scootergmc

Specs: 2004 Civic LX, mt, 225k mi. Commuter, driven about 2300 miles/mo.

Aside from normal fluid changes, no recent maintenance other than a plug change @ 200k- oem NGK's. Past maintenance has all been standard. I did change the fuel filter/screen at 200k, clutch (stock/oem parts) at ~215k. I'm assuming my exhaust manifold is cracked as well. The exhaust smell in cab is can be strong at cold start if I let the fresh air in. It goes away after it's warm as I assume the manifold heats up and somewhat seals itself. SO:

This morning (approx 50 degrees) went out to leave for church, all crank, no start, no hiccups, nothing to give me the indication it was even trying to fire. I didn't have time to tinker with it, so I took the truck.

So this PM, I went out and checked it out. Battery was good, spark and fuel were there, all fuses were good, nothing out of the ordinary. After checking all that stuff, I got in and cranked. Got a hiccup like it was starved for fuel. Put the pedal on the floor and cranked again. Stumble, stumble, and after about 5 seconds of crank/stumble it started. It blew the excess smoke out the exhaust, idled fine, ran like normal. Took it around the neighborhood, got it up to operating temp, no issues at all. Shut it down, started it up again, everything normal.

So what could it be, and where else could I start looking? Could it be a temp sensor? Thanks in advance.

ezone

It was flooded. This is how you deal with it when it happens. You did good.

The usual scenario is someone started the car up, moved it around in the driveway, then shut it off. Next time someone needs to move it, it won't start. Flooded.
Much more prevalent in cold weather.
Carbon fouled plugs from cold fuel enrichment and not running long enough to clean the carbon off the plugs.

Solution is to avoid doing that. Plan ahead. Or if you must move the car, drive it until the engine is warmed up, before you shut it off.

If this is just a one time thing, it is probably acceptable (operator error).

IF this becomes a regular occurrence even though the above mentioned drive procedure is followed, I might look into what the temp sensors are reading when the engine is cold first, among some other things.

A weak battery and slow cranking speed can cause it too.
Low compression is another possible cause.




My parents do this like once a year to moms 02 Accord (flood it).
Dad calls and I can diagnose it over the phone.
Hold it to the floor, crank it for 15 seconds. Let the starter cool for a couple minutes.
Repeat until it runs.
Go hammer it down the road to "blow the cobs out".
Don't do this again.
Next year, same thing.
And my dad is a "car guy"....

scootergmc

Well that's exactly what happened. I moved it out of the driveway yesterday morning into the street. It was all of 40 feet of moving backwards, maybe 15-20 seconds of run time at most. Didn't try again till today.

But 24 hours later? Wouldn't the fuel evaporate out of the chambers? I guess it's not my old Chevy truck after all. Furthermore, I've done this countless times over its life- did I do it just right this time?

Regardless, thank you for your assistance.

ezone

Score! LOL


The carbon on the plugs has more to do with it than fuel evaporating. Cold engine needs a lot more fuel than a hot engine, soot builds up on the plugs. Normal driving cleans the soot off of the plugs once the plugs reach a sufficiently hot temperature.
All normal.
But if the plugs didn't get sufficiently hot enough to cook the soot off, they foul much easier when cool and fuel hits them. The carbon soaks up the fuel, giving the spark an alternate path to ground instead of the intended spark gap. No fuel is lit.


Also, the cylinders are relatively closed, so little evaporation goes on.



It happens. Just deal with it when it happens.
No rhyme or reason proof-wise, but I know the scenario well.

Salesmaggots do this to cars all the time, playing parking lot rodeo.

Rotary engines are 100 times worse about flooding.
And sometimes impossible to unflood without a lot of work.
YW