2000 Toyota Celica GT delayed start/hesitation

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Issue: hesitates to start as if it's not getting enough fuel, any help with pressing the gas pedal immediately starts it now.

Engine was just rebuilt 200 miles ago, runs like a champ once up to operating temperature and idles flawlessly.

Background:
I bought the vehicle in Chicago, before leaving back to St. Louis I made sure the oil level was full, next morning after the trip home, the car was 3 quartz low on a 3.9 quartz sump, I realized this after starting the vehicle, it was shaking/kept dieing out, drove it to flat surface and properly filled oil, I knew I had to rebuild the engine asap.

I soon started to get issues every time I started the car, it would shake/hesitate but as it heated up the issue went away and it idle perfectly, the temperature gauge took forever to go from COLD to the next step, and then would skip to operating temperature within 10 seconds, I got CEL P0420 (Catalytic Efficiency) & P0171 (Low Fuel Pressure), and I got P0171 more frequently and P0420 only once before the engine rebuild, since the engine rebuild P0171 hasn't come back but I kept getting P0420 every 20 miles after I would reset it with a scan gauge. This morning the vehicle won't start, it was turning over but didn't want to start, wide open throttle and it started, which made me conclude coolant temperature sensor, as the vehicle heated up, it started to run normally. I replaced the Coolant Temperature Sensor and it idles much better and doesn't require wide open throttle to start the vehicle anymore but after being turned off for an hour or so, it still gets hesitation/rough start but starts much faster then before but not normal (my 01 celica gt is the point of comparison).

Items worked on other then engine:
1. New NGK Spark Plugs
2. Fuel Injector Cleaning (RC Engineering)
3. Throttle Body/Idle Air Control Valve Cleaning
4. VVT-i Solenoid & Filter Cleaning
5. Mass Air Flow Sensor Cleaning
6. New Stant Thermostat
7. Complete Coolant Flush
8. New Coolant Temperature Sensor(it significantly reduced the "hesitating" during start up but not eliminated)

What do you guys think it can be?

me and the old school mechanic have concluded that it could be a clogged fuel filter/strainer both of which are located under the back seat, on top of the fuel tank but, after reading celica forums I'm not so sure as I have read constantly that the fuel filter never needs to be replaced in these cars.

Another possibility would be that the fuel pump has become lazy (would make sense to me as it initially takes time to build pressure until it starts to run properly?).

Another could be that the Beck/Arnley Coolant Temperature ($15) I got isn't up to par with OEM coolant temperature sensors? The temperature does rise normally on the temp gauge now and the vehicle doesn't require wide open throttle to start since replacing this part.
 
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Do you have access to a scantool to read OBD2 datalists? Is the MAF the same one that was from when you were having P0171 codes? see what your MAF readings are cold & hot. Idle & 2500rpm
 
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Originally Posted By: mehullica
Do you have access to a scantool to read OBD2 datalists? Is the MAF the same one that was from when you were having P0171 codes? see what your MAF readings are cold & hot. Idle & 2500rpm

Yes the MAF is the same, I will look at that first thing in the morning, good idea, I just hope this new "cool" looking scan tool can read the OBD2 datalists for my car.

I have a re-manufactured MAF sensor that I never used, let me give that a try now to see if it will start normally be back in 10 minutes!
 
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Originally Posted By: 01_celica_gt
I have a re-manufactured MAF sensor that I never used, let me give that a try now to see if it will start normally be back in 10 minutes!

FAIL! trying that unopened re-manufactured OEM MAF sensor didn't work.
 
Could also be faulty purge control valve. The valve can get stuck open by a tiny piece of debris, and when you start you are actually in a flooding condition, even tho it sounds like it needs fuel. Difficult starts and brief rough idle occur because this valve is not supposed to be open during startup. Part is cheap, access is hardest part.
 
Originally Posted By: larrystorchrules
Could also be faulty purge control valve. The valve can get stuck open by a tiny piece of debris, and when you start you are actually in a flooding condition, even tho it sounds like it needs fuel. Difficult starts and brief rough idle occur because this valve is not supposed to be open during startup. Part is cheap, access is hardest part.

wouldn't that set an emission specific check engine light?

I only have P0420, which is catalytic convertor inefficiency and that wouldn't cause this issue.
 
You may be right, but those codes are not gospel. When my pcv went i kept getting the code for faulty camshaft position sensor, even tho there was nothing wrong with it. My starting problems only occurred right after fillup but sound simlar to what y ou described, once running it ran just fine
 
Update: Idle Air Control Valve was faulty, replacing it fixed the issue, the Toyota celica now starts almost as quick as my 96-00 Honda Civic used to (instantaneous really).

This makes me think the other IACV(all have been thoroughly cleaned) in our Toyotas (4 other cars) might be slightly faulty because they all have a slight delay in starting compared to my car now, with the new IACV.

Used a BWD/Intermotor IACV from AAP, it's runs flawlessly now.
 
Update 2.0: The aftermarket Beck/Arnley Coolant Temperature Sensor was also defective.

It didn't read the coolant properly when it was cold and therefore the computer wouldn't inject sufficient fuel to immediately(caused start up hesitation) start the car when COLD, replacing it with a used OEM coolant temperature sensor from the junkyard solved that issue.
 
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