4 replies to this topic

[mudcakez]

Hey guys, just a few questions. My RX has a bit of trouble cold starting as shown in the video; it can take up to 1.5x longer and sometimes it will start to kick over but struggle for half a sec before the revs go up. Seems to happen regardless of outside temp and severity is irregular. At around 0:32 I start it again after being warmed for 5 minutes and it's completely fine.
 
Another problem shown in the video is this rattling sound that I think is coming from the mid to rear of the car. Happens on cold starts, when I try to take off in 1st or reverse without giving it enough throttle (0:43 in vid), going over humps and sometimes when I turn the engine off. Hoping it's just exhaust rattle, haven't had a chance to check it out yet but doesn't sound the same as other exhaust rattles I've heard in vids.
 
Any ideas? Cheers everyone
 

[cowie165]

How old is your battery? To me it seems like an electrical issue. Either battery is on its way out or possibly coils. Do you own a multimeter? If so, after leaving the battery overnight what is the voltage? If you have a battery booster I'd give that a try and see if it's any different/faster to start. You'd be surprised at the difference between 12.8V and 12.3V.

 

The rattling issue is a new one for me. Hopefully someone else can take a punt at that. Could it be coming from the clutch and not the exhaust? When you get it going over bumps do you have the clutch pedal pushed in? And does it go away in first when the clutch pedal is fully out?

 

Mark

 

PS. Cool avatar!

[mudcakez]

Cheers for the reply cowie

 

The battery is only a month old. No multimeter unfortunately, might borrow one from a friend.

 

Bit of an update though, I went out this morning to start the car and instead of holding the ignition until the engine started, I let the motor turn a couple times but stopped before it fired up. Then I turned it a second time and it started perfectly, with the revs going straight up to ~1.2k instead of labouring at 3-400 before going up. Not sure what to make of this but happy I've at least found a workaround for the time being.

 

As for the rattling I've now noticed it happens at idle and doesn't seem to be affected by clutch operation. I've had a listen and it definitely sounds like it's coming from mid-rear. Had a look and spotted a bit of the exhaust which may be the source, I'll try and get underneath and have a bit of a play to confirm.

[patrick27s]

I had a similar problem with starting the car, I found that a new starter motor and UEC fixed it mostly, starts a lot faster in the cold sometimes first kick, very impressed, but mine was stuffed anyway

[cowie165]

Cheers for the reply cowie

 

The battery is only a month old. No multimeter unfortunately, might borrow one from a friend.

 

Bit of an update though, I went out this morning to start the car and instead of holding the ignition until the engine started, I let the motor turn a couple times but stopped before it fired up. Then I turned it a second time and it started perfectly, with the revs going straight up to ~1.2k instead of labouring at 3-400 before going up. Not sure what to make of this but happy I've at least found a workaround for the time being.

 

As for the rattling I've now noticed it happens at idle and doesn't seem to be affected by clutch operation. I've had a listen and it definitely sounds like it's coming from mid-rear. Had a look and spotted a bit of the exhaust which may be the source, I'll try and get underneath and have a bit of a play to confirm.

 

Cool, I guess we can take battery off the list!

 

Ok, to me, because you've noticed a difference between cranking it for a short bit then starting it proper that probably means it's not the starter or coils - because nothing has changed between cranks. Just trying to think things through - the short crank means you're pumping fuel and it's already there when you crank it the second time to start it. Are you letting the pump prime before your first crank? You can hear it when you turn the ignition to ON. I usually go to ON, wait till you hear it stop priming, then turn to START.

 

I wouldn't go spending money on a new fuel pump until someone smarter than me recommends it, but I thought it was worth mentioning as something that could be a contributor

 

Mark