Struggling to start...

Hey Guys and Gals...

Can anyone give me some expertise into why in the mornings and after work (esstially atfer about 5-12 hour rest) when I go to turn the car over it struggles to start? I have to keep the key turned and rev it some or otherwise it just conks out. Once I am going it is fine, and turning it on and off after that is ok too. It is just after a half day rest. Ive had it for a while but it is getting progressively worse over time and really really annoying me now. Its been through 3 services and it hasnt been fixed, so it must be something out of the ordinary...

Any ideas would be great. The excuse "It takes like its owner and hates getting up in the morning" was funny for the first few months, but now it is just annoying. lol.

Thanks,
Jamie

Could it be as simple as the battery on its way out? Car is charging it enough to get you around but charge dies after sitting around.

+1 to dru.

take it to an auto elec - they will load test the battery for free - eliminate the easiest/cheapest solutions first.

Cheers guys, that was my first thought too. I'll give that a go and be back for more if that isnt it.. lol.

Do you have a Dashhawk? If I don't drive my car for a month and forget to disconnect the DH I get a flat battery because it constantly draws a trickle of power.

I wish I could get away with not driving for a month, lol. But yeah I do have one though it is only plugged in when I have a problem.

Hey guys, I had a thought today.. If it was battery, wouldn't it struggle to ignite? that is kinda not what the problem is.
Problem is more, turn the key, engine ignites, revs go up to the regular ~2K and then about 2 seconds later it shuts off again.
Only way I can solve it is to try and rev it... Or I just hold the key on until it finally sticks on.
Kinda makes me think it is an injection problem maybe? The sparks were replaced service before last so not them. And oil is regularly changed every 5K so not bad oil..

Well you said initially that it struggled to start - but you're kinda saying a completely different thing now....?

How many km's on this thing?

Give us exact symptoms.

You say it will fire up and run if you hold the ignition against the spring?

Is it having trouble catching or running.

Sorry about the delayed reply. Ok here we go, get in the car turn it on and everything lights up perfectly. Start the engine, it goes VROOM then about 2 seconds later it has a few coughs and then stops. No lights or anything go out, no smoke, no problems just stops. It doesn't do what you might be thinking that old cars do and you turn the key and it goes RooRooRooRooRoo until it sparks and starts. This kicks over a-ok, but then almost immediately cuts out.

Only way to get it going really is to either, turn the key and press the accelerator some. Or just hold the key turned on for about 10 seconds, it'll start up, half die with a few coughs, but then recover and start up fine hold it's revs and I can get going. And will run fine for the rest of the day including turning off and on, will turn on straight away first go.

I have 105,000 on the clock now, but it has been doing it on and off for about 20K of those I would guess. Its not heavily modified at all or anything, always serviced at 5K, sparks replaced service before last with quite decent ones.. It isn't a major problem, it is just an annoying one.

Does it smell super rich from behind the car?

Sounds like either an issue with the cold start function, or even something like a leaking fuel injector that has loaded the cylinder overnight and might be leading to over fueling and flooding.

Do you know anyone with an OBD2 scanner?

I have a dash hawk... What should I be looking at?