Re: <E-28> Cold starting problem **Rob

["Rob Levinson" <always_coca-cola@xxxxxxx>]

Jim Cash <j.cash@domain.elided> wrote:

>Subject: Re: <E-28> Cold starting problem
>
>Chris Rucci asks "a common question"
>
>> Out of the blue Monday morning my 1987 535is had trouble starting! It has
>> always fired within a second of turning the key, but this time it took
8-10
>> seconds of cranking to get it started. After a short drive, I shut it off
to
>> run into a store. Came out and it cranked up like old times.

Jim Cash wrote:

>You are probably correct in identifying the " 'cold start' valve ".
>The symptoms you describe are "usually" associated with the "cold start
>system".



        Jim is usually 100% correct, and his diagnosis is the most likely
problem... however, there's one other possibility.  The car may have a leaky
injector which causes the fuel pressure stored in the system to drop.  The
pressure needs to build up, the pump builds the pressure only when on -
therefore when cranking.
        One symptom that may accompany the bad injector, that's "weak"
running for the first 10 seconds.  The car will suddenly "jump awake" after
that.  What is happening (thanks to Brett Anderson for the explanation) is
that the bad injector has temporarily fouled the plug in that cylinder.
After the 10 seconds of running, the plug burns clean and the extra fuel
pooled in the cylinder is flushed out... now all 6 cylinders work.

- - Rob Levinson
'85 535i Turbo


www.shortshifter.com

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