# Odd startup problem



## Ras (Oct 27, 2005)

About a month ago I pulled into a fast food place and ate there about a half hour. Got into my car to leave and the car wouldn't start. The engine would turn over as often and as long as I turned the key, but the car wouldn't fire up. I sat frustrated for a few minutes and finished my milkshake, then tried again. The car didn't want to start, but it did that time. After that I didn't have any problems for a while.

Now, a week ago it happened again. I waited patently about 30 minutes and tried it again. Engine still wouldn't catch this time. I had it towed to a mechanic that claimed to be a z specialist. He tried to start it and everything worked fine for him. I left it there and it never had the same problem for a few days. He couldn't figure out what the problem might be.

I bring the car home and it seems to run fine for one day. The night of the 2nd day i go shopping, get the car filled up with groceries and it refuses to start in the exact same way. 

The car is a 86 300z NA, and the only thing that I can think of that has been the same every time is that the weather has shifted from being warm to a little cold. A friend of mine thought it might be a compression issue and needed new seals for the fuel injection, but he's not an expert or anything, so i don't know how much stock to put in that idea. I'm no expert either.

Hope this isn't too little or too much info.
thanks- Ras


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## Spongerider (Nov 18, 2002)

Ras said:


> About a month ago I pulled into a fast food place and ate there about a half hour. Got into my car to leave and the car wouldn't start. The engine would turn over as often and as long as I turned the key, but the car wouldn't fire up. I sat frustrated for a few minutes and finished my milkshake, then tried again. The car didn't want to start, but it did that time. After that I didn't have any problems for a while.
> 
> Now, a week ago it happened again. I waited patently about 30 minutes and tried it again. Engine still wouldn't catch this time. I had it towed to a mechanic that claimed to be a z specialist. He tried to start it and everything worked fine for him. I left it there and it never had the same problem for a few days. He couldn't figure out what the problem might be.
> 
> ...


Sounds like a electrical problem. I wish, I could help you but I not familiar with the Z31.


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## Zen31ZR (Mar 24, 2004)

There may be a problem with the coolant temperature sensor. This tells the ECU how warm the engine is and how much fuel to let the injectors spray to get it to start. In most cases, a malfunction will cause exactly what you are describing. In extreme cases, the car won't start for a very long time even if cranked intermittently for over an hour.


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## 81'280zxt (Oct 28, 2005)

could be a fuel filter slash bad gas.


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## Zen31ZR (Mar 24, 2004)

81'280zxt said:


> could be a fuel filter slash bad gas.


Unlikely. It'd still run, but badly. Never saw a vehicle with bad gas that was hard to start, now _water in the gas_ is different.....


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## Ras (Oct 27, 2005)

*Water?*



Zen31ZR said:


> Unlikely. It'd still run, but badly. Never saw a vehicle with bad gas that was hard to start, now _water in the gas_ is different.....


What are the symtoms of water in the gas, and what does it take to get rid of them?
-thanks


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## asleepz (Feb 24, 2004)

Ras said:


> What are the symtoms of water in the gas, and what does it take to get rid of them?
> -thanks


Water in the gas would be if it cranked up white smoke.... To get it out, you'd either have to siphon it out or drain the tank in some other way.


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## z31 (Oct 19, 2004)

Zen31ZR said:


> There may be a problem with the coolant temperature sensor. This tells the ECU how warm the engine is and how much fuel to let the injectors spray to get it to start. In most cases, a malfunction will cause exactly what you are describing. In extreme cases, the car won't start for a very long time even if cranked intermittently for over an hour.


This sounds pretty close. My NA used to act like that during fall and spring.

the symptoms I had:
dead cold it starts fine (i.e. first thing in the morning)
after it's warm it'll start right back up, but if you let it sit for 45min-hour it'll just crank.
sitting for several hours clears it up again.

I can't remember if this was around the time my FPR was dumping fuel into my vacuum system or not. Just pop the vacuum line off the top of it and see if fuel shoots out.

When mine wouldn't start, I'd hold the pedal to the floor while I cranked it. That usually got it going.


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