it sounds to me as the engine is too rich on all 4 cylinnders ,,,you would ahve to have all 4 injectors leak down,,,ehhhhhh

one leaky injector will not prevent the car from starting or getting progressevely worse ,, it would start the car fine but with a noticable miss on that particular cylinder

 

Well, I am driving my bro's 90 Legend. He is gone for a while, so I am also working on it. Just got through with clutch master cyl. There is some type of coolant problem, I haven't found a leak as of yet, but it is losing coolant. No water in oil, no smoke, it does have a bit of a rich smell but that has been there since he got it a couple years ago. It is a very slow leak. Any suggestions on what to check (or a DIY that might help, etc...)

 

fire,, have you pressure tested the cooling system ???? also pressure thest the radiator cap..

hook up the pressure gauge and let sit for a bit see if any coolant comes out,, chk the radiator drain plug as well

 

Nope, I haven't. I will take a look for a place to get a pressure gauge. I was going to just go pick up a new radiator cap when I get my car back tomorrow. I have worked a lot with coolant problems, they drive me crazy.... I idled it about 10 mins at operating temp yesterday, found nothing dripping.....so it must be an intermittent leak or something.

I will check those things and hopefully I find something. At least I get my car back tomorrow....

 

When it's hot, a small leak will evaporate before you can even see it. That's why it's good to pressure-check it by pressurizing it cold.

 

Don't want to sound like a jerk, but can you guys discuss the coolant problem in your own thread instead of hi-jacking mine? I'd appreciate it.

 

Okay, first off, even though it was a major pain in the ***, I finally got the video taken care of and uploaded to a server. Here's the link:

http://s108.photobucket.com/albums/n...FinalVideo.flv

I need to give a little FYI about the video, though. First off, the amount of hard-starting that you're hearing is relatively minor. At times, it's been much harder than that. Sometimes I have to flutter the gas pedal to get it to fire. But, it doesn't ever NOT fire. It'll always start, just gotta be more persistant at some times than others. Also, the temperature that day was very mild. I've got a SLIGHT reason to believe that the problem is worsened when it's really hot outside. Can't really confirm this, yet. Just keep in mind that usually, the starts are a little harder. Especially the ones at 30 and 60 minutes. They weren't near as hard on the film as they usually are.

I had someone ask me about the Sea Foam. I tried the Sea Foam when the problem started showing up. I'd been planning on doing it anyway, but when it began the hard-start problem, I figured that then was as good a time as any. The Sea Foam/fuel mixture has all run out, though. I've only put another half-tank in since then, though. Oh, and another guy asked if the check engine light is on. That's a no.

Let me know what you guys think. I hope the video helps. At least it kinda shows how hard the starts are. It does show how it runs terribly bad for a while only to smooth out and run like a champ.

If you've got any ideas for me, I welcome them.

Thanks again.
Jon

 

Okay, it was suggested to me that I try starting the car with the throttle wide open to see if that minimized the problem. So, I decided to try it on for size. For the last 24 hours or so, everytime I've started the car, I've turned the key on, pumped the accelerator once, then pressed it to the floor. At that point, I start the car. It DEFINITELY starts quicker like that. It doesn't necessarily pop right off immediately every time (though often times it does just that), but it does start within a couple of seconds instead of the ten or fifteen that it takes sometimes without messing with the throttle. Also, when I start it like that, it still runs rough after starting. However, since I've got the throttle pegged, it revs high immediately after starting and seems to smooth out much quicker than when I start it without using the throttle. What do you guys make of that?

Also, I'm replacing the fuel filter today. I'll let you know if that helps matters any. Oh... FYI: I'm not just throwing parts at the car trying to solve the problem. The only things that I'm doing to the car right now are routine maintenance things that I'd planned on doing over the next few weeks anyway. I WILL NOT buy new fuel injectors/pressure regulator/whatever else until I know what the problem is. Playing the guessing game and throwing parts at a car problem can get real expensive real fast.

Oh, and one more thing: the fuel pressure test might take a while. I don't have access to a guage. Can't do the test until I find one. If you know anyone in Lincoln, NE that has a fuel pressure tester, feel free to send 'em my way!!!

Let me know what you think on that 'open throttle' thing.

Thanks for reading.
Jon

 

Uh-oh... my cooling problem is back. Well, maybe not back. Maybe just another cooling problem. I'm going to post it in here, because I'm wondering if my two problems are related. I'm hoping to get a little feedback as to whether anybody thinks that there is anything that could cause both of these problems.

Let me give a little bit of background for those of you not in the know. I spent about three weeks diagnosing a cooling system problem. I was losing coolant, and I couldn't figure out where. The problem wouldn't really show itself when I drove around town. The problem ended up being a hole in the radiator. I replaced that, and for about two months, all was well. Hell, I even drove the car from San Diego to Lincoln, NE and never had a single problem.

So, I thought I had the problem whipped and I put that topic to bed. Then, the other day, I was cruising down the freeway, and it started to run hot. Couldn't figure that out. Pulled over and had to fill it up with coolant. I was in the midst of a 200 mile trip, and over the course of that time, I had to fill it up three more times. This was in mid-afternoon. Then, in the evening, I had to make the trip back, and I didn't have to stop and fill up at all. It was low when I got back, but it didn't overheat. Couldn't figure that one out.

Now I'm back in Lincoln, and whenever I drive around, I lose some fluid. Problem is, I can't find the leak. I've even put a pressure tester on the car and it'll hold pressure (well, for a little while at least - it slowly drops after you pressurize it). Can't or see a leak when it's pressurized. Thought maybe the cap was shot, so I replaced that. It didn't fix the problem. Not sure what's causing this.

I'm concerned that the two problems might be related. I've got my theory, but I don't want to post that yet. I want people to give me their opinions instead of just agreeing with mine. If you can give me some feedback as to what kind of problem might result in BOTH a hard-start and a loss of coolant, let me know.

Oh, by the way, still not seeing any smoke (or steam) out of the tailpipe. Doesn't mean it's not there, though, right?

Thanks
Jon

P.S. Replacing the fuel filter didn't accomplish a thing.

 

Sorry to have nosed my cooling problem in here.....if I ever get around to working on it I will make another thread.


I hate to even mention this, but I would think a blown head gasket could cause it to run hot as well as not start easily. Have you checked your oil for water deposits and your spark plugs??

Just a suggestion...