Head Scratcher - car not starting

[87accordlxi]

OK, two days ago I tried to start my car in the morning and it absolutely wouldn't turn over. It would crank, but it just wouldn't start. There were two factors:
1) I was low on gas, but not extremely low. Probably a bit under a quarter tank left, and the fuel light was not on yet.
2) I was parked on an incline, with the front of the car raised higher than the back.

I put a gallon of gas in the car, and after a minute or so, it sputtered to life.

Jump ahead to this morning. I went to start the car, and it wouldn't start. After a couple minutes, it sputtered up and started. I was parked in the same inclined parking spot, however, I had a full tank of gas.

One other similarity between the two instances that may or may not mean anything is that it had rained heavily the night before and the car was still wet. I'll also add that when I started the car when it is parked level (Tuesday morning, and when I leave work every evening), it started just fine.

Does anyone have any thoughts? Maybe the fuel pump?

[NXRacer]

sounds to me like your fuel pump is on the fritz. Esp since it started better with more gas in it.

[Vinny]

Don't park on that incline anymore?

Seriously Joe, you may want to run some heet or any other additive that will absorb fuel tank moisture. Look for something with isopropanol or methanol. Its possible that when you added gas the first morning it stirred up the tank enought to move some of the moisture. Excess moisture in a tank can do strange things. Since water will settle at the bottom of a tank an incline it to be drawn into the pump more easily. Try something cheap and easy before you dig deep to replace parts that may not be bad

[pimp86LX]

back in next time and see if it makes a difference?

[A20A1]

And once every few turns try the removing the key and sticking it back in, sometimes the car will still crank, but the ignition switch isn't connecting all the wires so the car doesn't start... I've had that problem on my car for a while now. I'm about to rewire the whole damn thing and just make it a push button start.

[87accordlxi]

Don't park on that incline anymore?

Seriously Joe, you may want to run some heet or any other additive that will absorb fuel tank moisture. Look for something with isopropanol or methanol. Its possible that when you added gas the first morning it stirred up the tank enought to move some of the moisture. Excess moisture in a tank can do strange things. Since water will settle at the bottom of a tank an incline it to be drawn into the pump more easily. Try something cheap and easy before you dig deep to replace parts that may not be bad

Is that the same stuff as the fuel stabilizer you put in your lawnmower over the winter?

[Vinny]

You mean Sta-bil??? I think stabil prevents the breakdown of fuel on a molecular basis and prevents the effects of "varnish" in old "stale gas" Its more to stabilize the molecules. Prevents oxygination of them. Stabilizers are good for fuel that sits for long periods of time to prevent it form turning. You don't want an fuel stabilizer you want a fuel dryer/antifreeze.


You want to look for heet or isoheet or any generic additive thats labeled as a fuel dryer/antifreeze. They should have that stuff at any parts store. I know we do here and you guys up there have more "fuel line freezing" than we do (sorry that phrase always makes my laugh, has anyone seen actual fuel freeze?)
Gas addiditves that contain isopropanol or methanol actualy absorb moisture.

I'd say add 2 bottles to one tank of gas and go from there Joe.(hehe take 2 asprins and call me in the morning ) I'd change the fuel filter as well. I usually run a bottle through my cars every so often just to combat the effects of watered down fuel

If you try it let me know how it turns out. Ya know i like to keep up with what fixes what.

[Jareds 89 LX-i]

When it didn't start, did you notice if the fuel pump ran for a couple seconds when you first turned the key? Your main relay may be on the fritz. That happened to my dads SE-i a month or two ago. He called me one morning and was like "my car won't start... it just cranks and cranks and cranks". Main relay was my first suspect, so I pulled it out and used a paperclip to jump the B+(12v) and fuel pump + wire, and it fired right up first try. You can actually reach and unplug the connector to the relay without taking anything apart, and you could jump the two (I think the B+ was red and the fuel pump was yellow/black.... I think) and see if the fuel pump comes on right away. My dads I just took the relay apart and re-solidered all the connections on the printed circuit board and put it back in. Hasn't given a single problem since.

Just a thought...

[87accordlxi]

The reason I don't think it's an electrical issue is because it starts so roughly. Which is why I think water in the gas or the fuel pump would explain it. Even this morning, I was parked on a level surface and it started on the second try, and it barely started. I needed to kick some revs into it for the engine to smooth out and run ok. After it smooths out, it runs fine.

[Vanilla Sky]

sound like water in your fuel, or your fuel pump... same thing that's been tossed around here already

[k-roy]

Ok its time for my favorite and most suggested solution to date.
Change the fuel filter and run a bottle of fuel injector cleaner through the tank first.

Also where do you get gas and what octane do you run?

[87accordlxi]

Also where do you get gas and what octane do you run?

I usually only get Marathon or Shell. When I filled up I got Marathon, I believe. Regular octane - 87.

[Vinny]

What are you doin on here Joe, go fix your car

[87accordlxi]

I'm at work

So yeah, I really shouldn't be on here.

[k-roy]

ok at least you are not using BP gas. Back home my car seemed to like Thorton's gas. The only ones I know of are in Reynoldsburg and Hilliard. Try topping it off with some premium just to make sure you did not get bad gas (the Marathon on campus sucks BTW). Try using Shell or Speedway instead.