Once a week or so my car doesn’t start right away after I have driven some where, such as to get coffee, the library, or shirts from the cleaners, It makes noise as if it will start, but then gives up. If I sit and wait patiently – doing nothing for 15 to 20 minutes or so, it will start. The mechanics have checked it over several times, but can’t figure out what’s wrong. They suggested putting in a new engine relay a week and half ago. Since then, the problem has happened twice.
Ideas?
The main relay on these cars does tend to cause problems, but if replacing it didn’t help, then there must be another cause of the starting problem. I would suggest that your mechanic next check into the possibility that you have a leaky fuel injector or two.
Leaky injectors can cause a hot engine to be flooded with too much gas, thus making it very difficult to start the engine while it is hot. One way to circumvent this problem is to hold the gas pedal to the floor while turning the key. However, replacing the leaking injector(s) is the recommended course of action in order to avoid the other engine problems that follow when you have leaky injectors.