Intermittent starting, now won't start.

[AndrewTman]

Background.... Charging system battery and starter are strong, no problem, engine cranks really well until the “ brand new” battery has been depleted, lots of cranking….Plugs are very recent, the engine runs well after starting. the last dozen years it has always started on about the second crank then revved up just a little bit and then settled into it's idle mode….. As long as I can remember, if I hesitate and release the key too soon the starting process might stumble without starting, and then it would be reluctant to start for 5 or 6 cranks or maybe even I would have to wait about a minute and then it would start right up again on the second crank. Kind of like flooding in the old days but I don't think that happens with fuel injectors, I don't know. The problem with the stumble and then not starting after the stumble, got worse last summer but still not really a problem until the Colder Weather set in. Then It wouldn't start, after a stumble, for several minutes, then it would start…… eventually it wouldn't start unless I took off the air filter ring and squirted some starter fluid….. that still wouldn't work very well but if I came back a half hour later it would usually just start on the second crank as normal. Very odd and not consistent!

Problem.... Now it's in my driveway and won't start at all. This, after 3 days of snow and on and off freezing weather. Everything is very moist and wet everywhere oh, Oregon! Even after I recharge the battery and achieve full cranking speed again. I even tried putting an old sleeping bag and a tarp over it with a heater under the engine for a couple hours to see if that would dry and warm things up a bit and it would start. No luck! …..Suggestions Anyone,???Thanks in advance!

 

[AndrewTman]

! am going to try cleaning the Mass Air sensor ..... my parts store guys thought .... maybe?

 

[Hamfisted]

Unless you've gotten previous MAF error codes, I'd hold off on replacing the MAF just yet. Do you have a fuel pressure test kit ? See what kind of fuel pressure you're getting at the rail when you just turn the key to ON, not cranking it. You should see 45-55 psi . I say this because you mentioned it acted like flooding in the old days, and low, or no fuel pressure will act like this.

OTC Fuel Pressure Test Kit on Amazon









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[AndrewTman]

It has been resolved! One $10 magic can of Mass Air Flow Sensor cleaner of which I used 1 second of stream. Now I just need to find a magic can of spray that will fix my left shoulder for 10 bucks! Thank you Hamfisted for your reply !