R32 Help.....plz

[bazzanator]

Hey everyone,

My '93 R32 has had a starting problem since i have had it.

The Problem:

This happens when it is cold in the morning or when the car hasnt been driven for about 3-4 hours. I go to start it and it turns over but doesnt actually fire up and run. After turning the car over for like 2-3 attempts the car fires up but runs rough for like 3 seconds and then drives very very good (no problems once it is on).

What I have done so far:

changed to platinum spark plugs and had them gapped properly to .8

changed the fuel filter and oil filter

had the fuel system cleaned and changed fuel pump

Had injectors inspected (all good)

changed AFM and Pod Filter to KN

Cleaned the IACV

Tested and cleaned Coolant temp sensor

Removed cold start valve, cleaned and tested it

This just gets annoying in the morning and have put up with it long enough now and have tried a lot and searched a lot on these forums but cant seem to find a solution. If anyone has had the same problem or has any other suggestions plz help me out and let me know.

Im in Adelaide so if anyone knows of somewhere i can go or if anyone wants to have a look ill drive anywhere...

Thanks in advance

[mad082]

how old is the battery, and what sort is it (cheap quality or better one)?

also have you tried letting the fuel pump prime fully before you start it?

and what heat range plugs are you running?

[payback21]

AAC Valve?

[Rekin]

I had similar problem with my car.

After changing the battery, the car started much better but would still struggle. Would need to blip the throttle to keep it alive.

The problem disappeared for me when I upgraded to GTR injectors, z32 afm and a tune. Not sure which exact part fixed the problem but my car has no problems at all starting in the morning.

When replacing the injectors, i noticed that the connector plugs were corded and would have had a very bad connection. Although that wouldnt matter if the engine was cold or hot...

Try give this a shot if you havent already.

http://www.skylinesaustralia.com/forums/Di...html&hl=aac

[bazzanator]

how old is the battery, and what sort is it (cheap quality or better one)?

also have you tried letting the fuel pump prime fully before you start it?

and what heat range plugs are you running?

not sure about how old the battery is but its a century battery and looks alright, ill change it over and see ho i go. i let the fuel pump prime before i start it and i even heard of letting it do it a few times by turning key and back and forwards (didnt think it would make a difference and it didnt).

How do i check what heat range plugs im using (sorry if that seems like dumb question)

I have already cleaned the AAC

A lot of people i talk to keep saying that it has to be battery or AFM but i thought that the AFM had already been looked at.

ANy other suggestions?

[BeEnAr]

Part number on the plug or packet will tell you what heat range. I use 7's so number for me is BCPR7ES

[mad082]

as above, the part number of the plugs tells the heat range. however not all spark plug companies work off the same numbering system. NGK go a higher number for a lower temp, but i'm pretty sure some others go a higher number = hotter plug.

if your car only has mild mods and is running lower boost then you would be better off with a lower number (higher temp) plug, as the colder plugs are more prone to fouling.

i would still be looking at the battery though, as the battery may be on it's way out and not producing enough amps to crank the starter motor quite fast enough while also supplying power to everything else at the same time. you could also try just resetting the ecu in the mean time to see if that helps.

also something i have heard on other forums is that sometimes the earth wire for the afm can need a better ground attached to it to help it run a bit smoother. this is something that is talked about a bit on the pulsar forums. i know that for some of them it gave a smoother idle. might also be worth a shot. try and locate a wiring diagram to find out which wire is the earth and then strip the wire a bit close to the plug and attach a second wire and earth this somewhere (either to the engine block or to a bolt in the engine bay close to the afm) and see if it helps at all.

[bazzanator]

as above, the part number of the plugs tells the heat range. however not all spark plug companies work off the same numbering system. NGK go a higher number for a lower temp, but i'm pretty sure some others go a higher number = hotter plug.

if your car only has mild mods and is running lower boost then you would be better off with a lower number (higher temp) plug, as the colder plugs are more prone to fouling.

i would still be looking at the battery though, as the battery may be on it's way out and not producing enough amps to crank the starter motor quite fast enough while also supplying power to everything else at the same time. you could also try just resetting the ecu in the mean time to see if that helps.

also something i have heard on other forums is that sometimes the earth wire for the afm can need a better ground attached to it to help it run a bit smoother. this is something that is talked about a bit on the pulsar forums. i know that for some of them it gave a smoother idle. might also be worth a shot. try and locate a wiring diagram to find out which wire is the earth and then strip the wire a bit close to the plug and attach a second wire and earth this somewhere (either to the engine block or to a bolt in the engine bay close to the afm) and see if it helps at all.

just a quick question though...this problem only happens really when the car is cold. if it were the battery wouldnt it happen when its warm too? sorry if that seems stupid...

[NZM.031]

no... when its cold, the motor is tight.. all the oil is in the sump, and theres no heat to help with combustion or atomization of the fuel.. so the battery has to work that little bit harder to get it going..

it could be one of a few things already stated.. like a leaking or dodgy injector.. low compression.. afm.. fuel pressure??

there is no real way to test the afm.. the best test is just to replace it with a brand new item.. it can cause so many different problems each with its own set of faults.. its a good place to start and even if it doesnt fix the problem.. you can cross it off the list of future problems..

i dont know of many people doing the afm earthwire trick on skylines... i know you can do it on sr20's, but they have a different afm all together..

have you done wired in the fuel pump to run on full battery voltage?? theres a thread on it in here, just search for it.

my rb20 did the same thing sometimes, i cleaned everything as you have done, and got a new afm, which fixed alot of issues, but not the the idle after start up.. it was ok with me as i always let the car idle for a lil bit before driving anywhere anyway.

if everything else is working and performing ok.. maybe its a wise idea to leave this one alone and deal with the idle.. if it only does it fo a bit after 1st startup, then thats not so bad.. as opposed to constantly chasing it to find you may need new piston rings.

[bazzanator]

no... when its cold, the motor is tight.. all the oil is in the sump, and theres no heat to help with combustion or atomization of the fuel.. so the battery has to work that little bit harder to get it going..

it could be one of a few things already stated.. like a leaking or dodgy injector.. low compression.. afm.. fuel pressure??

there is no real way to test the afm.. the best test is just to replace it with a brand new item.. it can cause so many different problems each with its own set of faults.. its a good place to start and even if it doesnt fix the problem.. you can cross it off the list of future problems..

i dont know of many people doing the afm earthwire trick on skylines... i know you can do it on sr20's, but they have a different afm all together..

have you done wired in the fuel pump to run on full battery voltage?? theres a thread on it in here, just search for it.

my rb20 did the same thing sometimes, i cleaned everything as you have done, and got a new afm, which fixed alot of issues, but not the the idle after start up.. it was ok with me as i always let the car idle for a lil bit before driving anywhere anyway.

if everything else is working and performing ok.. maybe its a wise idea to leave this one alone and deal with the idle.. if it only does it fo a bit after 1st startup, then thats not so bad.. as opposed to constantly chasing it to find you may need new piston rings.

Hey cheers for your useful info. After searching im gonna try get a z32 AFM (which i have read are meant to be better for future mods too) and change the battery to a bigger one with more CCA.

Well currently my CCA is 330 on my batery which came with the car. Do you think thats a bit low? Is there anything wrong with putting one with like say 600 CCA?

Thanks

[NZM.031]

check your chosen battery for CA and CCA... i found this the other day with a backhoe battery at work... the original one was 900CA... and i had one in stock that was the same size but 700CCA... cranking amps and cold cranking amps are different... dont know why, but cold cranking amps is about a 3rd lower than cranking amps.. iideally, you want just enough cca to get it going, as the bigger the rating, the bigger the battery, the bigger the battery the more weight you have in the nose. if you have a stereo and added in lighting etc.. you may want a bigger battery.. but if its bascially just gotta start the car, you want a small one..

600cca is alot... and thats going to be a big battery.. 300 should be plenty.. and its a good size battery.

a brand new z32 afm and wiring is about $350... but you will need a retune from someone like dr drift or a safc to run it.. i chose the safc and all up it cost me as much as a new R32 afm.. 350 for the afm, 200 for the safc. and it worked a treat.

DO NOT BUY A 2ND HAND AFM!!!! at $300 brand new for a bosch z32 afm, it makes no sense to buy a 2nd hand jobby.