Really hard starting when cold?? UPDATE

[peskyjiggler]

Just bought another Subaru wagon, 87 gl with DR tranny, SPFI. Runs good overall but REALLY hard to start after sitting overnight. After a warm up it will re-start fine. Anything obvious I should check for? Cheers Pesky

 

15 Jan 2006 Well a basic tune-up cured the problem!! I'd just bought it and previous owner said his mechanic told him it needed bunch of stuff to fix so he dropped the price accordingly. I was convinced it was something bigish-expensive when all it wanted was a tune-up!! Big lesson there. Thanks for all info on the board as usual, you folks really help keep these cool cars going. Cheers Pesky PS off to Baja with it in a few weeks to chase surf.

[Jerry DeMoss]

Seems like a few others that have had a problem with similar symptoms as yours have had to replace the coolant temp sensors.Others that have delt with this directly can tell you the specifics.

[Syonyk]

Try running a few bottles of HEET or such through it. If the fuel filter is freezing up from water in the gas, it'll be horrible when it's cold, but the restarts will go just fine because the engine heat will have melted the ice in the fuel filter.

 

-=Russ=-

[Mykeys Toy]

check your spark plugs..

[peskyjiggler]

Seems like a few others that have had a problem with similar symptoms as yours have had to replace the coolant temp sensors.Others that have delt with this directly can tell you the specifics.

 

This sounds about right to me for some reason. Any idea where the coolant temp sensor might be? Cheers Pesky

[hooziewhatsit]

the CTS is below the thermostat, coming out parallel to the ground. Has a pigtail with two connectors on it. This one is for the computer.

 

There is another temp sensor close to the same location coming out at an angle, that just has a single terminal on it. That one is for the dash gauge.

 

First thing you should probably do is make sure the connections are clean (on both of them). Often the one for the computer will be nasty green & corroded, and will probably solve most of the problem by cleaning it.

[peskyjiggler]

the CTS is below the thermostat, coming out parallel to the ground. Has a pigtail with two connectors on it. This one is for the computer.

 

There is another temp sensor close to the same location coming out at an angle, that just has a single terminal on it. That one is for the dash gauge.

 

First thing you should probably do is make sure the connections are clean (on both of them). Often the one for the computer will be nasty green & corroded, and will probably solve most of the problem by cleaning it.

 

Thanks Hoozie!! I will give that a go. Love this board! I was born in Klamath Falls BTW, my dad, grandma and bunch of cousins still live there. Cheers Pesky

[peskyjiggler]

Thanks Hoozie!! I will give that a go. Love this board! I was born in Klamath Falls BTW, my dad, grandma and bunch of cousins still live there. Cheers Pesky

 

bump for update

[Myxalplyx]

the CTS is below the thermostat, coming out parallel to the ground. Has a pigtail with two connectors on it. This one is for the computer.

 

There is another temp sensor close to the same location coming out at an angle, that just has a single terminal on it. That one is for the dash gauge.

 

First thing you should probably do is make sure the connections are clean (on both of them). Often the one for the computer will be nasty green & corroded, and will probably solve most of the problem by cleaning it.

 

Thank you for this post. My temp gauge on my dash has been getting worse and worse and now just stays completely cold. I'll be changing the temp sensors as well as the thermostat.

 

My car has a LOT of trouble starting as well. After initial start-up and running for a while, no trouble restarting. My car has new spark plugs, wire, disty, even ground (earth ground wires) applied. So this has to be the next step.