84 tercel crank no start when below 40

[mtmtntop]

once it warms up above 40 car starts and runs fine. have swapped distributor and wires, no change. is there a way to check the ignition switch and would that be temperature sensitive?

[mtmtntop]

more info. its over 50 now, still no start, but i have been in and out of car several times working on it. wondering if inside temp of car could affect something. over past several days i have always checked later in day when it was really warm , both inside and outside of car.

[mtmtntop]

more info. 60 outside started right up and runs smooth

[marlinh]

What is your start procedure when it is cold out? Do you 'set' the choke by depressing the throttle? Feather the gas while cranking? More info is required to help you.

You say it cranks but does not start, so the ignition switch should be fine. Probably choke related or starting technique.

[mtmtntop]

i put my foot down once. it isn't flooded. i have pulled plugs to see if they are wet and they are not. there is no spark when cold. i use same technique to start when it warms up outside. it starts right up with very little cranking... less than 3 seconds of cranking. i am sure the problem is electrical.

[mtmtntop]

some more info. i do know a little about motors. I had just finished installing valve seals when this problem started. I have another motor to swap parts from . I have already swapped the entire distributor so if the problem is a coil or igniter, both distributors have the same problem. possible, but unlikely.

[Petros]

when is it cold out try pumping the pedal to the floor three times before you crank it, when not so cold twice. I think the owners manual says to give it two pumps. I have also found when it is really cold, particularly with modern federal crap gasoline, that I pump it while I am craning it, and than feather the pedal back to about 1/3 throttle. ONce it is running, I rev it up once or twice to 4000-5000 rpm briefly (after the oil pressure has come up, I have a gauge), than it will fast idle properly without any further trams.

I suspect the ethanol blend gasoline does not want to start very easy when it is sub freezing out.

[Mark]

I've replaced Valve stem seals on my current cars a total of 3 times. Since it involves moving the air filter housing to the side, vacuum hoses always got disconnected for me. I'd check to make sure there are no disconnected vacuum hoses in that area under the air filter housing.

[mtmtntop]

Well, i am shocked this morning. its 40, i pumped the gas to the floor 3 times and it started right up. tomorrow its supposed to be cold and snowing so i'll be able to test the theory a little better. i can't believe the answer to this was so simple. what's even more strange it I never started the car this way before and i have been driving one of my 2 tercels as a daily driver for years. and that includes far below zero weather. i'll check back in tomorrow .

re the vacuum line post, yeah, those 3 lines coming off the distributor are a real pain in the butt. i found a website that shows them color coded so you can track them back to their source, and i have that page laminated and use it every time i work on the distributor area.

[dlb]

re the vacuum line post, yeah, those 3 lines coming off the distributor are a real pain in the butt. i found a website that shows them color coded so you can track them back to their source, and i have that page laminated and use it every time i work on the distributor area.

i find the easiest way to track vacuum hoses is to disconnect one at each end and blow into one end. make sure air comes out the other end. if it doesn't, things are mixed up and you need to sort them out. i find this pretty useful what with the steel vacuum lines on the side of the head that make things difficult to trace.

[Petros]

Verify that all the vac lines are routed properly, and in good order (no cuts or leaks), and than take a permanent marker and number each one with matching numbers on the other end. That way you will always have it coded to where they go back so you will never need your chart again.

[mtmtntop]

just a followup. it was in the 30's today and after 3 pumps it did start right up. there could be one other factor in all this. this car had been sitting for quite some time. (It had been a parts car till other tercel was totalled.) i put fresh gas in it yesterday and it seems to run better. thanks for the input.

[irowiki]

In the 30's two pumps should be fine. I've found I don't have to go into 3 pumps until it is below like 15 degrees!