hard to start when it is cold out

[gookgangsta]

hi i have a 93 laser . it cranks over but would start when it is cold out. if a crank it enough times it will stumble but wont start. after a while it will start if im lucky .. when it is abut 50 degrees out i have to step on the throttle to get it to start. any clues?

 

[95blackGsTurbo]

Always try the basics first, check you plugs to make sure they are not fouled out, then see if your wires are in ok shape. Then test your battery to make sure it's got the proper cranking power to turn a colder engine over. What weight oil do you use. I have seen people have starting problems using to thick of oil for the temperature outside.

 

[femmeDSM]

Coolant Temperature Sensor

We should make this a sticky.

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Edit: The ECT (coolant temp sensor) is the first sensor the ECU looks at when you start your car. The ECU asks it "How cold is it outside today?" and the ECT responds. The ECU takes that information and decides how much fuel to send to the injectors. If your ECT is faulty, the ECU will either get an incorrect reading back, or no reading at all, and will stay in open-loop, dumping fuel into your cylinders, making your car excessively hard (or impossible in some cases) to start.
The Coolant Temp Sensor is located on your thermostat housing, towards the bottom, on the left/front. In my 1990, it's located next to the Temp Gauge Sending Unit. Consult a service manual if you need help locating it (or for proper testing procedure), or I can post a picture of its location if you'd like to check it out.

There you have "ECT 101". If you need more info, don't hesitate to ask

 

[dsmgrimreaper]

Coolant Temperature Sensor

We should make this a sticky.

-----

Edit: The ECT (coolant temp sensor) is the first sensor the ECU looks at when you start your car. The ECU asks it "How cold is it outside today?" and the ECT responds. The ECU takes that information and decides how much fuel to send to the injectors. If your ECT is faulty, the ECU will either get an incorrect reading back, or no reading at all, and will stay in open-loop, dumping fuel into your cylinders, making your car excessively hard (or impossible in some cases) to start.
The Coolant Temp Sensor is located on your thermostat housing, towards the bottom, on the left/front. In my 1990, it's located next to the Temp Gauge Sending Unit. Consult a service manual if you need help locating it (or for proper testing procedure), or I can post a picture of its location if you'd like to check it out.

There you have "ECT 101". If you need more info, don't hesitate to ask

right on

 

[92awddsm]

As already stated, coolant temp sensor is the first place I would look. Better yet, check the wiring going to the sensor itself. I have seen many of 1g's that have cracked or broken wiring going to the sensors around the thermostat housing due to exposure of heat over a period of time. If you or someone you know has a logger of some sort, check to see what the temp reading is before you start it. The logger takes temp readings from the coolant temp sensor and every time the wires were broken, the default seemed to be 55*f. If the sensor is bad, Ive seen readings anywhere from -10f to 200f.