Starting/Idling problems when warm

**Raduque** · 02-13-2004, 03:07 PM

Alright folks, this has probably come up before, but I'm having a problem with my car when it's warm/hot.

When warm, it has a tendency to sometimes idle low, around 800-900 RPM. I expect this kind of behaviour from a rumpity-cam SB Olds, but not my 88 LX-i. The other thing is, when warm, the engine will crank and crank and crank, but not start. After a while of cranking on it, you can smell fuel, almost as if it were flooded.

The guy I bought it from said it happened fairly often to him, but this is the first time it's happened to me. I want this fixed. Is it the ECT? I know I will have to check the ECU codes to be damn sure, but I am asking if this sounds like a bad ECT.

Forgot to mention that a search turned up a couple references to the ECT and odd idling, but nothing about it preventing the engine from starting.

Ben/Radu

**grey87accorddx** · 02-13-2004, 03:24 PM

checked ur fuel filters lately?

**nswst8** · 02-13-2004, 06:57 PM

The fuel system from the tank to the injectors is sealed/closed and you shouldn't be smelling fuel. Check for leaks.
Hope this helps, LOL
Phil

**Raduque** · 02-13-2004, 07:57 PM

grey87accorddx
Hrm, no I haven't checked the fuel filter yet, but I don't think there's a problem at all with the fuel filter/pump because when it starts (cold) it starts and runs great, like a nearly new motor. It's only when it gets warm/hot and i need to start it then, that it's acting up.

phil/nswst8
So if it's sealed, then when you remove the gas cap, it'll hiss right? And if there was a leak, it wouldn't hiss, right? I should've clarified the "gas smell" part a bit, it's very very faint.
I'm sorry for all the newbish questions, I'm not much of an EFI guy, heh. I'm a Quadrajunk/Holly/Carter kinda guy.

Thanks for the suggestions, I'm definatly going to stop by Autozone and see how much the ECT sensor is, and if that doesn't fix my problem, I'll move on to something else.

Ben/Radu

**Blkblurr** · 02-13-2004, 08:38 PM

The gas smell can be coming from your exhaust or leaking injectors. open the hood and smell near the injectors. If you see brown staining on the intake manifold just below the injectors and smell gas, they are leaking. Replacing them is the only way to stop them from leaking. This most likely has nothing to do with your warm idling problem. Your car should idle at about 850 rpms when warm for a manual trans.

**88LXi/87CRXSi** · 02-14-2004, 04:25 AM

The symptoms you describe definately sound like a bad ect sensor. Seems like it's flooding on a hot restart, gas smell ,ect. You may not get the code 6 on the ECU even though the sensor is bad, unless it's open or shorted. Also, Autozone will probably call it a TW sensor, not a ect sensor, same thing, just in case there's any confusion at the counter.

**Raduque** · 02-14-2004, 12:50 PM

Well then. This is not good, not good at all. There was no oil in it today when I started it (no oil slick in my driveway, though; I don't think it had much oil when I bought it, it was smoking very slightly when I looked at it and the smoke was gone completely by the time I got it home), and it had a slight lifter tap. I filled it up, the tap was gone, but it started smoking slightly again.

Also, and this is new, it's throwing coolant out from somewhere near the water pump. When I realized this, I said, and I quote " Aw J<censored>!". On top of that, my warm start/idle problem persists.

So, in conclusion my car is not a happy car. I'm going to get and install an ECT tomorrow and see if I fix those warm engine problems. Then I'll start on the oil, and then the coolant problems. One step at a time. Thank goodness it's a Honda! If I ran my Oldsmobile with low/no oil for this long, it'd have blown up on the 18 mile ride home.

Ben/Radu

BTW, forgot to add that there is NO coolant in the oil that I could see. It was not a milky color or anything like that.

**Raduque** · 02-14-2004, 01:25 PM

Very minor update: the coolant is leaking from the drivers side of the engine from what I'd guess from it's looks, looks like the cam gear cover. The little hump on the very end of the valve cover. Is that part of the valve cover, and where on that part could coolant be leaking from?

Ben/Radu

**Mac** · 02-14-2004, 05:09 PM

Unfortunately it sounds like your water pump just gave out on you. As far as the oil. First look for any leaks. Common oil leaks are valve cover gasket, distributor o-ring, oil pan drain plug, oil pan breather tube, oil pan gasket, and oil filter. If you don't have any leaks then you might be burning oil.

**Raduque** · 02-16-2004, 03:28 PM

Alright, it is DEFINATELY the water pump. I just finished installing my sub and amps earlier today, and fired up the car to go for a small cruise when it started squealing and wouldn't stop. I opened the hood while it was running and got a face full of coolant from the driver's side of the engine. So, off to Autozone tomorrow for a new water pump. Does anybody know how much a new pump costs at Autozone? And how difficult it is to remove the pump? Thanks

Ben/Radu

***A20A1*** · 03-24-2004, 11:49 PM

I agree on the coolant problems causing the bad idle when warm, on my other car which is efi, I replaced the pump and my problems went away for a while then came back becuase the blet was not as tight as I had first thought, better loose then tight, in this instance.
Anyways once I got the coolant flowing good the problem went away... also the Alternator was affected by the loose belt tension, but only was appearent when I turned on the headlights.