Starting issues

New battery, fuel filter 6 mos old. Spark plugs about 6 mos old too. I try to start and it just spins and spins without starting. Eventually I get pissed and hold down the gas pedal and eventually it starts and revs super high. It doesn't sound like the thing is trying to combust anything and the starter is engaging. I hope it ain't the coil packs.

Sounds exactly like the coil packs. Get those replaced now before they misfire bad and ruin your front cat. Ask me how I know...

slavrenz said:

Sounds exactly like the coil packs. Get those replaced now before they misfire bad and ruin your front cat. Ask me how I know...

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Ok, how do you know?

Seriously, I was hoping it WASN"T them. I guess I'll have to start pricing them. I haven't had any misfire or drivability issues so far. Is this evident only after they have sat idle a bit?

Pyro-tege said:

Ok, how do you know?

Seriously, I was hoping it WASN"T them. I guess I'll have to start pricing them. I haven't had any misfire or drivability issues so far. Is this evident only after they have sat idle a bit?

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Because I started having that same intermittent starting problem until one night on the highway I had a huge misfire. One of my coil packs had died, and the resulting misfire ruined my catalytic converter.

I bought a new coil ($25-40) and a new cat ($250), and a week later my second coil pack went out and ruined my brand new cat.

I can almost guarantee that 90% of the starting and misfire problems people have on this forum are due to bad ignition coils and spark plug wires. I have now made it a point to replace mine every 90k miles as preventative maintenance.

You're talking maybe $100 for 2 new coils and spark plug wires, and a total of 10 minutes to replace them. Why are you so worried about those being the issue?

Well, on an old car the coil packs were much more expensive. I was figuring about $90 each. I have 77k on the odo now, I guess it's about time then. 10 years old. New wires and coils.

Ok so I'm going to just be 100% accurate and honest on what i did these past 2 days.

day 1: Replaced spark plugs 1 & 3 because they were easy to get to and I didnt even want to try and remove those coils. I'm newb. Gapped at .44 or .044 w.e that thing is

day 2 - today: Took out the battery, fuel throttle and EGR valve. Cleaned the EGR with break cleaner stuff or w.e and forgot to put a drop or two of oil (was that bad?) as I was putting the EGR back on I half assed the screws and did a socket in hand tightening because they are in a super annoying spot. Then put the Fuel Throttle back on and connected everything properly. Attached the battery and then after that did spark plugs 2 & 4. Replaced all 4 boots today and got new wires for 1 and 3. It was running fine for a couple hours. In the parking lot I had a hard shift to reverse, kinda thought I did it a little to hard (being very specific to help the prognosis.) 40 minutes later my car sounds like its pushing hard air and fluttering on acceleration in first and second gear. After tinkering with the spark plugs with the old plugs and it even getting worse to instant stall after firing the engine, put all the new plugs back and me and my buddy think its the coils, 1st and 2nd gear sound dieselish and once I hit like 40 it starts to just sound normal.

I would assume its a spark plug/coil problem its just once it goes away after 40mph it makes me think twice.

Is my issue the same as above, with the coil problem?

Fixed. I replaced the coils and touched my EGR valve and it was horribly loose. Tried tightening best I could and it started great.

Cool, congrats. Mine is still not starting all the time. I just gonna man up the $ and buy the coil packs I suppose.