Flooding problem?

BostonB

Anyone hear of this problem. You start a petrol fuel injected car a few meters or so, say out of the drive, and leave it, then when you come to start it later it won't start. I've heard from a breakdown guy when we couldn't start our primera that this is a common problem in modern cars but I've never heard of it. He reckoned it floods the engine.

$Leon$

Any chance you could re-read the post and try and make it a little clearer what you are talking about. Not really understanding the situation you are describing.

BostonB

Dunno how to make it simpler tbh. Car won't start. Last time (few months back) we got a breakdown guy out he said it was flooded. I said how it that possible its fuel injected. Hes said he'd seen it loads of time with new cars that have only been moved a very short distance. AFAIK he started by hooking up to a power booster and turning it over till it caught. I wasn't there at the time I only got the info over the phone. Looks like it won't start again this evening. From, what we can remember last time it was started it was only moved out of the drive. Theres still electrical power, so the battery is ok. Seems to turn bit doesn't catch.

unkel

BostonB wrote:

Anyone hear of this problem

Yes. The exact same problem happens with my car (a '96 BMW 735)

BostonB

unkel wrote:

Yes. The exact same problem happens with my car (a '96 BMW 735)

How do you get around it when it happens?

Esel

$Leon$ wrote:

Any chance you could re-read the post and try and make it a little clearer what you are talking about. Not really understanding the situation you are describing.

Any chance you could re-read the OP's first post before wasting your time and ours posting such crap? So the OP said 'start' when he meant 'drive' - you couldn't figure that out?

Firewalkwithme

Could it be the carb?

Cartoon_Head.

BostonB

Cartoon_Head wrote:

Could it be the carb?

Cartoon_Head.

AFAIK it would the carb in a non fuel injected engine. After some googling it seems its quite common. From my reading it could be bad starting technique or leaky injector. Advice seems to be leave it for a while and restart it or keep it turning over without using throttle. I guess the last time when the breakdown guy did it, it ran the battery down so he used a booster to keep it going until it caught. I'm going to try it again in a while.

http://www.popularmechanics.com/blogs/automotive_clinic/4216120.html
http://www.thepartsbin.com/fuel-injectors.html
http://www.chicagotribune.com/classified/automotive/columnists/chi-0701210497jan21,0,5804056.column

optiplexgx270

Whats the car? Literage?

BostonB

Sorted it now.

optiplexgx270

Erm Ok keep it a secret then i guess.... just in case someone else is having the same problem and is looking for answers

BostonB

optiplexgx270 wrote:

Erm Ok keep it a secret then i guess.... just in case someone else is having the same problem and is looking for answers

Keep what a secret? Is it not all posted already? :cool:

Literage isn't a word btw. If you mean capacity why is that important?

AFAIK (and I maybe wrong) To clear a flooded fuel injected car, the advice seems to be keep it cranking with/without the pedal down. If its not a simple flooding, but problem with the injectors, you'd probably have other symptoms. In my case its simply flooding, because I move a few meters and turn off too quick, perhaps I over rev it when I do dunno. Leaving it idle for a bit before turning it off should prevent flooding.

bushy...

Maybe this /some variation of this is happening ... when you start the car , the temp. sensor tells the injection system the engine is cold and it richens up the mix for happy starting.
Then you move it a little bit and turn it off . Then you go to restart it but the heat hasn't reached the sensor yet. The injection system again gives it a rich mix thinking its stone cold , but the engine doesn't need it.

MercMad

Yes it does happen, and all BMW's are particularly prone to this ! If for example you start it up on a cold morning reverse it out, say to let another car out, and then switch off.............the thing wont restart.

Normally pulling the fuel pump fuse, or the cold start injector fuse and turning it over with a strong battery and foot to the floor will sort it.

I have however heard that they tend to idle rough afterwards as the edge of the plugs carbon up. A new set oif plkugs sorts it out.

The reason is that the cold start temp sensor in the head still registers cold coolant, whereas the combustion chamber is hot

unkel

BostonB wrote:

How do you get around it when it happens?

Interesting. I've had the AA out twice on this. First time this solution worked:

MercMad wrote:

pulling the fuel pump fuse, or the cold start injector fuse and turning it over with a strong battery

Mind without touching the accelerator pedal (automatic in park)

And second time this solution worked:

BostonB wrote:

keep it turning over without using throttle. I guess the last time when the breakdown guy did it, it ran the battery down so he used a booster to keep it going until it caught

In both cases, my own battery + the portable AA battery were not enough and my battery had to be connected to the "big one" on the AA van with the engine of the AA van running. Took about 1-2 minutes of turning it over

BostonB

unkel wrote:

I...In both cases, my own battery + the portable AA battery were not enough and my battery had to be connected to the "big one" on the AA van with the engine of the AA van running. Took about 1-2 minutes of turning it over

By booster I meant the one on the recovery truck. Our other car, a 1L isn't powerful enough to jump it, before never mind keep it turning over.