside the house for a few minutes while it idled and warmed up. Went outside and drove off.... Prob gonna carry some carb cleaner with me from now on till the issue is found out haha.

 

[InfiniteGSX]

Ok Only code my car is throwing is ECT. Go figure haha. I'm guessing the 1g Sensors are actually different than the 2g's... Cause I can't get the ECT or Temp Sensor Gauge to work on the 1g housing. So I'll pull them out and put the 2g sensors in it.

 

[InfiniteGSX]

Ok, So I switched the 1g coolant sensors with the 2g's and everything started working fine. No more cold start issue, no more running rich, fans work!