my car does this to me every now and then. three days ago when it was the coldest, (like 10 degrees) it took two tries to start, but once it started it was fine, no issues at all. Yesterday I went to start it, it was more like 40 degrees outside, and it took me about 10 cranks to start it, and when it finally did it wouldn't hold an idle, and if i put it under load it would stall. it was backfiring out the intake runners bigtime. I thought I had a big problem, but as I was trying to figure it out, the engine was warming up, and once it was at operating temp, it was totally fine. How can my car start better at 10 degrees than 40?

Could it mess it up if i switch the car from 'ready' to 'crank' too quickly? like, put key in, turn all the way to cranking?

I want to say that the first few cranks I tried when it was 40 degrees, the warmup light wasn't on, then i turned the key back to off, then back to ready, then tried cranking it again and the warmup light was on, and then I actually had some luck getting it to start. How can that happen?

 

This is gonna be a hard one to solve because you have ITB's. They add a whole 'nother variable to the puzzle.

Maybe its not your warmup, but your cranking enrichment in that temp area? Have you ever started at 40 degrees or is it a first time?

 

cranking = cranking settings
once it catches = ASE
after ASE = warm-up enrichments

 

adjust cranking PW's and/or ASE.

/thread

 

Right, I meant cranking settings.

 

thanks guys. I'll look at that stuff and figure it out.