Bad re-starting when engine cold.

[Donsky]

Afternoon all,

I have a 1.3 2013 Yaris, my wife has complained a few times that if you stall the engine when cold (just after starting) then it takes a couple of minutes winding the engine over before it will (reluctantly) start again, not something you want to happen when blocking other traffic!! I always took it with a pinch of salt until it happened to me yesterday, I didn't actually stall it as it cut out just after starting from cold and it took about 3 minutes to get it started again, Took it in for a service a couple of weeks ago at a local Toyota dealer and mentioned it as a concern based on the wife's experience but as I expected they could find any reason for it (conditions have to be right).

One strange this I noticed was that when trying to re-start the engine after it's cut out, the engine turns over very fast, about double the speed when starting normally?? Anyone experienced anything like this before??

Regards. 

[YarisHybrid2016]

Sounds like an ignition fault. Is it damp when it does it?

[stantheman1]

Sounds similar to a 'flooded' engine, if and when it happens again try re-starting the engine with the accelerator pedal flat to the floor (this may take up to 20 or 30 seconds for the engine to fire into life but don't ease off the gas pedal until it starts up or it will take even longer to start)

Have you found out why the engine stalls/ cuts out just after initial start up, eg is it a mechanical fault or driver error?

[Donsky]

Thanks for your replies, when the wife told me about it a while ago I did think it was driver error.😀 When it finally happened to me on Sunday, the car was cold and hadn't been used all day, I started the car without my foot on the throttle pedal and it ran for about 2 seconds then cut out, then the fun started trying to get it started again. To be honest it does sound like a flooded engine when trying to re-start it, my suspicions were a fault with the auto choke assembly as it only happens when it's the first start of the day.

Regards.

 

[stantheman1]

This is common on most of the Toyota's that i've owned, I first came across the problem many years ago where I would take the car from the garage at 7am and conveniently park it at the front of the house for when my wife needed it about a hour or so later for the school run, needless to say the car wouldn't start so I got her to ring the RAC as I was at work. The breakdown guy got it started the way I mentioned and told my wife that that was one of the most common faults he attended to the mk1 Yaris followed by flat batteries and fuel shortages.(Obviously not all at the same time)

So try it out and see if it works, also I would give it a blip on the throttle when you first start it from cold to avoid it cutting out. Let us know how you get on, thanks.

[Donsky]

"So try it out and see if it works, also I would give it a blip on the throttle when you first start it from cold to avoid it cutting out. Let us know how you get on, thanks."

Yes, we make sure we do that now. Surprised at what you said about the mk1,  the wife had one for 9 years and  never had that problem, she often complained about the brakes but I never found a problem with them.

 

[Madasafish]

When the engine is stone cold from an overnight stop, all sensors will tell the ECU a very rich mixture is need to start the engine. And that continues until the sensors detect the engine is warming up.

 

If you start, drive  say 10 meters and stop, the rich mixture meets cold metal .. and condensation occurs on the plugs, piston and cylinder head. Now in that mix will be some fumes from unexpelled exhaust gases .. which are mainly .. water. So you get a mix of petrol and water swilling around.  Try to restart and engine rotates   again and some of it lands on the plugs. Water and electricity do not mix..

 

Used to a major problem with early fuel injection. Start car, drive out of garage. Stop engine . Wash car. Car does not restart... Rover 820 i was bad: I used to drive out and leave running for 10 mis whilst I washed it..    Whereas my 1967 Lotus Elan with twinchoke Weber carbs never gave a problem..(well not with cold starting )

 

Not usually an issue with diesels.No plugs.

[stantheman1]

Great explanation once again Mike!

[AMK1981]

Hello All

i have the same issue. I got the Battery replaced two ago. Now, when I start, the car takes some time to start. I’m not sure what the issue is. Some videos on YouTube suggest that I take the Battery out and keep it at home over night but this is obviously not a good solution. Is there a way to keep the car Battery warm overtime? 
is there a fuse that would disconnect the battery if removed? I disconnect everything when I turn off the engine, but something seems to be drawing power. 
any ideas or solutions? Thanks everyone

[Derek.w]

Hi Ahmad.  Just when was the air cleaner & sparkplugs cleaned last?.

Do you know what the voltage of the Battery is after standing all night but before starting?.

[Derek.w]

It not sounding like a Battery problem going of how long you are cranking the engine over.

[Maurice Mynah]

I would suggest one possible reason for the long crank is fuel delivery, volume/pressure or lack of.

If the engine is turning over as it should then it's probably not a Battery issue.

[AMK1981]

@Derek.w I changed the old Battery because nothing was turning. When the new thing happened, I checked the voltage on the Battery as you suggested, and it is 12.5 

Sometimes it takes two turns, sometimes three. Depends.

@Maurice Mynah Thanks. I am beginning to think that myself. 

 

When the car finally started, I disconnected it to check if the issue was related to the Alternator, but the car kept going and there was no flicker in the lights or the dashboard.

[AMK1981]

An update

I just came back from the garage. The guy tapped on the starter motor a couple of times and it is working fine now. He told me that it needs to be changed. I’m dreading how much it’s going to cost me. Thanks everyone for your input. 

[ColinB]

As a guide my son in law had to have the starter motor changed on his Fiesta, cost him just over £200

[Derek.w]

Ahmad,

Do you feel you can change the brushes in the starter motor but there can be other problems like worn bearings so a reconditiond starter motor your old one is returnd in part exchange.