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Rough Cold Start


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cars4chimps
User

Jan 4, 2016, 11:37 AM

Post #1 of 18 (2654 views)
Rough Cold Start Sign In

I got a rough cold start ('99 Olds Intrigue 3.5 - 150K) where I have to give it gas or it dies. But once the car is warmed up it starts okay. Also, the engine makes kind of a beating noise until it's warmed up, and then it purrs like a kitten. I don't think it's the battery, which is only 2 yrs old. Could it be the cold weather? Hmm, dunno. Thanks for your help!


Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
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Jan 4, 2016, 12:21 PM

Post #2 of 18 (2648 views)
Re: Rough Cold Start Sign In

How cold are you talking? Just first off, do you have the correct oil in it? If you went to a higher viscosity for some reason the starting will be slow and oil doesn't flow fast.
I can't speak for all oils but one I use and deal with both heat and cold with same oil rated for use in my own.
To me it's not cold to an engine till below zero Fahrenheit but is to the battery no matter how old but if it started at all it's not that,


T



kev2
Veteran
kev2 profile image

Jan 4, 2016, 3:09 PM

Post #3 of 18 (2636 views)
Re: Rough Cold Start Sign In

   I agree "I don't think it's the battery".
As bill mentioned eng oil BUT playing with the throttle suggest other issues -
Start with a scan*- free and easy - post all codes someone will advise
cold weather starting issues would have me look at engine temp senor's and fuel system.
With a scanner look at ECT compare cold engine reading to ambient, look at fuel trims. Maybe fuel pressure and pressure leak down.


*free scans at most part store- yes scan even if light is off


cars4chimps
User

Jan 7, 2016, 11:41 AM

Post #4 of 18 (2592 views)
Re: Rough Cold Start Sign In

Somebody suggested cleaning the throttle body which sounded like a pretty easy first step. So I removed some carbon build up around the edges and then I checked the inside of the butterfly valve, and whoa! It was coated in thick black oil. Well, it's fess up time because I was posting here last June about my overheating engine, and someone said I shouldn't drive an overheating car, and now I think I see why. This oil in the throttle body means a blown head gasket, right?


kev2
Veteran
kev2 profile image

Jan 7, 2016, 12:11 PM

Post #5 of 18 (2586 views)
Re: Rough Cold Start Sign In

no - not an indicator.
THAT WAS EASIER (FIRST STEP) THAN GETTING CODES?
first suspect would be PCV. I think the EGR return to intake is right there (TB) on the 3.5L


(This post was edited by kev2 on Jan 7, 2016, 12:20 PM)


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
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Jan 7, 2016, 12:38 PM

Post #6 of 18 (2582 views)
Re: Rough Cold Start Sign In

That oily buildup is normal but I doubt that would have any effect on your symptoms. It only effects idle speed stability.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



cars4chimps
User

Jan 15, 2016, 12:16 PM

Post #7 of 18 (2524 views)
Re: Rough Cold Start Sign In

Does anyone know which contacts to short on this OBD II connector to get the codes to flash? I assume that trick still works, it did on my '89 olds (which was a lot more reliable, but different story).

Right now I'm thinking ECT sensor which should be easy to replace, if only I could locate it!

One symptom I forgot to mention was it dies on low revs, especially when I come off the highway, sometimes it dies before I can bring it to a full stop.


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
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Jan 15, 2016, 12:24 PM

Post #8 of 18 (2523 views)
Re: Rough Cold Start Sign In

Wrong assumption............... it does not work.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



cars4chimps
User

Jan 28, 2016, 3:39 PM

Post #9 of 18 (2452 views)
Re: Rough Cold Start Sign In

So now I'm in Texas where there's a lower elevation (more oxygen?) and it usually doesn't freeze overnight and the problem of starting has mostly gone away, except for last night it was freezing overnight and today even though it had warmed up to 60F I had to give it some gas to keep the engine going. Anyway, I finally got some codes:

P0118 - Engine Coolant Temperature High Input
P0300 - Random/Multiple Cylinder Misfire Detected

Please let me know your ideas. Thanks!


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
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Jan 28, 2016, 3:55 PM

Post #10 of 18 (2448 views)
Re: Rough Cold Start Sign In

Unless you unplugged that coolant sensor sometime with the key on and set a false code, you appear to have an issue with that circuit.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



cars4chimps
User

Feb 1, 2016, 1:37 PM

Post #11 of 18 (2422 views)
Re: Rough Cold Start Sign In

So I found the ECT (pretty sure that's it) behind and below the throttle body. Unfortunately, the wire (black and yellow) has been chewed off (rodents get up in there) and I can't find where the other end is. Anybody have a wiring diagram for the ECT??


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
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Feb 1, 2016, 1:57 PM

Post #12 of 18 (2421 views)
Re: Rough Cold Start Sign In

All the wiring diagram is going to give you is the wire color and you already have that.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



Discretesignals
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
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Feb 1, 2016, 7:36 PM

Post #13 of 18 (2411 views)
Re: Rough Cold Start Sign In

Mickey Mouse strikes again...lol





Since we volunteer our time and knowledge, we ask for you to please follow up when a problem is resolved.


cars4chimps
User

Feb 5, 2016, 8:17 AM

Post #14 of 18 (2378 views)
Re: Rough Cold Start Sign In

Unfortunately, the wires go down into a deep, dark place, but I found this on the internet:

"Your yellow wire goes into the engine control module pin 26 of connector 2. The Black wire goes into pin 12 of engine control module connector 1."

So where's the engine (power?) control module? Thanks!


(This post was edited by cars4chimps on Feb 5, 2016, 8:24 AM)


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

Feb 5, 2016, 8:34 AM

Post #15 of 18 (2375 views)
Re: Rough Cold Start Sign In

LOL..................... man, you need to quit while you're ahead.

It isn't going to do you a bit of good to find that end of the wire.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



cars4chimps
User

Feb 5, 2016, 8:46 AM

Post #16 of 18 (2372 views)
Re: Rough Cold Start Sign In

PCM located under the air box. Sounds like reconnecting the wires should be a snap.


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

Feb 5, 2016, 9:06 AM

Post #17 of 18 (2370 views)
Re: Rough Cold Start Sign In

Oh yeah, piece of cake.

Just one thing.................. When you finish with your hacking and your car doesn't start, please post to a different forum.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



nickwarner
Veteran / Moderator
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Feb 6, 2016, 2:05 AM

Post #18 of 18 (2342 views)
Re: Rough Cold Start Sign In

It might be a snap if you have a veterinarian willing to do a colonoscopy on a field mouse to get your parts back. You need the wiring for the harness repaired to factory standards. If you want to rig it, be warned that the cheapest repair is usually NOT the least expensive in the long run. Just this summer a customer of mine had a mouse issue with his truck. Decided to drive it anyhow while waiting for parts that I was going to put in arrived. Truck became an inferno in midtown.

He had me look very closely at his new truck and follows my advice now.






 
 
 






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