Hey, what's up.

I have a 2002 Lancer with no modifications yet. When I start the engine from cold, the car shakes and after 2 or 3 seconds the engine stops, I start it again, and it shakes and last a little longer, 3 or 4 seconds and it stops. The third time I start it, after some seconds shaking the engine revs up and do not shake anymore, when I move it shakes slightly until the temperature is at normal operation.

I have recently changed the oil, oil filter, sparks, and air filter, but it made no change. The engine works great after it is hot, but when I get out of my job at the end of the day, the history repeats again.

Any suggestions on this problem?

 

I would check the sparkplugs may need to be changed, other then that it sould like a normal thing. most all cars will do this when cold.

 

My car does the same thing when it gets to be about 30 degree Fahrenheit outside - doesn't do it all of the time, but often enough that I have noticed it. Like Toddevo_8 said, check the sparkplugs, but there is a good chance that the car is just as cold as you are.

 

Here the temperature is 32 Celsius, and I have just changed the sparkplugs (May there be any chance that wrong sparkplugs make this happen ). It does not seem normal to me, since all cars I drove before does not run like this.

 

Yes, it looks like I miss read your original post - I blame the lack of coffee and the fact that it's only 0 Celsius outside.

Anyway, my cars engine will shutter a bit when I first start it for one of the following reasons:
- Cold outside
- Needs a tuneup
- Using a different type of gasoline

However, it's not a very common thing for me (unless it is cold) and usually indicates that I either need to do some work or I'm using lousy gas.

 

hey, look this interesting thing I have found:

"you might need to take it to a dealer to see if this is happening, but you might be losing pressure in your fuel rail. what im saying is your fuel pressure regulator could be leaking so the fuel in the fuel rail is draining back to the gas tank when the car is sitting for some time. or you could have a leaky injector which will also cause the pressure in your fuel rail to drop. which in turn causes your cold start up problems. cause theres no fuel in the fuel rail and so when you try to cold start your car the fuel pump has to re-pressureize your fuel rail and so what ever fuel thats currently present in the injectors will be enough to get the car to turn over but only for a few seconds or just enough for a sputter. so after the first start thers ample pressure in the system now for a complete start up on the second try. now you say you have no starting problems when the engine is warmed up. thats because the pressure in the system has not significantly dropped enough to cause the stumbling start up. so again a leaky injector or leaky pressure regulator could be the culprits"

 

definitely check fuel pressure. when i was toying with my FPR i had some pretty hard starts in the mornings when it was cold... once i got it properly adjusted the problem went away. the car did die on me ONCE and that resulted in a quick adjustment of the fuel pressure.

 

1) normal cold start

2) weak battery under cold weather condition . . . my current car does it on its first start in the morning, never stalled completely.



Fuel psi?? The car is stock. There shouldn't be any problem w/ it.

 

Before you take it to a dealer go pay 4$ for the Lucas Oil fule injector cleaner and water remover. Id say you have some water in your tank and the cold engine wont push it through. When the car heats up its vaporizing the water in the gas with no problem. Hey its 4$ if im wrong you wont have lost much

 

When I was away I tried something. I verified the check engine codes and it returned me the code 21 engine coolant tempereture sensor. I went to the dealer like a running coin and bought the sensor and replaced it. It failed anyway!!! when I installed it the check engine light dissapeared for some 7 seconds and returned again, and I am having the same hard times to start the car whenever it gets cold.

I'll try cleaning the injection system.