engine barely start after new injectors replaced
12-25-2007, 05:11 PM
#1
engine barely start after new injectors replaced
well i didn't feel like looking for my old thread, but i just had my injectors replaced about 3 weeks ago and all of last week and this week every time i start up the car it takes a long time to start up and smoke spits out the exhaust. but once it's started it's fine. Even if i turn it off, let it sit for a minute and turn it back on, it's like it struggles to start (i give it full throttle) then it cranks up and runs fine. Any ideas? 
probably just need a new starter or new battery?
probably just need a new starter or new battery?
12-26-2007, 12:22 PM
#4
Junior Member
Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 20
What color is the smoke? If it's a blackish color that means it's fuel, which in this case it should be nothing but fuel seeing as how you just had injectors replaced. Definately take it back to who did the work, o-rings on injectors are a PITA sometimes.
12-30-2007, 11:26 PM
#6
..still haven't gotten it fixed yet. But really it just started acting like this after it got really cold. Because when it was replaced, it was warming up after our "snow storm" then it got really cold a week later and prior to it having a rough start, it would turnover instantly..so i'm not sure what was working then stopped working within a week but it runs smooth while i'm driving. Oh and btw, a bad gas smell is coming from the exhaust AGAIN..so i'm guessing the last 2 original fuel injectors need to be replaced (gotten 4 replaced in the past two years) 
After the first of the year my grandmother said we'll be looking for another vehicle 
[max has 236,600 miles]
After the first of the year my grandmother said we'll be looking for another vehicle [max has 236,600 miles]
Last edited by AM_BlackMax; 12-30-2007 at 11:31 PM.
12-31-2007, 11:52 AM
#11
blah,no sense in throwing parts at it,this is obviously an injector issue.
01-01-2008, 02:19 AM
#13
The gasoline-like fumes coming from the exhaust were a bit more ludicrous then i thought. It may be going in the shop tomorrow so we'll have a status update soon...as far as more problems....
Went to start it up today..acted like it didn't wanna start. it was struggling to turnover as usual then [about 2 seconds later] the whole car shook roughly and it cut off Check engine light (CEL) came on as well as seatbelt and i think airbag.. I went to try it again, it took about 3 seconds to crank up (no full throttle this time) then i started driving. about 20-25 mins into my commute, gas fumes (smelt like) were being expelled throughout the cabin while the heat was on and the smell became overwhelming so i had to roll the windows down. My cousins smelt it too, so i shut all the vents and turned the heat off..fumes still coming in so i turned it into A/C mode and fumes = gone.
I got to my other cousins house around 5pm..left at 2am and went to crank it up; started in about 4 or 5 seconds.
I let it warm up for about 5 mins, started driving it slowly..got two red lights away and at the third red light the idle dropped dramatically. It was floating between 200 and 600 RPMs for about 10 seconds then the car cut off. CEL/Airbag/Seatbelt light came on and I was panicking in my head but stayed calm, went to start it up, it cranked up instantly and idle went back to 600-700 holding. It hadn't done it anymore this morning (thank god) then about 15 minutes into my ride the gas-fumes smell was coming back in the cabin so i had to turn the heat off again..I don't know what this is about but I'm about to park it and start being a passenger for a little while if that's what it takes [so says the mother]
Went to start it up today..acted like it didn't wanna start. it was struggling to turnover as usual then [about 2 seconds later] the whole car shook roughly and it cut off Check engine light (CEL) came on as well as seatbelt and i think airbag.. I went to try it again, it took about 3 seconds to crank up (no full throttle this time) then i started driving. about 20-25 mins into my commute, gas fumes (smelt like) were being expelled throughout the cabin while the heat was on and the smell became overwhelming so i had to roll the windows down. My cousins smelt it too, so i shut all the vents and turned the heat off..fumes still coming in so i turned it into A/C mode and fumes = gone.
I got to my other cousins house around 5pm..left at 2am and went to crank it up; started in about 4 or 5 seconds.
I let it warm up for about 5 mins, started driving it slowly..got two red lights away and at the third red light the idle dropped dramatically. It was floating between 200 and 600 RPMs for about 10 seconds then the car cut off. CEL/Airbag/Seatbelt light came on and I was panicking in my head but stayed calm, went to start it up, it cranked up instantly and idle went back to 600-700 holding. It hadn't done it anymore this morning (thank god) then about 15 minutes into my ride the gas-fumes smell was coming back in the cabin so i had to turn the heat off again..I don't know what this is about but I'm about to park it and start being a passenger for a little while if that's what it takes [so says the mother]
Last edited by AM_BlackMax; 01-01-2008 at 02:22 AM.
01-01-2008, 06:50 AM
#14
dude take the car back to the mechanic and let him figure it out. it wasn't doing this before you had the injectors replaced. you are driving what is now an unsafe car (gas fumes go boom)and it appears to be a result of what he has done.
01-01-2008, 02:08 PM
#15
wasn't open today..maybe tomorrow
this is infuriating
the smell is so bad [outside the car] that i have to cover my nose with my jacket whenever i go near the rear because it is unbearable after a few seconds..
this is infuriating
the smell is so bad [outside the car] that i have to cover my nose with my jacket whenever i go near the rear because it is unbearable after a few seconds..
01-02-2008, 06:52 PM
#17
Well the smoke is white/grey but usually that's what color any car's exhaust is when it's cold. I'll record the start up and all tomorrow and post it.
01-03-2008, 12:05 AM
#18
Member
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Redding, California
Posts: 71
Gas Fumes R the Key
AM_BlackMax:
I had this same problem; hard starting, gas fumes, rough idle on my '89
a few years back. Decided to bite the bullet and buy six new injectors
after my feeble attempts to remove the old ones and replace the o-rings
culminated in several broken injectors. I had to fabricate a piece of 1/2 inch steel tubing, about 1 and 1/2 inches long to press out the old injectors from the fuel rails. The technique suggested in the factory service manual was a guarantee to get the injectors damaged. Pliers? Yeah, right...
After the new injectors were installed, along with a new fuel filter, new
problems emerged. There was still a problem with rough idle and now,
gas fumes. It turned out that the factory high pressure fuel line clamps
that secure each end of the two hoses that bridge the gap between the fuel rails have a nasty habit of loosening after the first time they are tightened to spec. There was a slow gasoline seepage problem on
one end of these hoses right after another. I later found an aftermarket
clamp that worked much better than the factory hose clamps. I think you can find them at NAPA stores. The factory clamps have a phillips type screw head. Once the head is worn, you can't get a good
angle on it to tighten them once the full intake manifold set is in place. The aftermarket clamps have a 8mm hexhead on them and you can really
tighten them effectively-- even with the manifold in place. No more gas fumes. The problem on the rough idle can be from a defective pressure
control valve at the end of the rear fuel injector rail. (Or a cracked or dislodged vacuum line leading to it.) If the valve doesn't close as you accelerate, your injectors will not properly pressurize for operation at higher RPM. The valve is difficult to remove with the intake manifold in place, but it can be done. You'll need a long, #12 tip phillips screwdriver.
Lastly, if your car tends to be operated on only a partial tank of gas much of the time, condensation and rust build up in the gas tank can lead to rust particles shedding when a fillup occurs. These particles will chew up the impeller of your in-tank fuel pump, and your new injectors simply won't have enough pressure to operate-- no matter what you do on the engine. One clue will be small particles ofrust and a rusty color to fuel inside the fuel filter in the engine compartment. The tank can be cleaned, tumbled and coated internally, (or replaced) but in any event you'll need a new fuel pump.
Good luck!
I had this same problem; hard starting, gas fumes, rough idle on my '89
a few years back. Decided to bite the bullet and buy six new injectors
after my feeble attempts to remove the old ones and replace the o-rings
culminated in several broken injectors. I had to fabricate a piece of 1/2 inch steel tubing, about 1 and 1/2 inches long to press out the old injectors from the fuel rails. The technique suggested in the factory service manual was a guarantee to get the injectors damaged. Pliers? Yeah, right...
After the new injectors were installed, along with a new fuel filter, new
problems emerged. There was still a problem with rough idle and now,
gas fumes. It turned out that the factory high pressure fuel line clamps
that secure each end of the two hoses that bridge the gap between the fuel rails have a nasty habit of loosening after the first time they are tightened to spec. There was a slow gasoline seepage problem on
one end of these hoses right after another. I later found an aftermarket
clamp that worked much better than the factory hose clamps. I think you can find them at NAPA stores. The factory clamps have a phillips type screw head. Once the head is worn, you can't get a good
angle on it to tighten them once the full intake manifold set is in place. The aftermarket clamps have a 8mm hexhead on them and you can really
tighten them effectively-- even with the manifold in place. No more gas fumes. The problem on the rough idle can be from a defective pressure
control valve at the end of the rear fuel injector rail. (Or a cracked or dislodged vacuum line leading to it.) If the valve doesn't close as you accelerate, your injectors will not properly pressurize for operation at higher RPM. The valve is difficult to remove with the intake manifold in place, but it can be done. You'll need a long, #12 tip phillips screwdriver.
Lastly, if your car tends to be operated on only a partial tank of gas much of the time, condensation and rust build up in the gas tank can lead to rust particles shedding when a fillup occurs. These particles will chew up the impeller of your in-tank fuel pump, and your new injectors simply won't have enough pressure to operate-- no matter what you do on the engine. One clue will be small particles ofrust and a rusty color to fuel inside the fuel filter in the engine compartment. The tank can be cleaned, tumbled and coated internally, (or replaced) but in any event you'll need a new fuel pump.
Good luck!
The gasoline-like fumes coming from the exhaust were a bit more ludicrous then i thought. It may be going in the shop tomorrow so we'll have a status update soon...as far as more problems....
Went to start it up today..acted like it didn't wanna start. it was struggling to turnover as usual then [about 2 seconds later] the whole car shook roughly and it cut off Check engine light (CEL) came on as well as seatbelt and i think airbag.. I went to try it again, it took about 3 seconds to crank up (no full throttle this time) then i started driving. about 20-25 mins into my commute, gas fumes (smelt like) were being expelled throughout the cabin while the heat was on and the smell became overwhelming so i had to roll the windows down. My cousins smelt it too, so i shut all the vents and turned the heat off..fumes still coming in so i turned it into A/C mode and fumes = gone.
I got to my other cousins house around 5pm..left at 2am and went to crank it up; started in about 4 or 5 seconds.
I let it warm up for about 5 mins, started driving it slowly..got two red lights away and at the third red light the idle dropped dramatically. It was floating between 200 and 600 RPMs for about 10 seconds then the car cut off. CEL/Airbag/Seatbelt light came on and I was panicking in my head but stayed calm, went to start it up, it cranked up instantly and idle went back to 600-700 holding. It hadn't done it anymore this morning (thank god) then about 15 minutes into my ride the gas-fumes smell was coming back in the cabin so i had to turn the heat off again..I don't know what this is about but I'm about to park it and start being a passenger for a little while if that's what it takes [so says the mother]
Went to start it up today..acted like it didn't wanna start. it was struggling to turnover as usual then [about 2 seconds later] the whole car shook roughly and it cut off Check engine light (CEL) came on as well as seatbelt and i think airbag.. I went to try it again, it took about 3 seconds to crank up (no full throttle this time) then i started driving. about 20-25 mins into my commute, gas fumes (smelt like) were being expelled throughout the cabin while the heat was on and the smell became overwhelming so i had to roll the windows down. My cousins smelt it too, so i shut all the vents and turned the heat off..fumes still coming in so i turned it into A/C mode and fumes = gone.
I got to my other cousins house around 5pm..left at 2am and went to crank it up; started in about 4 or 5 seconds.
I let it warm up for about 5 mins, started driving it slowly..got two red lights away and at the third red light the idle dropped dramatically. It was floating between 200 and 600 RPMs for about 10 seconds then the car cut off. CEL/Airbag/Seatbelt light came on and I was panicking in my head but stayed calm, went to start it up, it cranked up instantly and idle went back to 600-700 holding. It hadn't done it anymore this morning (thank god) then about 15 minutes into my ride the gas-fumes smell was coming back in the cabin so i had to turn the heat off again..I don't know what this is about but I'm about to park it and start being a passenger for a little while if that's what it takes [so says the mother]
Last edited by Mack531; 01-03-2008 at 12:18 AM.
01-06-2008, 06:02 PM
#20
Member
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Redding, California
Posts: 71
01-07-2008, 05:39 PM
#22
alright well i got the car back, it's running great! He said it was a bad seal, fixed it free of charge of course and I'll just ride the next few weeks out slowly to avoid any more problems. Starts up fine, no fumes, no smoke, no low Rpms at idle, nothing of that nature. Let's see how long this lasts..my friend said third times' a charm..lol
01-07-2008, 07:30 PM
#26
yeah pretty much.
I don't remember the exact conversation but that's what was causing the:
sorry i don't know everything like mr. know everything 
(cough)
Pics/Vid of what it was before coming momentarily.
I don't remember the exact conversation but that's what was causing the:
- leaking from the exhaust
- the choking start
- the sudden stops from a rigorous low idle
- power loss through certain RPM ranges.
- It also caused an unpleasant smell inside & out
sorry i don't know everything like mr. know everything (cough)
Pics/Vid of what it was before coming momentarily.
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