Well, the altenator, plugs and plug wires are new, the starter is fine.



its like my engine isnt catching at first, i have to listen carefully for it to catch, when it does, i have to give it gas to keep it from dying.....



this is all on a gsl-se



any idea what it could be?

ok guys heres what its doing, basically what matt said but with more detail. it turns over quickly but doesnt start up right away, and when it does its really weak and you have to give it gas so it wont die. last night he tried to start it 3 or 4 times and it sounded like it was about to start but it didnt catch and sounded like it was out of gas really.



matt im pretty sure those plug wires you got are 6.5 mm, and didnt have a brand name on them. do you still have the box or know what brand they are? it sounds like maybe its not getting a good spark.



also, lately your car has been sounding a little weak when its running. it idles great (at the right spot) but just doesnt sound strong.



p.s. was your car smoking at all? i think you said it was last night when you started it.





matt when do you work today? bring your car up here to the cu and let me look at it

[quote name='Shane.Trammell' date='May 14 2005, 05:53 AM']ok guys heres what its doing, basically what matt said but with more detail. it turns over quickly but doesnt start up right away, and when it does its really weak and you have to give it gas so it wont die.



matt im pretty sure those plug wires you got are 6.5 mm, and didnt have a brand name on them. do you still have the box or know what brand they are? it sounds like maybe its not getting a good spark.



also, lately your car has been sounding a little weak when its running. it idles great (at the right spot) but just doesnt sound strong.



p.s. was your car smoking at all? i think you said it was last night when you started it.


[/quote]



pug wires are from standard plus.



car runs stronger then it ever has when its running, its just the starting problem.



last night, for the first time, it smoked on startup.



when we were out of the theatre last night, it took 3 times to crank, on the third time, i put off a nice cloud of smoke, smelled like it had gas in it too. https://www.nopistons.com/forums/pub..._DIR#>/sad.png



the plugs are ngk iradium's, i may have the box around here somewhere, but you did see how they werent seated terribly well, i dont know what the deal with that is.



- matt

im running stock s5 plugs and they stick out a little also.

how old are the plugs ? Wires wouldn't play a role in this situation I don't think, especially becaues the car runs well after startup. My 1st gen usually started up very quickly, but after the plugs got old and gas soaked a few times, the fast turnover of the motor started to perish. Just try new plugs if you haven't already.

the plugs were replaced less than a month ago at the same time as the wires. the car doesnt really run fine after startup, at least it doesnt sound like it does. the car used to sound strong and had a nice note with the full rb, but now it sounds kind of light and airy, or just weak. also, i think when its idling and you rev it it hesitates for a second before revving.



would it make a difference if the plugs were highway, or "hot" plugs?

Yup I'm gonna say it even though you don't want to hear it...



Have you done a compression test. It souds like apex seals might be sticking or it may have some damaged seals.

[quote name='ArmyOfOne' date='May 14 2005, 08:41 AM']Yup I'm gonna say it even though you don't want to hear it...



Have you done a compression test. It souds like apex seals might be sticking or it may have some damaged seals.


[/quote]



which symptoms would suggest that? ill do the ghetto comp test on it a little later today, and maybe try the atf trick in case the seals are sticking.

[quote name='ArmyOfOne' date='May 14 2005, 10:41 AM']Yup I'm gonna say it even though you don't want to hear it...



Have you done a compression test. It souds like apex seals might be sticking or it may have some damaged seals.


[/quote]





meh, i would say so as well, but if the motor runs great and has a good Idle after it gets started, i would highly doubt a apex seal problem honestly. If it was a apex prob, it would run decent when driving, but wouldn't idle worth a dime and the motor would shake pretty violently.



I'd say check the carb/injectors if its EFI for leak, sounds like your just Mini-flooding the motor.

[quote name='nopistons94' date='May 14 2005, 08:44 AM']it would run decent when driving, but wouldn't idle worth a dime and the motor would shake pretty violently.

[/quote]



it does shake a bit



when he tries to start it it does have the sound of a flooded motor. then with the white puff at start up and the heavy fuel smell it could be leaky injectors.