Won't start when hot..!!

Hi All,

I just bought a VS Speedy with 800 miles on it and it started giving me some problems already. After running for a good while, when I turn her off she wont start again until she's completely cooled down. It just cranks and cranks. On ocassion, she will fire right up immediatly after turning off, but not too soon after that.

A guy who knows these 1915CC engines says it should have something to do with the #3 cylinder? Bearings perhaps?

Please help! -JA

loose connection somewhere, my 6 volt cars did that all the time..

If the car gets too hot there could be an issue with HOT fuel. It bubbles and creates a fuel starvation symptom because the fuel in the HOT line is still vaporizing. Solution? Look at the fuel line, is it too close to the motor? Is there enough cooling in the engine area?

Thanks to you both, I will look at connections and the fule line! -JA

Call Kirk at Vintage. He will help you trouble shoot.
-=theron

It's been found before that the fuel line was improperly routed too close to a heat source.
Take a look.

Used to be called vapor lock in the olden days and with the volitivity of gas very high because of polution standards, you may indeed be having that. The gas boils in the fuel line and creates a gas bubble that won't let the liquid fuel into the carb. Check the fuel lines and see if they are not close to the engine, too close in fact. We used to wrap asbestos cloth around the lines but can't do that any more. Maybe move the line if you can or wrap it with something that won't smolder and catch fire.

It may be a carb issue. I had the same thing. To get the car to start when warm, I'd have to mash the gas pedal down and crank the engine until it started.

Turned out that I needed a carb rebuild. The bowl would fill with gas and did not keep good compression. This is fine when the engine is cold, it uses the extra gas to start the engine. You can test this by turning car on, and spraying carb cleaner into the carb. If the engine revs, you may have the same problem.

Todd

I've always had a similar situation with all the aircooled VW's that I've had. They're always harder to start (although not impossible)after they are reasonably warmed up; maybe there's more friction due to expansion of the hot parts. If your car is giving you an unreasonably hard time then there's a couple more things to check; timing would be one of them.

Thanks everyone for the feedback. Yesterday was not as hot as the day I had the issues, and after a close inspection of all parts I headed out for the day. First stop, gas station. Imagine my red-face as I pushed my shinny new speedy away from the pump after a non-start! DID NOT HAPPEN! In fact, she ran great all day. She was very hot the day of the "incident" so it might be the vapor issue afterall.

After a few hours with a crisis managment team, we are back on track!

Thanks,
JA

Sounds like vapor lock alright. Many remove and block off the stock fuel pump position and install an electric pump up front. Then all you need is one(insulated) line in to the engine compartment and up to the carb. eliminating the extra lines laying around back there getting hot.

First, crank it an do NOT touch the pedal. See if it does not start. Next thing, check coil (hot) and check fuel pump. Both have tendancies to fail when they are hot, but not when they are cold. So, first ensure that you are not treating the engine like it was cold when you start it...you know pumping it up. Then I'd replace the coil and the fuel pump. Cheap, easy repairs. On the fuel pump, if you have the old, rebuildable type, and you replace it with a new one, make sure you have the pump drive rod. Also, the in out out are in different order on the original rebuildables and the new dome tops.

Also, pour cold water on the fuel pump if you think it is vapor locked. Voli, instant unvapor lock.

If the above don't work... there is the old hard start rely. I have just uesed a ford relay, $9 at o'reilly, but here's one on ebay for you:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=230110904157&fromMakeTrack=true&ssPageName=VIP:watchlink:middle:us

I had the same problems with my 912...electric fuel pump solved it.

And again on the 911 powered IM...high torque starter solved that one.

Brian

Thanks again all. Seems the buggar persists, have to smash the gas down to start her. buying the new relay and looking at coil and pump options as well.

They make a 6 volt starter with a 12 volt gear. It turns it over so fast they start. I think they are about $80. It will last 2 or 3 years and solve many starting problems.

Jason, when you say "mash the throttle down to start the car" you mean hold the throttle to the floor while cranking till it clears and eventually starts. If when it starts you have a plume
of black smoke you could have a carb float bowl too hot, expanding fuel/percolating into
your intake flooding the next start attempt.

By the way, never return to the guy who said it may be bearings or the #3 cylinder. That's the oddest diagnostic I've heard in a long time.