Update on Car not Starting

[solarice]

well some of you may remember on the old forum, i said i was having trouble getting the car started when cold sometimes when hot and i assumed it maybe an electrical fault requiring further investigation.

by the way - when you put the ignition on the fuel pump would creak and moan (like adandoned boats do in the films) and when starting it would just turn over and over and over, then fire up creating a big cloud of crap out of the exhaust.

well, i decided after checking spark plugs, leads etc. I would try running some optemax (have i spelt that right?) through before going any further just in case it had somthing to do with the fuel / petrol station id been using, and after two tanks i can honestly say my car is now 100% better starts first time every time (touch wood) and has more acceleration than ever before.

Result :laugh:

now for those that have read this far, i congratulate you

hope this may help anyone else who may be having similar problems.

Kris.

 

[SR_Micra_Boy]

Sounds good mate, may have just had some excess fuel lyin about which has been cleared out by the good runs.....

 

[kneival]

Have you tried running some injector cleaner in your car?

Its strange the optimax would make that much difference. Also did you change the spark plugs?

 

[solarice]

didnt change anything else, as plugs were fine and thought id hold of trying the injector cleaner until id tested the different fuel.

I wasnt too sure at first if the optimax would make much difference, as car had run sick for about a month (running normal fuel from different garages) but figured id give it a shot as i couldnt pin point exactly what was up.

i was long shoting that it maybe gunge in tank.

so maybe it has cleaned out the injectors or somthing...i was toying with the idea or running normal fuel to verify the results, but i dont know if could stand it not starting again.

 

[SplanK]

with opitmax - its running a slightly higher RON than normal fuel and has the addition of some cleaners which can help clean the engine - but this isnt ment to be an instant thing - its littraly over a 1000 miles or something like that... so it might just be either REALLY dodgy fuel or putting optimax in has dislodged something - or even just a fluke!!

if the fuel pump was making a "strange noise" then i would suggest toi get it out and get it tested and/or replaced...

 

[Ian]

well he did say he ran 2 tanks of optimax so it might have cleaned something ??

 

[SplanK]

2 tanks is not enough... u still have it mixing with the old stuff and all the sludge and stuff...

 

[wilsonian]

it could be a duff fuel filter and using the optimax and just cleaned it slighty. when was the last time you changed the filter as they need changing every 2 years (12,000 miles) .

 

[Dr Zoidberg]

glad its sorted mate :laugh:

you can get on modifying it now also like wilsonian said find out when the fuel filter was changed, could be the prob

graeme

 

[solarice]

yeah, ive already been looking into changing fuel filter, and fuel pump noise disappeared as soon as car started starting properly, in fact the exact same day.

however if what ive got planned actually gets going will be needing a better fuel pump anyway.

2 tanks is not enough... u still have it mixing with the old stuff and all the sludge and stuff...

all i can say is my car says different...plus the car gets driven everyday, and normally quite enthusiastically (although within the law). Im still keeping a watch on it though see what happens.

Kris.