car starts but won't stay running...

sneakers O'toole · Post by **sneakers O'toole** » Sun Jun 25, 2006 11:29 pm

like it says. at my friends house tonight, the car would turn over and start and all but then just stall out. tried a few times and the same thing was happening, so i pumped the gas on the last try and i kept it running.

everything is fine while its running, doesnt want to stall or anything like that. so i get home with no problems whatsoever and then go to pick up my girlfriend from work and it happens again....same thing, turn over but wouldnt stay running...pissed...

i noticed the car was a bit rough after i put on some magstar 8.5mm wires last week though, so i went and put my stock wires back on. it started second try after i pumped the gas a bit.

seemed to run smoother the without the bigger wires too. and i just now went out to start it with the sock wires back on and she started right up without me pumping the gas or anything and purred like a kitten.

i guess maybe the magstars were bad or something? i dont really know, but thats the only thing i could think of. anyone have any thoughts or did i solve my own problem?

OB · Post by OB » Mon Jun 26, 2006 3:21 am

that EXACT thing has been happening on and off with my car since the week i got it. I dont know wtf it is, but its stopped considerably since i got it. months ago it would happen every 3-4 starts. now it happens like once a month or so, and ive even gotten into the habit of using a tad bit of throttle every time i start the car, just to make sure it strikes up all the way. its like its starved for air or something. really effin gay for a brand new car, but of course it doesnt do it when at the dealer, so what can i really do? It hasnt been an issue at all lately, but i really wanna know whats up with it. what year is ur car?

bigjosh · Post by **bigjosh** » Mon Jun 26, 2006 6:25 am

that's kind of funny that my car does that every once in a while, usually in the afternoon after work. I need to give it some gas because it always sounds like it's going to die. my car also did not want to start at all though (twice already), it just clicks but wont turn over, sucks because I only have a little over 3k on the car right now.

OB · Post by OB » Mon Jun 26, 2006 11:09 am

I really wanna get to the bottom of this. It most likely has something to do with either the intake system being choked, or the ignition/injection system not holding up its end of the deal. Its clearly not a major problem, cuz the car (dont know about you guys) starts up with a slight tap of the throttle and doesnt have a single problem after that. To me it feels like the motor is not breathing properly. I can hear the engine sucking and gasping via the intake when it has trouble starting. could also be a vaccuum line issue. too many possibilities and not enough consistancy to properly test by guess and check. its frustrating but i hate to say ive learned to deal with it and almost forget about it until now.

Panhead · Post by **Panhead** » Mon Jun 26, 2006 1:56 pm

check your air filter.

OB · Post by OB » Mon Jun 26, 2006 3:02 pm

what might the air filter have to do with anything? my K&N has like 12k miles on it now, and ive already serviced it once. This happened MORE with my stock setup (and i mean stock everything). seems like the more mods I make, the more it goes away. I used to blame it on the engine breaking in, but after 2-3k miles that idea went out the door. plugs and wires helped a bit im sure, and pretty much all my other mods have nothing to do with the startup/idle/powertrain of the car.

beelay · Post by **beelay** » Mon Jun 26, 2006 3:25 pm

I don't know if this is related at all but sometimes when i try to start the car i push the clutch in turn the key.....and nothing, not a single noise either. It won't even turn over. I've turned the key twice while keeping the clutch pressed and it still wouldn't turn over. Then after taking my foot off the clutch waiting a second and doing it again it would be fine... I don't know what's going on but I'd really like to know

OB · Post by OB » Mon Jun 26, 2006 3:33 pm

sounds like a dead battery, minus the clutch deal. I believe there is a trigger in the clutch/pedal assembly that keeps the car from starting without the clucth disengaged (pedal depressed). if that device isnt working properly, then that would be the sort of problem that would result IMO. same deal with atx cars not turning on/off unless in PARK. something keeps it from happening. simple relay probably.

lilolneon · Post by **lilolneon** » Mon Jun 26, 2006 5:16 pm

my car went haywire last night w/ the whole clutch thing... when i pressed it, it wouldnt disengage my car was stuck in neutral last night... the clutch pedal would press down and come back up, but there was 0 resistance on it or anything. the fluid levels were fine... but when i pressed the clutch and tried to turn the car on in 1st, it would just try to lurch forward as i tried starting it... so i stopped doing that... and i had to force the shifter into neutral so the towtruck could get the car on the flatbed... still havent heard from the shop today... im hoping they will call eventually about it so i can know whats going on...

sneakers O'toole · Post by **sneakers O'toole** » Mon Jun 26, 2006 5:51 pm

OB, the car is an '04

it hasnt done it at all so far with the stock wires back on. and before i switched the wires it never acted stupid like that. i'm gonna go mess with it some more and see whats up as soon as the rain stops..or if it stops

OB · Post by OB » Mon Jun 26, 2006 6:34 pm

lilolneon wrote:my car went haywire last night w/ the whole clutch thing... when i pressed it, it wouldnt disengage my car was stuck in neutral last night... the clutch pedal would press down and come back up, but there was 0 resistance on it or anything. the fluid levels were fine... but when i pressed the clutch and tried to turn the car on in 1st, it would just try to lurch forward as i tried starting it... so i stopped doing that... and i had to force the shifter into neutral so the towtruck could get the car on the flatbed... still havent heard from the shop today... im hoping they will call eventually about it so i can know whats going on...

very wierd. must be something in the hydraulic system. hope it dont end up costing an arm and a leg, didnt u just buy that car!?

meathead- seems like all this crap is an 03+ thing for sure, just as i expected.

DO ANY of you 00-02 guys have ANY issues with similar hesitation?

cnfx-wicked · Post by **cnfx-wicked** » Mon Jun 26, 2006 7:39 pm

meathead, check that the wires were seated properly on the plugs and coil...that's what it sounds like to me, I had the same problem

lilolneon · Post by **lilolneon** » Mon Jun 26, 2006 7:52 pm

ob - yeah, i just got the car saturday... wont find out whats wrong w/ it till tomorrow... im hoping its nothing major...