Help!!
I have towed my daughter’s 1994 Jeep to a repair shop, after having given it a complete tune-up and then some. It starts really, really hard in the morning. Afterwards, once it starts, if it starts, it usually will start relatively easily the rest of the day. Then once again, in the morning, it turns over and over and over before it starts. It seems like it is not getting what it needs to start. Does any one have any thoughts, ideas and suggestions. My husband is pretty good mechanically, being a licensed general contractor, he actually enjoys challenges. This however, has been a headache. My daughter needs her car to get back and forth to work. Any ideas??
You need to start from the beginning. Why was it towed to the shop? What was the history of this Jeep?
It looks like you said the car ran well until it was tuned up. I can’t say how to fix it, but when it’s done I will suggest that she get a more dependable brand of car. It shouldn’t be hard to find one.
It sounds like the anti-drainback or pulsator valve in the fuel pump assembly is defective.
What this valve does is, it prevents the fuel from draining out of the fuel rail(s) and fuel line back into the gas tank. When this happens, it takes the fuel pump longer to fill the fuel system with gas and build the proper fuel pressure. This usually happens at the first start after the vehicle has sat idle for a long period of time, and why it takes longer to get the engine started. After the first start of the day it doesn’t occur again, because the vehicle doesn’t sit idle long enough for the fuel to drain back into the gas tank.
To find out if this is what’s happening, have them perform a fuel pressure leak-down test. This will confirm if this is the problem.
Tester
HI, Thanks for response. It was taken to the shop because it wouldn’t start. It wasn’t starting very well before the tune-up which is why we tuned it up, thinking it was overdue. When it came back from the shop it started for a few days, hard as usual, then it just wouldn’t start again. The same issues, turning over and over and over until the battery was run down. My husband charged it, it finally started, and I drove it around town and it started fine for me. In the am, however, I am sure, the same issue will begin again. Will it start after much trying or not. Hope that answered your question, before you give me an answer.
HI, it was not starting well before we tuned it up, which is why we tuned it up. It takes money for another car. She has just started working and the car has been cared for. It was mine until I gave it to her because I bought a new one. Thanks
Hi, I will talk to my husband about it. It sounds like a reasonable thing to try. Also, we were thinking it could be the starter or the alternator or the cellinoid, (spelling). I was talking to my sister and she suggested these things, as well.
Thanks for your help.