Hard to start

I've just got my car it has 97,000 miles on. Im having a problem with starting it, it does want to start on its own I have to give a lil gas to start, or it I crank on it for a wile. What could couse this?

a lot of things could cause this.
for starters i would do some general maintenance items on it so that you can rule them out. also, you know that they are done since you dont know what the previous owner did (not) do.

start with: air filter, sea foam in the vac line, check for vac leaks, fuel filter, AL605 spark plugs, ac delco wires, clean the MAF, change the oil and filter, then see where you sit with the problem.
IMO every new riv owner should do those things when they first acquire a used riv.

aside from those items, it could be clogged injectors, dying fuel pump, FPR, IAC valve, TPS, etc causing problems.

Make sure your battery is not weak.

Bert

well I've done everything I can think of, plugs, bat fine, wires look good, and its keeping fuel pressure wile off. I cant think of everything else. Can anyone think of anything else???

Use MAF cleaner to clean the MAF. I dont know if you knew, but I found out the hard way. Dont use carb/fuel inector spray cleaner on any electrical componants!!! (thx Dave)

ricos20002 wrote:

well I've done everything I can think of, plugs, bat fine, wires look good, and its keeping fuel pressure wile off. I cant think of everything else. Can anyone think of anything else???

sometimes you can buy a sparkplug and its bad straight out of the box(doesnt happen often but it does happen)also, the plug wires may look fine but when its night you can see bad wires arching that you wont see in the day time and if you wanna know 100% for sure the battery is good- take it to a battery store or mechanic and have it load tested _{sorry for the buzzkill}

My first guess is your idle air control motor. I can't tell you how to test it, exactly, but I can tell you it's really hard to start without it.

Once you've got it running, does it stay running easily or do you have to keep it revved for a minute at first? When you are driving it, is the idle consistent? Does it drop significantly from neutral to drive? What's your idle in park vs idle in D?

deekster_caddy wrote:

My first guess is your idle air control motor. I can't tell you how to test it, exactly, but I can tell you it's really hard to start without it.

Once you've got it running, does it stay running easily or do you have to keep it revved for a minute at first? When you are driving it, is the idle consistent? Does it drop significantly from neutral to drive? What's your idle in park vs idle in D?

once it starts up its fine, the idle is about 1200 in p or n, but in drive its about 750-800.

this morning I tried to start it w/o giving it some gas and it wontnt start.

in p or n my 98 is around 750, 800. in drive its around 6 or so... dont know if that helps but im tryin

c-taylor-6 wrote:

in p or n my 98 is around 750, 800. in drive its around 6 or so... dont know if that helps but im tryin

thanxs for ur help, I have 1or 2 around so Im going to try that and see what happens. well see

Sounds like the IAT control. IDle should be ~1100 - 1200 cold, slow down to ~788-800 warm.

HINT - with the computer control the idle on the Riv should be rock-steady. speaking from experience -- if the idle hunts around then it is time to clean the MAF and the injectors.

As for you Robert, better check the air filter too while u are at it.

Albertj

FYI, pumping the gas won't help start the car in a fuel injected system.

Yeah... I understand that some EFI systems are programmed to read the throttle position sensor during start up. So that for instance you can clear a flooding condition by pressing the accelerator to the floor. IF that is the case for the Riv - I don't know offhand - it will be outlined in the service manual's troubleshooting for the fuel system.

AA wrote:

FYI, pumping the gas won't help start the car in a fuel injected system.

no Im not pumping the gas, just got to give it a liltle gas to start.
I havent put the ICV on couse the one I have is from a series 2, I dont know if that one will work so now I'll have to go and get one, but Im thinking thats my problem.

Air felter not even 3 weeks new, I just did a 4" pvc fwi

pumping the gas is different than raising the throttle position a little. Pumping does nothing. Stepping on the pedal a little does something. Tells me the IAC isn't working right...

Did you install a K&N or other oiled filter? I've heard of a lot of MAF problems from over-oiling the filter.

deekster_caddy wrote:

pumping the gas is different than raising the throttle position a little. Pumping does nothing. Stepping on the pedal a little does something. Tells me the IAC isn't working right...

Did you install a K&N or other oiled filter? I've heard of a lot of MAF problems from over-oiling the filter.

Its a K&N filter only the best for my baby

Understood, I like K&N too, but don't over-oil it or you will find yourself having a lot of MAF problems.

deekster_caddy wrote:

Understood, I like K&N too, but don't over-oil it or you will find yourself having a lot of MAF problems.

ok thanks for the info

I let my car sit for a day, and when I started it up (still had to give it a lil gas) alot of blue smoke, I know thats fuel it smelled like it was running rich. Is that still ICV. I heard that the fuel pressure regulator might be my problem.

you really ought to check to see that teh K&N is not over-oiled. It would be a shame to go through a lot of grief to fix something so simple.

Albertj

the filter new and it was hard to start before that so I dont know, I looked at it the other day and it look fine

are you burning any oil?

I was having a hard time starting my 61k mile 'new' Riv.

I'd turn the key and audibly it was trying for it but not was catching; or firing. About 6 tries later the car would start.

Last night I got the sparks changed and this morning was a pleasure. Started right away.

no it smells like fuel and its blue

Mr.Riviera wrote:

are you burning any oil?

blue = oil, black = unburned gas