Thread: Cold start problems

I have been searching,and reading as much as I can about this,and dont know where to start.Its a DE that sounds like it has no compression while cranking when cold.
Once you crank it long enough it eventuall chugs to life and if you keep the RPM up around 2500 for a minute or two,it smooths out.
Almost like it gets flooded while cranking,so once it fires,and burns the fuel off,it runs great.
I can let it idle all day,or drive it around.It never misses a beat.Perfectly smooth and quiet,feels fresh as it should(it has low miles).

I can turn it off,and it starts right back up like normal.
Once it sits for a while,it wont start right up again....like it has no compression again.
I noticed it after letting it sit for a few days.
Then I tried only letting it sit overnight....same problem.
Today,I got it started,and drove it around.Again,it runs perfect.
Then I let it sit for a couple hours...problem is back again.
Whatever it is,it seems to be related to temperature of the engine,or how long it sits between running.

Could it be sticking or cracked rings that seal when it gets warm?
I know I had some dirtbikes before that when they needed rings,they would have to crank awhile to build compression.However,they were always down on power once running.This engine feels great while running,and warm.

I also had some injector issues with this car,so I was thinking leaking injectors,since they were bought used.
The thing with that is it seems like that would not make it sound like its low compression when starting...and then it seems like it wpould smoke real bad once started until that fuel was burned off.
I dont know what to do,never had this issue before.

I am gonna try to get a compression reading tomorrow when its cold to see what I get.
Any help here or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Does it start if you hold the throttle while cranking? The cold start air bypass gizmo might not be working properly. Specifically the AICV that lives underneath the intake manifold (unless we're not talking about a highport, then i have no idea).

Yeah,highport.
I have have to crank at WOT for a minute ore more then it slowly starts to fire up and chugs like its misfiring.
Then I can hold the revs up around 2500 another minute or more until it smooths out. After that,it will run flawlessly.

i have the same exact problem right now!!!!!!!!!

any ideas?? i will take a video tomorrow. i fell like i have no compression when i crank it and its hard to start but once it start it runs like a champ. i dont get it

need vid

I'm thinking the rings too, but it could be a valvetrain issue? A cold leak-down test would answer everything for you.

- The injector idea sounds likely to me. Maybe they are leaking causing the motor to crank rich, then after several tries the fuel burns/dries causing the motor to go back to normal as you stated. I had this problem before in the past, but I was unlikely and my motor hydro-locked O_o.

I remember when you had all that happenning,the hydrolock,and whatnot.
That sticks in my mind anytime the car is cranking for long.

I wonder if it was a leaky injector,and instead of hydrolocking,it is throwing the rocker????

out of curiousity,what cyl was your leaky injector on? which was the one that hydrolocked?

My issues are #3

I'm not even sure. I was so focused on bolting the VE up, I junked my other two motors to fund more parts.