Slow Starting Engine

[DECIM8]

Hey guys,

Im getting pissed with this engine problem, Ive put it off until now but now its just painful. Just so you know I had my belts changed along with a endless amount of parts so its hard to pinpoint the issue.

The problem is a slow start every time I park the car and turn it off for 1-5 hours more than that and it has no issue starting. The engine will take 4-6 seconds to fire and I will try ignite, stop and go again more often than not its 3 attempts to turn it over. This then greats me with a mid idle not the typical starting warm up idle. It can often just fire cylinders slowly as if cylinders ignite one by one very slowly.

Saying this when I walk out to start the car in the am before work she fires with no issue.??!

Im aiming at a few items.

Alternator - Its an R34 alternator so I find this hard to believe, I had no issues before this time and the car will not stall and holds a steady charge even when sound system is thumping for 30mins or so.. I dont feel that it can be faulty if its still doing its job.

Starter - The clutch was changed in this procedure so Im thinking it may be this, How extactly do these work could it perhaps be a weak voltage drop to this item?

Belts - I fitted gates belts when I start the car I notice the power slowly raises stops then continues from 12v to 14.8 or close Im thinking when cold they shrink which is great for long term in the short term they sqeek so loudly when it fires and are so tight they dont spin correctly on ignition. Perhaps they are stopping it cranking correctly.

So Fuel pump, installed it when stock had no issues like this. Eliminated.

Injectors - checked

Sparks - Brand new powered with spitfires.

So my money is on starter but what does someone else think?

[SLY-25T]

not good Nath

hope you find the prob soon!

just wondering... is it only the gates belts that shrink that much? or do standard ones do it to?

cause i was going to get gates belts all round but after reading that they dont sound too well...?

cheers mate

Jaye

[blind_elk]

So, it's a "hot start" problem.

Are you running the standard air box, or pods?

[DECIM8]

no its a cold start issue really or to be exact warm start because when its hot it fires easily. And fires on a cold start but wont turn over for abit on a warm start lol

[iseekool]

This might sound crazy... What brand/type of oil do you use? Sounds exactly like a problem on my dad's VS commodore. He had the problem when he was used Pennzoil semi synthetic, so far all other oils he has used do not seem to give a problem, might be worth a look.

[DECIM8]

doesnt matter what oil I used.. Thanks for the idea however. Ive used royal purple and motul turbo light so far.

FYI its a full CAI system.

Tuner thinks its vapor lock??????????

[DECIM8]

Further investigation on other vehicles suggests its a rooted starter.

How do starters work as im expecting the cable to badly connected or similar. I know they would be grounded and positive somewhere its just checking connections.

Supposedly the starter requires more power when it absorbs heat, this inturn needs a bigger current when warm which it cant draw because of either clutch dust or bad connections. The reason it wont start when stopped for the first hour is because the heatsheild blocks most heat but cant resist it for more than 30 mins or so.

Sounds like total crap I know but its actually true, alot of people have exactly the same problem in almost every single car even out of factory brand new!

Now I just need spare time and a hoist.

Crap!

[r33seddy]

lookd into ur cold cranks?

[cuppas]

yuh... how old is your battery?

[DECIM8]

1 year .. Couldnt be the battery as it starts in the AM remember. Will try a second.

Yes cold cranks been done.

[lunjiaow]

Maybe your eninge is running too rich, and your spark plugs foul up?

I know this happens to my car. Starts easy when cold. When warm, it takes quite a few cranks to start.

Needs a tune maybe.

[MP_R33]

I would say from listening to the problem, it COULD be the battery very possible although its highly unlikely.

I would put my money on the starter motor though bit odd only starting from cold though, woulda thought it would be the otherway around.. awell hope its fixed asap.

[342Four]

my first thought was too far advanced timing

but then you said that it was a warm start problem

i think it might be a combination of what lunjiaow (vince) said and what ive said

(sometimes a hard start is too advanced timing - a very easy start is timing too retarded)

[Neejay]

Did you ever solve the problem? I'm having kinda the same issue.

[RB25DETC33]

Have you changed the timing belt recently? If so, did it start doing it afterwards?

I have the same issue, picked up a 34 gt, the timing belt was done 5 weeks ago (before I picked it up). Ive been looking over the same things and none have fixed the issue. However, looking at the CAS the previous owner has marked it but it doesnt look to be correctly aligned with the marks, but not sure on this as the marks were made on the washer......

It seems to be in an advanced position.

[R.3.2.G.T.R]

i would say starter solenoid, once its warm it causes issue on mine as well

[RB25DETC33]

I dont think its anything to do with solenoids or batteries. The rb25s are all built the same. The series 2 doesnt have this problem. It seems to be a regular occurance on the neos. They start fine cold but when warm sound like they want to start but just dont as if no fuel or spark is present. I think it has something to do with the neos design or tune.

[GotsWapan]

I know this sounds silly but I had a similar problem, there was a dodgy earth wire at the back of the motor. That and I changed the CAS.

Now its hard to crank when cold but fine when warm.

[75coupe]

The OP had this problem almost 4 years ago (old thread) maybe pm the OP to see what the resolve was..?