Sti_Lad

Not sure if its me or not but the last 3 Cold starts in the morning have required a lot longer than normal on the starter!
This morning it was 2 5 second starts!
Once she has started its fine and runs ok, just kinda worried about it taking so long to start!

Could it be dirty plugs?
Any other suggestions

It must be running ok as I have just been to coventry and back in it today and got 320 miles out of a full tank of petrol! (doing 75 80 there and bit more on way back )

Ralf Paris

Mines a bit like that too. Nothing to worry about IMHO.

320 miles from a tank though!!!!! I get 180 - 220 tops :0

talizman

iTrader: (1)

I thought mine wasn't going to start leaving work last night (11pm).

Turned over for ages and when it finally fired, it was a well weak fire... not convincing at all!

T5NYW

iTrader: (4)

hi guys,
Don't touch the Throttle on cold starts. My STi7 PPP don't like it if I accidently touch it during starting of subject a bit does your exhaust fumes Strange smell, simular to Parrifin, when starting from cold

Tony

Ps you chaps probably already knew that but some peeps new to scoobs, might not.

MARK MORRIS

my sti 7 ppp is that bad that when it starts to catch the only way to get it going is to give it some throttle, took 8 attemps to start it a couple of weeks ago, my other two scoobs never had this prob
mark

sammyh

iTrader: (1)

Not had a problem with my 7 or 8 as Tony says its a good idea not to touch the throttle.

talizman

iTrader: (1)

I never touch the throttle on start-up, but when it does catch and is struggling, some gas IS required or else it feels like its going to die.......

MattW

The problem is they have fitted a diesel engine.

FFS - I'm with Ralf, 126 miles out of the current tank and the needle is heading for the quarter tank mark

mwp

... that's just what i was thinking Matt

iDLe*

Do Sti's have bigger tanks than the WRX?

MY02 will get about 180 from a tank of Optimax!

Sti_Lad

Thanks for the quick responses, this is my first Subject all of my own!

Well up till recently the car has always fired instantly, no hesitation or second starts... It does smell VERY rich when its on cold start routine but Im guessing its just one of those things....
I understand about NOT touching the throttle when starting... Let the ECU do it all for you!

the 320 miles was pretty good, usually around town and a few long trips I get around 240 to 250 miles..... So I was happy with the 320...

ANyone know what sort of boost it should hold, I have always thought its low (peaks at 1.3 then holds at 1.24 ish)
Heard people getting more like 1.35 hold and 1.4 peak???

Richard Work

There is a cold start issue with the STi 7 engines, dealers should know about it. I'm not sure if this was fixed for the 8, although I suspect not...

The fix involved replacing the injectors (I think). The problem was being investigated by Subaru Japan last year when I asked my dealer about my car's cold start issue, and they have now id'd the fix. Mine will be done in a week or two!

Cheers

Richard

Sti_Lad

Cheers Richard, just want to identify if its dealer jobbie or not, may have to remove decat

I did try it this morning and it seemed better.
These cars easy to get to the plugs????
Maybe ill see if they are sooted up or not?

MARK MORRIS

talizman
mine is exactly the same
mark

Richard Work

Not sure where the plugs are on the new age - they were a bit of a bugger to get to on my old (classic) WRX - down the side due to the flat four set up.

Yes I would probably put the cat back in if your taking it to teh dealer - unless you know him well

Cheers

Richard

kev m

i have a similar problem with my sti7 the dealer fitted a new crank sensor this didn't solve the problem,when they plug in the Subaru monitor it show no faults. Have since had the car pppd hoped this would sorted it but has not,the car has had several nights at the dealers for them to start it from cold but every time they have tried it starts no problem.Richard i am interested in knowing more about the injector change and why Subaru havn't done a recall on all affected cars

[Edited by kev m - 11/13/2003 10:39:32 PM]

Richard Simpson

I would speak to your dealer or call Subaru customer services. This notification was distributed to dealers this time last year. Try calling Cross Country Vehicles in Hailey, Oxon - they are the ones that told me it was a known issue.

Why have they not done a recall....? I couldn't possibly comment!

[Edited by Richard Simpson - 11/13/2003 10:38:38 PM]

Missile Man

Exactly the same problem on mine (STi8 PPP), coughs into life from a cold start, whereas my last car (standard WRX) always started cleanly.

Looks like it's one to raise with the dealer it it's a known fault.

kev m

Spoke to my dealer today they then spoke to Subaru technical department who now admit a problem but as yet don't know how to fix it

Richard Simpson

They should know how to fix it... I should find out in a couple of weeks - mine is having the 'fix' done. Will post up any progress.

Cheers

Richard

Andy-pay

my STi8 (non PPP) has always had this problem.

had new injectors (something about non-return valves) - no diff

had new temp sensor - no diff.

had leaking inlet manifold gasket sorted (lambda learning was high? doesnt mean a lot to me!) - no diff

if the car stood overnight,or all day, it is terrible to start later/ next day

if stood for 2-3 days, starts fine.

i have been told that cars once PPP'd tend to 'fix' the problem, so have thought it could be a mapping prob on the standard cars - as I'm about to have PPP fitted, am worried prob wont go away!

have also been told Subaru have recently begun fitting new ECU's to some cars, to test if this is the problem.

feedback awaited to see if this fixes.

Supercue

iTrader: (1)

Hi Charlie this turned into quite a popular thread

Mine did this the other day but has since returned to normal so I guess it was just a blip (hopefully).

Having the Graphics and decat done over Sun/Monday so the car should be looking and sounding quite grand for Friday

hedgehog

For 6 months I never had any problem starting the car. Then I spent 3 weeks on a Scottish island. The car was run on 95 RON petrol (all i could get) and, instead of being garaged, sat outside overnight.

Almost every morning it proved reluctant to start. It fired OK on the first turn of the key, just like before, but then would sound almost as if it were going to die for some seconds before finally picking up and running just fine.

Since I have come home, back to being garaged every night and SUL, it has provided a similar performance on several occasions though it has been less regular.

That I could see the petrol and the sitting outdoors overnight were the only differences to my normal routine. One other thing I will say is that the battery recently went flat though I would have thought that only to be a factor in turning the car over and not likely to cause it to falter a bit once it was firing. However, it occurs to me that the battery could have been on the way out or that it may not have been charging fully as this now seems to be a documented fault, especially with STis.

Andy-pay

yep, battery has died on mine too! now replaced tho'.

alway run on Optimax, always garaged overnight.

same problem if left out all day, or garaged overnight.

total pain really.

kev m

Andy
I thought along similar lines as you and had car pppd 2 weeks ago it ran fine for a couple of days and then back to the poor starting problem,the car lives outside all the time has always run on optimax. It has mostly been when it has stood at work for 7 hours+ but also odd mornings

Andy-pay

yep, sounds the same.

not sure where this is going to go really, as dealer have reported to Subaru, but no fix as yet.

even resorted to videoing prob to show dealer, to prove, as they could never get it to show prob.

Supercue

iTrader: (1)

Should av mentioned earlier my car has yet to be garaged overnight

hedgehog

This may be well off the mark but the one thing that occured to me was that the problem was related to wind rather than temperature. That is to say I didn't think the problem was down to the fact that the car had sat outside but, rather, was in some way connected to the fact that the wind was blowing around it all night.

My thoughts at the time were that perhaps it was to do with some sensor thingme that was getting into a strange state because there was air flowing over it all night.

I've no evidence to prove this but it was something that came to me when I was trying to establish a pattern. If it is the case then it might be very sensitive to exactly where the car is parked and what direction it is facing in.

Sti_Lad

Well the last dew mornings its been a lot better, starts after a turn or so and seems to fire into life, albeit a little slower than I been used to....

I am Still concerned about the low boost im running, I was on a (Private) road this morning, nice and cool and it was like peaking at 1.2 bar and then dropping off to 1.1! Must get me a proper boost guage and see whats really happening, not what SECS sees... Not that I dont trust SECS , just boost guages are easier to read

Supercue Roll on the Decat, you should get the centre section changed as well... Helps give it a little more growl!

Tim66 STi8

Never had a problem with my sti8, starts 1st time all the time.
This maybe a stupid suggestion, but is all optimax the same? as I have heard reports of some scoobys not running so well on optimax! How do you know that it is optimax you are getting? Could shell be pulling a fast one! Have you ever checked that it is optimax?