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Do you have any other problems like does it act up when coming to a stop light or anything. I would start out by checking the throttle body and cleaning it. It could be dirty and sticking a bit. Does it seem to start fine only when its been driven and warm or do you have the same problem starting it warm or cold?
tri9ss, um no other running problems really and it will do it when its warm or cold. dreamer, it has 140k miles and it has 5w-30
try to use 10w 30 i had a jeep and it said to use 5w 30 and it did the same thing i put 10w 30 and it stopped
Theres no difference between 5w30 and 10w30 at all once the oil is at operating temp. The only difference in the viscosity during the winter months with the 5w being thinner than the 10w. This ensure that theres as little oil starvation as possible when its freezing cold outside.
Do you have a check engine light illuminated on the cluster?
When the vehicle starts poorly, whats the outside temperature or is it consistant through out all temperature ranges?I would first look at the oil to make sure its full as well as checking oil pressure when running.
You could also do a visual inspection of the start up by having the hood open while someone else starts the vehicle.
It sounds and this is just an assumption that it could be severly misfiring at startup. You could try checking for spark but again, look to see if there is any codes stored on the PCM before proceding with any tests.
Hope this helps.
Did you take a look at the throttle body to see if it needs a cleaning. It could be a little gunked up.
Hi firebirdjimbo,
Happy Friday. As Tri9ss points out, it is always a good idea to clean out the throttle bottle from time to time. Great suggestion as part of routine care and maintenance.
How old and how many miles are on the current set of spark plugs and wires? If the vehicle is indeed not firing on all cylinders on some of the start-ups, I would expect to see extra carbon build up on some of the spark plugs. If it is not known how old the spark plugs are, definitely pull them and take a look. According to Autozone’s webpage, the spark plug gap for this make and model should be 0.032″.
Keep us posted.
oil and level look good. spark plugs are all clean and the gaps good on them. the spark plug boots all tore when i took them off of the spark plugs, it seems like they were glued to the spark plugs or melted on, all but two of them ripped. i used e-c tape for now on them for now. engines still running the same. no check engine lights but when i bought the car the camshaft position sensor was unplugged so i plugged it in, and it seems to run the same before and after it was plugged in. think i might need a new CPS? and/or plug wires?
They were bad for head gaskets leaking and missing untill they cleared, They allowed water into the cylinder over night and caused a slight misfire on start up
Hi firebirdjimbo,
Thanks for the added information. Regarding the unplugged “camshaft” position sensor, is it a “camshaft” or “crankshaft” position sensor? I looked on AdvanceAutopart’s website and only a crankshaft position sensor is listed. It seems odd that the car would run the same whether this sensor was connected or not. To verify the crankshaft position sensor (and circuit), here are some quick recommendations:
1. Disconnect the crankshaft position sensor. With the key “on”, verify that voltage is being supplied at the electrical connector. I am going to assume a value of 5V should be obtained. (Forum: please correct me if I am wrong)
2. With proper voltage verified going to the sensor, remove the sensor (hopefully this is easy to get to). Connect the DVOM (digital, volt, ohm meter) to the leads of the crankshaft position sensor. Take a piece of metal (iron) and bring it back and forth in proximity to the sensor tip of the crankshaft position sensor. I believe if you have the DVOM set on volts (AC), you can watch the signal output change back and forth as you move the metal piece back and forth from the sensor tip. (Forum: Again, correct me if I am wrong here please.)
Just some thoughts. Again, strange that the car would behave the same way whether the crankshaft position sensor is connected or not. Keep us posted.
I’m wondering if your having a fuel pressure issue. You might want to check the fuel pressuer on start up to see if it’s in spec. If the check valve in the fuel pump is leaking down then when you start it first thing there might be a misfire that causes it to run rough and make noise. You might also check for vacuum leaks when it’s cold, sometimes as an engine heats up it can seal up a vacuum leak at an intake gasket because the parts swell together and seal up.
Lastly if you suspect an oil pressure issue check the oil pressure with an analog gauge to see if it’s in spec, it could be that your engine is just worn and needs time to pump up the lifters on start up.
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