navy02ws6

iTrader: (4)

2002 WS6 daily driver (bought new), external bolt-on's only, completely stock/original fuel system.

Filled up the tank last night at the Chevron, went to start the car this morning and it just cranked and cranked and cranked and would not start. Got it to fire up maybe once or twice but the car died immediately without even trying to idle first (backfire out the exhaust, etc.). Two or three minutes later, I finally got it to start, and then it ran absolutely fine all the way to work. Started it up again about 15 times to see if it would do it again when I got to work, zero problems there. Started right up every time.

Not sure if weather has anything to do with it, but I will say that this is probably one of the two coldest mornings we've had this season (28 degrees) -- in the last 6 months or so, occasionally it would NOT start on the first try, but would ALWAYS start on the second when it did this. Once again, it just out of the blue took 2-3 minutes to finally get it started this morning.

I've heard Chevron has the best gas, and with the exception of maybe one desperate stop on a road trip a few years back, I've NEVER put any other brand of gas in there. I will say that the Chevron near my work that I've started using the last few months seems to be pretty run down for a Chevron (dry-rotted hoses, stains all over the concrete, panhandlers around the pumps, half the pumps don't work). Wondering if I got bad gas, water in the gas, a bad fuel pump, or another issue. Going to check fuel pressure later today. REALLY hope it's not the fuel pump since this is not a car that I would do the access door trick on.

Any ideas?

Lonnies Performance

iTrader: (16)

A frozen line is not likely as it would typically have to thaw before it started to work again.


A bad pump is a possibility, but you will not know until it strands you again.

I have seen quite a few cars flood on cold startup. Typically they fire & just a perfect combination of touching the throttle and or the car stalling or some other situation wets the plugs down. Usually when it is very cold & the car floods, you have to hold the throttle wide open. This is the clear flood mode (which shuts the fuel completely off). Cranking it this way for a few seconds will typically clear things out. Then you can attempt to start it normally. Do not press the throttle part way down when attempting to start the car.

navy02ws6

iTrader: (4)

I think that might be it -- just went to start it again after sitting 9 hours outside, and it fired right up the first time. I tried half way down and then all the way down this morning when it was giving me problems after the first try, so the half way down was probably what did it. Turned a 2 attempt start into a 15 attempt start.

Thanks for the quick reply...and GO STEELERS!

Lonnies Performance

iTrader: (16)

Yes, half throttle while cranking will typically drown the engine on a cold day.

I killed my own vehicle last year on a cold morning like this. It went to stall when I put it into gear, so I quickly hit the throttle trying to keep it running, but actually ended up pressing the throttle just as it stalled. Took me 10 minutes to get it fired back up. Got to love cold weather...

28deg.... it only is the beginning here. Just started wearing a jacket this week & it will probably not get above mid 30's for week here. Go Steelers, but come on summer....

If you have trouble starting in the mornings you may just need to prime the pump.

First turn the key on for 5 seconds, turn off for 5 seconds, then try to start. This often builds fuel pressure if the car bleeds down over night. May make it easier to start instead of cranking it.