Some Troubleshooting help please

[Uncamitzi]

Car hasn't been started for a week. I had noticed it took a few extra cranks the last couple of times I started it.

It rained today after a few weeks of dry weather. I cranked it until the battery started to run down. I thought I heard a couple of intermittent backfires..but nothing of note.

All I've done so far is to pull the battery to recharge it...


Some suggestions on what to check first please...I'm having brain lock up on this one.

[Uncamitzi]

ok....nevermind. Guess she just got mad at me for riding the scooter and cycle so much this year. Damn mild winter let me ride the bikes almost the whole time.

Still.... could I have "flooded" the engine. in my 13 years of driving the SVXii I've never had this problem.... I guess there's always a first time.

[ensteele]

Good to see you! I have found that if the battery is down just a little, it will turn over, but if it doesn't turn over fast enough, it will not start. It can get flooded in this case, so if it doesn't start, I charge the battery and usually don't have any problems after that.

I have started to use a great battery tender that is a little spendy, but is the best one I have ever used. It doesn't just keep the battery charged, but sends out different types of power types which keeps the battery in tip top shape. It is called the smartest battery charger made. Here is a link to their site and they cost around $65. to $70.

Here is a video about the CTEK chargers.

CTEK Battery Charger 3300

Here are some details on the charger at a car site.

[Uncamitzi]

Good info on the battery... and most probably the problem thinking about how quickly she started to slow down cranking. I charged the battery over night ... and after a few cranks and a few backfires (evidence of flooding)... she came back to life...took her for a drive.... and she performed flawlessly...even got better gas mileage today....

I prefer to think she has a become jealous of the scooter and motorcycle, and doesn't realize she's the true love of my life and the time I spend driving the bikes is more time she gets to be with me....

Can you spell anthropomorphizing?

[Uncamitzi]

An update for anyone ...but mostly for me so that I can look up this timeline again ....

The car wouldn't start again after a day or two ... battery showed fully charged.. but it just wouldn't fire. not even a backfire this time. Then..after I got to work..and came back she started after about 10 cranks.

Something I didn't mention before The CEL has been on... EGR valve solenoid ... Yesterday I had the same thing happen... I cranked it over for about 5 minutes strong steady cranks...nothing....then 4 hours later came back and she started right up. funny thing... the CEL cleared... I cleared the codes and now it doesn't show the failure... oh...she started right up this morning..

(I think she's just jealous of the motorcycle and the scooter.)

[Uncamitzi]

What?....no comments about a CEL clearing itself?......

What's happened to this forum?

[huck369]

might be crank or cam sensor going...

[Uncamitzi]

Originally Posted by huck369

might be crank or cam sensor going...

wow...I hadn't thought that far....but it sounds like something to look at.

[Uncamitzi]

ok...this is getting irritating.... HOW can a car run so well after it won't start after cranking for a full 2 min?

Scenario: Drove car yesterday for about 3 hours. Came home turned it off... it started right up... like it always has. Came out about 3 hours later and it started right up ...like it always has. This morning (and this has been the same scenario every day I've started the car this past 2 weeks) cranked...cranked and cranked...a pop up near the intake... crank another 10 seconds and a pop, pop... vroom. it starts... CEL off...and then on... with no apparent pattern... EGR Solinoid failure. Now I've read that some people have completely removed and plugged the EGR... with no problems.

The car passed emissions with very good numbers (for a 20 year old car).

I'm about to pull spark plugs... but don't know why except to look at burn patterns.

any other suggestions? The crank and cam sensors did (back when I did the water pump) throw codes but I chalked that up to cracked and frayed wires..which were repaired.

[1986nate]

It's sounding like pretty typical coolant temp sensor symptoms.

You mention that you had frayed wires to your cam and crank sensors. May want to check the wiring to the CTS as well.
Or the entire engine harness for that matter...

[Uncamitzi]

Originally Posted by 1986nate

It's sounding like pretty typical coolant temp sensor symptoms.

You mention that you had frayed wires to your cam and crank sensors. May want to check the wiring to the CTS as well.
Or the entire engine harness for that matter...

Thanks Nate! I'll look through that... isn't there a CEL code for temp sensor?

[Tapani]

I know this sounds strange, but have you checked your air cleaner?

The wife drives a 2007 2.0 n/a Forester and the cranking time got longer and longer - especially when half warm. At times all this lead to a no start condition - had to use jump cables.

The air cleaner element was a bit dirty, but not bad by any standard (50kmiles). I swapped if for a new one and it fires right up, every time - no variation in cranking time.

Also, the stage 2 ECUTune in the SVX needs quite long cranking when half warm (after sitting an hour or two). I think it's a tad rich in that spot. A new air cleaner element reduced this too ! And it wasn't even as dirty as the Forester.....

Being rich should not cause popping in the intake, though.

Just my strange observations

Tapani

[icingdeath88]

Originally Posted by Uncamitzi

Thanks Nate! I'll look through that... isn't there a CEL code for temp sensor?

Yes there is, but as long as the reading the ECU gets is within the very wide range, it won't throw a code. If you disconnected it it would throw a code. If it's bad it very often won't, but can still cause symptoms. The ECU adjusts AFRs based on readings from this temp sensor, so if it's off by enough, then it could definitely cause this. It's also very easy to change, and available inexpensively from rockauto.

[dannmarr]

I would check your wiring from the battery. Check the ground to frame, connection to starter. If you have a starter bypass, check the relay.

[Uncamitzi]

Now I have a weekend project...I'm pretty sure Nate's hit it on the head as I've already rewired/replaced all grounds to the electric system. Rewired the cam and crank sensors... I believe I just missed (probably on purpose) the wires to the other sensors...