Idles really high at startup until the engine gets to normal operating temperature and falls back to normal. Takes 10-15 minutes. I recently de-greased the engine and think I may have fouled a sensor...though the check engine light is NOT on. I'm afraid if I keep this the way it is it will cause damage to the engine.
View 2 RepliesSometimes, when the engine is at normal operating temperature, it won't start up when I turn it off. For example, let's say on my way home I stop off in a supermarket to pick up some stuff. I'll come back out 20 minutes or so later, only to find out my car isn't starting. I'll turn the key and the engine will crank, shake and then immediately die on me [I'm under the impression the engine isn't even starting at this point because tapping the gas does nothing]. Again, this is a problem that is only happening sometimes. I can do the same routine tomorrow and it'll start up flawlessly.
1) This is only an intermittent problem. The problem doesn't seem to be occurring more frequently, but when it does happen, the engine is harder to start. For example, the first time this happened to me, I got it started after one or two tries. After my latest episode, it took me 11 tries to get it running!
2) After the engine does finally start, the engine will run really rough and shake a lot until I tap the gas a few times (which is leading me to believe this is some sort of fuel related problem [sometimes, the engine will start on one try, but will run rough until I tap the gas a few times]).
3) When the car is cold, it starts up flawlessly every time without fail.
4) The car runs mint! No hesitation or otherwise stalling, etc.
What I've done so far to try to remedy the problem:
1) Changed spark plugs
2) Fuel line cleaning/flush
I have a 2003 Corolla with 178K miles and a 2007 Camry V6 XLE with 30k miles. Both make a tapping sound when the engine is not at normal operating temperature (when the engine is still cold during the morning). I've changed the oil regularly on the Corolla with 5W-30 oil every 5k miles. I'll be making my first oil change on the Camry in about a 1 week.
The tapping noise goes away once the engine gets warm. Is the tapping noise normal? I don't hear this noise from our Honda Odyssey, which uses 5W-20). Can using a different weight oil work?
I went out and checked my engine oil level when the engine was cold and the oil level was near the bottom of the hash marks. Drove the gti for around 15 min and fully warmed the engine and waited five minutes and rechecked the oil level. to my surprise the oil level was actually higher! it was now at the top of the hash marks. if I added oil when the engine was cold I would've over filled my engine. I always thought it was the other way around with a cold engine all the oil would have drained back to the oil pan and should read higher when cold. Why the oil level reads higher when the engine is at normal operating temperature?
View 5 RepliesOur 2005 Mazda 3 appears to have a problem with the thermostat. My mechanic read a check engine light code connected with a thermostat problem. My wife has noticed that the car seems to take longer to reach normal operating temperature than it used to (close to 15 minutes of driving). Other than probably diminishing the gas mileage and having to wait longer for nice heat is there any down-side to this problem? Is it likely to get worse and fail altogether? The shop guesstimates it will cost around $150.00 to replace.
View 15 RepliesI have a 6th Gen 2007 Toyota Camry with the 4 cylinder engine with 150,000 miles, original owner.
After changing the car battery, the engine idle when at operating temperature went from the stock 650 to 450 RPMs. The engine does not stall and runs amazingly smooth at 450, but the drive ability from start is jerky and the car will roll backwards in drive on a small grade while in drive.
Another tip, before this issue, when cold on start up the engine would rev to about 2,000 RPM's then slowly drop which I understood to be normal and part of the emissions system. Now it revs to about a 1,000 and quickly drops to 450.
Like the title says my 98 stang will not start when the engine is hot. It starts perfectly when the engine is cold. When the engine is at normal operating temp the starter cranks like normal but the engine will not catch. If i give it a little gas while cranking it the engine will start until i take my foot off the gas then it shuts down. after i leave the car for about and hour it will start. I have new plugs, wires, alternator, fuel filter, air filter and my last oil change was three weeks ago. the battery holds a good 12.6v, I had the timing fixed in june. I jumped the fuel pump relay and there is good pressure up to the fuel filter.
View 2 RepliesI noticed that my Jeep has been making a distinct clapping noise any time the engine is not up to operating temperature. It sounds worst on cold mornings, but becomes quieter as the engine warms up. The noise is RPM dependent, so I'm assuming it has something to do with the engine. The noise is not audible when the engine is idling in park, but quickly shows up as soon as I put the car in gear and add gas. My father and I think that a slightly loose rocker might be the cause of the noise, but we're not sure. A mechanic friend of his told him that our jeep has self adjusting rockers so it can't really be fixed without replacing it. I've never heard of such a thing so I'm having a hard time believing it. The really confusing part is that it only makes noise when the car is in gear and the engine is under stress, making no noise when it's just idling, even when the engine is revved. Since purchasing it 5 years ago, we have been careful to do regular maintenance on our jeep so I'm somewhat surprised by it.
Vehicle Info:1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo~175000 miles4.0L I6 with stock 4 speed transmission Completely stock
I've got a 1997 Nissan Altima (automatic, GXE). Recently it has started stalling. Usually this happens when the engine has warmed up to normal operating temperature (though last night it happened when the engine had just started).
Usually when it stalls it will start right back up, but sometimes it takes a few minutes. Sometimes it will start back up and die right away, other times it will turn over and over but not start. After a few minutes it will start back up. Sometimes it will stall momentarily and then restart right away, but not usually.
The rest of the time the car runs smooth as ever, no surging, no stalling, no erratic idling, no sputtering or anything. Usually the check engine light will come on after a stall, but I get a "no code" code when I check.
This started about two weeks ago, it did it once on a Saturday and then didn't do it again until Wednesday. Since then it has happened at least once a day, and yesterday it happened a lot while I was driving home, but not at all when I headed to work. Today it was fine for about 15 minutes and then started doing it a lot, but the last 3 or 4 miles it was fine again.
What may be the problem? I'm going to check the MAF and throttle position sensors, though I would assume if they were malfunctioning I'd either have more symptoms or I'd be getting a code.
My best friend has a 2011 Ford F-250 6.7 ltd power stroke diesel XL. He was driving to Denver in -4 degree weather when all of a sudden his windows iced up and the temperature gage would not sit at normal operating range. ( stayed all the way down on the cool side) the heater seemed to be blowing warm air not hot like it usually does. The thermostat was changed 2 months ago any thoughts on this one?
View 14 RepliesI have a 97 Ranger 2.3 standard shift, No A/C, a pretty simple Ranger with 158,000 miles. About a month ago while do some checking around under the hood I noticed my coolant overflow tank was empty, so I filled it up to the proper level with some anti-freeze mixture. Thinking if the system was low on anti-freeze it would suck what it needed from the recovery tank, wrong! About two weeks ago I noticed that my temperature gauge was NOT registering in its normal position and was considerably lower towards the Cold mark. Heat coming out of the heater was normal.
I opened the radiator cap and everything looked okay. After a few days this would not go away and replaced the thermostat thinking the thermostat was stuck in the open position, wrong again! I burped the system by letting the engine run with the radiator cap off and filled the radiator with anti-freeze mixture every time some of the air was expelled. I did this for a few days and noticed that the engine would not reach normal operating temperature at idle speed! I had to put something on the gas pedal to increase idle speed so the engine would get hot, this is not normal. Finally I got to a point where the radiator would not take anymore anti-freeze mixture, but the problem still exists.
Two things I noticed that will get the engine temperature up to normal, engine speed (RPM's) and not having the heater on. Let me explain, at normal idle the engine will not reach its proper temperature, but when driving down the highway the temperature goes up to normal (about halfway on the scale) no matter if the heat is on or not. When stopped at a light or just idling I can watch the gauge slowly go down towards the cold mark, if I turn off the heater it takes longer to go down to cold. I do know the heater fan is cooling the coolant to a degree (no pun intended), but it shouldn't cool it so much as to make the temperature drop so dramatically. Okay, heater off, riding down the highway, everything normal, come to a stop and idle temperature starts falling slowly, but when I turn on the heater the temperature starts falling faster.
My diagnosis: I have no leaks of anti-freeze, checked and re-checked. I have no symptoms of a blown head gasket, no milky white appearance on dip stick indicating anti-freeze mixing with engine oil, no clouds of white smoke coming out of exhaust, checked tail pipe for anti-freeze, none found, no loss of power and no loss of gas mileage. I changed the thermostat, like I said. Do not think it could be the radiator pressure cap, normally if the cap goes bad the system will have no pressure and the engine will overheat, the opposite of the problem. Water pump, normally if the water pumps goes the coolant will not circulate through engine and will over heat, again, not the problem I am having. Could it be:
1. A long shot, I bought a defective thermostat and it is still staying open.
2. The temperature sending unit has gone bad, very improbable since it does register the correct temperature when truck is moving down the highway.
3. The coolant is spent, again unlikely, it has been in the engine only for about 3 years and still looks clean and green.
4. Have to have a cylinder pressure check to determine actually if the head gasket is really blown or not, which I doubt.
My conclusion is that I still have a huge air lock somewhere in the system and the engine is still not completely filled with coolant and when the rpm's drop not enough hot coolant is reaching the temperature gauge sending unit, but if that much coolant is not in the system, why am I still getting lots of heat blowing from the heater? The vehicles cooling system is not that complicated and there are few parts involved in its proper operation, I think I have covered them all, but somewhere I am missing something to pin point my problem.
The primary electric fuel pump in the fuel tank of my 2004 W12 failed last month, shortly after I had set out on a cross-Canada trip from Vancouver Island to Toronto. The whole process of diagnosing and identifying the cause of the problem, mitigating it so that I could continue the trip, and finally replacing the fuel pump was kind of complex, so, here's the write-up.
The problem presented itself as a surging of the engine - a momentary loss of power - at normal highway operating speeds. The onset was progressive, but it didn't take very long - only about 60 miles of driving - from the first little cough of the engine until total failure of the pump. The first indication was failure of the car to maintain speed (while on cruise control) when climbing hills. That progressed to failure to maintain speed on flat surfaces, and finally led to the car coasting to a stop, engine stalled, at the side of the road.
I soon learned that if I floored the accelerator pedal and held it against the floor, the car would cough and burp for a few seconds, then take off like a rocket. So, for the next 40 miles, I coaxed the car into the next city by flooring it, accelerating to about 80 MPH, then coasting until the speed dropped to 20 MPH, and flooring it once again and accelerating to 80 MPH. Fortunately, I was on a remote road with few other cars, and no police.
I checked the fuses for the two fuel pumps - fuses 34 and 35 in panel C (above the left battery), and they were both OK.
The next day, I visited a VW dealer in the Canadian Rocky Mountains, and together with the parts manager and one of the technicians, we looked at the Self-Study Guides (SSGs) for the Phaeton, and looked at wiring diagrams. Eventually, we came to a tentative conclusion that the primary electric fuel pump in the fuel tank had failed. The SSGs stated that the primary electric fuel pump (the pump on the right side of the car) operates all the time, and the secondary electric fuel pump (the pump on the left side of the car) only operates during starting and during 'periods of high demand'. That made sense to us - the car started fine, and worked OK when the accelerator pedal was held to the floor (high demand). It just didn't work worth a darn at any other time... the engine would stall, or, the car would not accelerate at all.
Here are two illustrations taken from the SSGs that describe how the fuel delivery system works. The first image is taken from the 'Phaeton Overview' SSG, which applies to all vehicles. The second image is taken from the W12 engine SSG. I kind of suspect that all the Phaetons operate in the same way, regardless of engine, because the fuel tank in all the Phaetons has the same shape - two lower lobes, which means two pumps are required.
Descriptions from the SSGs
I think that there may be an error in the description above. My experience suggests that the right hand pump (identified as G6, above) is the primary pump, and the left hand pump (identified as G23) is the one that switches on during starting and periods of high demand. Note also how the identification of G6 and G23 in the illustration above is reversed from what is shown in the illustration below. I believe that the text and illustration below is correct, and the text and illustration above is incorrect.
The 'effects of failure' in the description above would, I believe, make sense if it was the left-hand pump that failed. In my case, the right hand pump failed, and the effects of failure that I experienced were as I set them out in the beginning paragraphs of this post - quite different from the 'effects of failure' of the left hand pump that are described in the SSG above.
After coming to the tentative diagnosis that the primary electric fuel pump (the right hand pump) had failed, we checked the parts stock status in North America. There was one pump in stock, but it was in the United States, and being that it was a Thursday, the pump could not be delivered before the following Tuesday. I didn't want to spend that much time waiting for it, so, we started thinking about other possible solutions.
If we could somehow get the secondary electric fuel pump - the pump on the left side of the car that only operated during starting and heavy demand - to operate, that just might put me back on the road again. So, I removed the plastic cover from the small relay that operates the secondary pump, and wrapped a rubber band around the relay, thus keeping the relay in the closed position. A short test drive proved that this solution worked just fine, the car once again operated normally. The only "problem" was that the last 25% of the fuel in the tank would be unusable, because that fuel would be left behind in the right-hand lobe of the tank - the lobe with the defective primary fuel pump.
Electric Fuel Pump Relays
Here is an illustration from the Phaeton wiring diagrams identifying the various relays above the left battery.
Here you can see the two relays for the electric fuel pumps. They are identical part numbers.
Here you can see the relay for the secondary electric fuel pump, with a rubber band wrapped around it to keep it continually closed.
Aside from the loss of use of the last 25% of the fuel in the fuel tank, the car worked just fine with the secondary electric fuel pump running all the time. There were no problems noted even under heavy acceleration. It was, however, necessary to physically remove the rubber-banded relay from its position in the relay panel whenever the car was shut down for more than half a hour. The power to this relay comes from Terminal 30 (battery direct) - it is not switched on and off with the ignition as Terminal 15 power is. This meant that if the rubber-banded relay was left in position overnight, the left hand battery would totally discharge, because the fuel pump would operate continuously all night. I discovered this the morning after the first night...
So, for the next 8 days, I drove across Canada, removing the relay each night and replacing it each morning. I didn't bother to remove it when I stopped for meals or fuel. The rest of the 3,000 mile trip was uneventful - except once, when I let the fuel tank run down a bit too close to the 1/4 full mark, and the car began surging again because the left hand lobe of the fuel tank (with the functional secondary pump) had emptied out. That was a close call, but I managed to get to a gas station and refuel.
After arriving in Toronto, I called the parts staff at my home VW dealer and ordered a new primary electric fuel pump. I discovered that the left and right hand pumps are slightly different (the various hoses coming out of the pumps are different), and I also discovered that a pump costs about $400. The parts staff suggested I order two seals (one for each side of the tank), because I would have to remove both the right and left fuel tank covers to change the right pump. The seals were not expensive.
Here are two pictures that illustrate where the pumps sit in each lobe of the fuel tank. Note the fuel filler port on the left side of the pictures (as we know, it is on the right side of the car) for orientation.
Phaeton Fuel Tank, showing pumps
Fuel Pump Access Panels
Below is a picture that shows where the access panels to the two fuel pumps are. It's easy to get to these access panels, just remove the carpeted panel from the floor of the trunk.
Here's a close-up of the right side (primary) electric fuel pump access panel.
The instructions (from the VW Repair Manual, or the ELSA / ErWin system) for replacing the fuel pump are quite well written. The repair manual suggests that the fuel tank be drained before replacing a pump. I didn't want to drain the tank, so, I ran the fuel level down as low as I dared (remembering that 1/4 full is effectively 'empty' with a failed primary pump). That proved to be adequate.
There are a heck of a lot of steps involved in disconnecting all the hoses and loosening the various components before the pump can be removed. I strongly suggest that anyone attempting this task have a printed set of instructions before starting disassembly.
The fuel pump has quite a few hoses and connections on it, but fortunately, each connector is unique in design, thus it is not possible to hook things up the wrong way when installing the new pump. It is possible to 'lose' a hose inside the tank... for this reason, I attached a small piece of string to each hose I disconnected from the pump.
The process goes more or less like this:
1) Remove the two 404 relays, to ensure no power is sent to either fuel pump.
2) Lift the rubber cover, and remove the electrical connections from both pumps (left and right).
3) Using a special tool, lift up the three fasteners that hold the cap over top of the access panel (these are NOT threaded fasteners!)
Here is a side view of the three fasteners that hold the plastic cap in place - they are friction fit, not threaded.
4) Now you have a clear view of the access panel. It will probably be dusty and rusty, and should be vacuumed clean before proceeding, to prevent crap from falling into the fuel tank when the cap is removed. The rust is due to condensation forming on the cold metal part whenever the car is filled with cold fuel from an underground storage tank.
5) A special VW tool is used to remove the locking ring from the access panel.
6) After removing the locking ring, I buffed it up with a wire brush to remove surface corrosion.
7) The plastic access cap can now be lifted. There are two electrical connectors on each fuel pump, but three possible fittings on the plastic cap. Fortunately, the three fittings are keyed differently.
8) This is what you see inside the tank after removing the plastic cap.
9) After following all the detailed instructions for disconnecting and stowing hoses, disconnecting the fuel measurement probe from the pump housing, etc., it is possible to lift the pump out. It will be full of fuel.
10) The old and new pumps, side by side. I was very surprised at the amount of crap that was trapped in the filter screen at the bottom of the pump. The car only has 60,000 miles on it, and I have always used premium fuel in it.
11) I was also a bit surprised at the discolouration of the pump components. Below you can see the old and new pumps side by side.
12) It is necessary to get access to the opposite side (in this case, the left side) fuel pump, because hoses from each pump travel horizontally across the tank and connect to the other pump.
13) Here you can see a new hose from the right side pump connecting into a T fitting above the left side pump. It is easy to thread this hose across the top of the inside of the tank.
14) As mentioned earlier, there are three possible fittings on the base of each plastic cap, but only two connectors within the fuel tank. Everything is keyed, thus improper assembly is not possible.
Once the new pump has been installed, the hoses connected, and the fuel measuring probe reset into the side of the new pump, re-assembly of everything is quite straightforward. I replaced the rubber ring around the access panel opening on each side of the tank, and I also buffed up the locking rings using a wire brush (to remove corrosion) on each side.
It was not a pleasant job - your hands get covered in fuel, and there are some hazards associated with working on an open fuel tank with vapour escaping, but it is not a particularly difficult job. It is time-consuming, though.
We have a Ford Focus wagon that idles rough once the engine starts coming up to temperature. When you first start the car it's fine. For example, today I started the car, drove it up the road to the store and it was fine, but upon returning to my driveway just a few minutes later, as the engine temperature was just starting to come up, it started idling really rough. The idle is so rough it sounds like it's on the verge of stalling, but it never has actually stalled. An oxygen sensor has been replaced and it was good for a while, but now the problem is back. The check engine light is on as well.
View 2 RepliesDuring the summer, my Celica runs just fine. Now, the temps are as low as the single digits outside (Fahrenheit). While I'm out driving, it can easily take 30 mile or more miles of driving before the engine finally warms up to the normal operating temperature, according to the dash gauge.
My mechanic is quoting me $135 or so to replace the thermostat. I haven't heard of thermostats getting stuck open and resulting in "under" heating conditions too often though.
Any thoughts on what the likely cause of this cold engine condition is? My gas mileage has also taken a good sized hit. Lost 5 mpg or so.
Can I just put a piece of cardboard in front of the radiator for the winter and call it good?
Whenever I start my 99 passat a really loud vacuum noise is heard. along with the noise the engine idles higher than normal. when the noise goes away after a couple minutes it idles at the normal speed again... what the problem is?
View 3 Replies I have never seen any of my other cars do this and I just want to see if this is normal. It happens like clockwork every time I get in the car with a cold engine. I let the car sit while the RPMs are high and as soon as the tach drops I start to drive the car softly. The engine temp gauge reaches normal operating temp in a normal amount of time, it does not just jump to the middle. But after about 1 minute it just starts falling quite quickly, as you can see in the video. It's very predictable - happens every time I drive it so it was easy to catch on video. I don't notice any difference in engine performance. Is this normal for a VW GTI or is something wacky going on?
You can skip to 19-20 seconds in the video to see the needle drop.
I have a 2003 Mercury Sable with about 80,000 miles on it. Just took a 900 mile road trip across the desert and 10 miles away from my destination the car stalled. At the time the engine temperature was totally normal and there was more than enough fuel in the tank. The next day I got the oil changed (it was about 1,000 miles overdue...) and also got the fuel filter changed (my mechanic told me that whoever changed it last put it in BACKWARDS!
So happens it was the DEALERSHIP! Ugh). Still the engine is acting funny. At very low speeds the engine will sort of hiccough and jerk just for a moment. In super slow stop and go traffic the engine JERKS when I go from a standstill to a low speed. I need to drive this thing another 900 miles in about 7 weeks and I'd like to have this figured out before then.
I have a problem here which isn't funny around 30F. The engine temperature act quite normal after a cold start, but the heating inside is disabled somehow. So I can select any temperature in the front and back, but it stays cold.
View 14 RepliesMy 1989 740 Turbo wagon cuts out while I'm driving. It only ever does it at about the point when the engine first reaches its normal operating temperature. It can cut out while idling or when driving at normal speed. I'm not sure if it's related to temperature or time (it usually cuts out at about the 5-8 minute mark), or if this is simply coincidental. It does it nearly every day.
It's definitely caused by the fuel pump relay cutting out. I've replaced this already, with no improvement. Something is causing the relay to suddenly lose an input.
Once cut, it takes a few quick flicks of the key to the START position for the fuel pump relay to receive power again. It will then drive faultlessly for the rest of the day. Although, if allowed to sit and cool for many hours, it will sometimes do this again.
I don't have my manual handy, wondering what the normal operating temp of the coolant is for a 1.8T B5? I believe it is 190, but want confirmation.
View 1 RepliesI have an 07 SE (manual transmission). In cold climates has noticed a noise at startup on a cold engine when the temperature is below freezing (colder than -5C or so)?
The engine has to be cold (like sat overnight) and the outside temp has to be cold. Then at start when I turn the key, the engine starts fine, but as I release the key from the start to the run position I hear what sounds like the starter motor make a noise (short zipping sound).
At first I wondered if it might be slow to disengage, but if that shouldn't make a noise because the gears should be meshed ok? There is no noise with a warm engine, or with a cold engine on a mild day.