Hot start Issues

[clyde]

I've recently got my car back from the bodyshop following yet another attempt to get rid of the dreaded windscreen rust. Excellent paint job but my problem now is that the car now takes two or more often three goes at starting before it fires - but only when it's hot. It's like the starter is jamming as it seems to turn briefly (the starter) on the first attempt then stop. On the second go it doesn't turn. There is also a noise like a flap shutting sometimes on the second attempt. On the third (or sometimes second) attempt it's pretty well turning over and starting as normal, although once or twice it was like it was flooded and coughed into life. When it's cold it's fine, starting first go every time.

I can't see how anything that the bodyshop has done could have caused this but the car started perfectly all the time, hot or cold before it went in.

I'm going back to the shop tomorrow but any suggestions in the meantime would be appreciated.

 

[997GT3_KO]

Could it be a failing starter motor?

 

[clyde]

Could be that the starter is failing and that it is just a coincidence that it started immediately after it came out of the bodyshop but I find this a bit hard to believe. Plus why would it be better when it was cold?

 

[jboult]

I think quite a few people (including myself) have had hot starting problems in the past. and they've usually come down to one of two things - either the DME relay needs replacing or the O2 sensor is faulty. However, in both those cases the engine will usually crank but not fire, or will be sluggish to fire, which is obviously a little different from what you describe.

If you have a spare relay (most people carry one because the fault is so common!) then you could try swapping it anyway - no harm in trying.

Cheers/John

 

[appletonn]

Could it be that the paintshop disconnected the battery when working on the car and have either not tightened up the terminals enough or have disturbed the earth connection etc?

Possible that the battery has discharged itself and now needs some tlc via battery conditioner?

 

[clyde]

I had issues with cutting out when running about seven years ago and cured this with a replacement DME relay then. I don't carry a spare as I reckoned that the new part was the new part number and presumed it resolved the problems, which it seemed to do. I don't think its something like this though as it always starts on at least the third attempt, sometimes the second. When the DME relay was playing up there was no pattern to it's failure or the length of time it would take to work again. The symptoms here are the same every time, except occasionally starting on the second attempt.

A faulty O2 sensor is a possibility though as the cranking may be clearing the exhaust gas that is in the pipe but I don't think that would give the symptoms I have would it?

The bodyshop should have disconnected the battery and may not have tightened it back up properly or disturbed an earth but this would have a more pronounced effect when it was cold than hot I would have thought?

The bodyshop could not shed any light on it either, so I guess it's a trip to the indie, unless anyone on here knows different .....