Hi,
I have questions about two issues. I didn’t want to post them together, but they might be related, so I thought reading them together would be easier.
I drive a 1999 Chevy Cavalier (2.2L 4Cyl OHV engine, automatic transmission) with 122,000 miles.
#1: Starting the car – the engine cranks for 5+ seconds before it will turn over
On startup, I always put the key in and turn it to the run position, waiting until I hear the fuel pump kick in (3 seconds or so). The engine always cranks but most of the time it won’t turn over to start immediately. Usually if I hold the key for several seconds it will finally turn over, but sometimes it just won’t do anything but keep cranking, so I’ll turn the key off, wait a minute and then try the process again. Occasionally the engine will crank and turn over immediately as expected.
I first started experiencing this problem two winters ago when we had a very cold snap here in northern Minnesota; it was so cold that my battery died – the car whined, clicked, and wouldn’t start. I had the battery jumped later that day and that’s when the starting issue first occurred.
I don’t think this is a weather related problem though, because now I experience the same issue regardless if it’s -40F or 90F. It also doesn’t matter if I have a full tank of gas or not; and I’ve tried running different fuel octanes and different gas stations with no better results. In addition, I always make sure that the lights, radio, and heat (or A/C) is off when I start it. Once the car is running, it runs top notch; it doesn’t idle rough or stall.
Since the problem started, because of other issues and due to general maintenance, I have replaced the battery, alternator, spark plugs, spark plug wires & coil pack, fuel filter, air filter, and transmission filter & gasket. I run sea foam and STP fuel injector/carburetor cleaner through the tank once a month. I’ve had all of the wiring checked over and nothing is loose. The throttle body has been cleaned. I don’t get a check engine light, but I had an OBD-II code reader put on it anyway and no codes came up.
The one thing I haven’t done yet is check the fuel pressure. I’d love input about what I can do to get my Cavalier starting normally again.
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#2: Fuel gauge works from full to 1/3 tank remaining, but then starts pointing back to full
This problem started right about the same time as my first issue. When I fill my gas tank to full (about 14 gallons or so), the fuel gauge needle will point to full. As I drive, the needle will move accordingly towards empty until I have about 1/3 of the tank left. At that point, the needle will start moving back towards full. Because the needle never points to empty, I never get a low fuel light, so I have to watch the mileage on my trip meter carefully to estimate how much gas I have left. Anyway, when I suspect that the tank is empty, the needle on the gauge will be pointing to beyond full (when I fill up, it usually turns out that I have at least 2 or 3 gallons remaining in the tank). Any idea what could be causing the gauge to misread?
Thanks!
Krystal
I have questions about two issues. I didn’t want to post them together, but they might be related, so I thought reading them together would be easier.
I drive a 1999 Chevy Cavalier (2.2L 4Cyl OHV engine, automatic transmission) with 122,000 miles.
#1: Starting the car – the engine cranks for 5+ seconds before it will turn over
On startup, I always put the key in and turn it to the run position, waiting until I hear the fuel pump kick in (3 seconds or so). The engine always cranks but most of the time it won’t turn over to start immediately. Usually if I hold the key for several seconds it will finally turn over, but sometimes it just won’t do anything but keep cranking, so I’ll turn the key off, wait a minute and then try the process again. Occasionally the engine will crank and turn over immediately as expected.
I first started experiencing this problem two winters ago when we had a very cold snap here in northern Minnesota; it was so cold that my battery died – the car whined, clicked, and wouldn’t start. I had the battery jumped later that day and that’s when the starting issue first occurred.
I don’t think this is a weather related problem though, because now I experience the same issue regardless if it’s -40F or 90F. It also doesn’t matter if I have a full tank of gas or not; and I’ve tried running different fuel octanes and different gas stations with no better results. In addition, I always make sure that the lights, radio, and heat (or A/C) is off when I start it. Once the car is running, it runs top notch; it doesn’t idle rough or stall.
Since the problem started, because of other issues and due to general maintenance, I have replaced the battery, alternator, spark plugs, spark plug wires & coil pack, fuel filter, air filter, and transmission filter & gasket. I run sea foam and STP fuel injector/carburetor cleaner through the tank once a month. I’ve had all of the wiring checked over and nothing is loose. The throttle body has been cleaned. I don’t get a check engine light, but I had an OBD-II code reader put on it anyway and no codes came up.
The one thing I haven’t done yet is check the fuel pressure. I’d love input about what I can do to get my Cavalier starting normally again.
-----
#2: Fuel gauge works from full to 1/3 tank remaining, but then starts pointing back to full
This problem started right about the same time as my first issue. When I fill my gas tank to full (about 14 gallons or so), the fuel gauge needle will point to full. As I drive, the needle will move accordingly towards empty until I have about 1/3 of the tank left. At that point, the needle will start moving back towards full. Because the needle never points to empty, I never get a low fuel light, so I have to watch the mileage on my trip meter carefully to estimate how much gas I have left. Anyway, when I suspect that the tank is empty, the needle on the gauge will be pointing to beyond full (when I fill up, it usually turns out that I have at least 2 or 3 gallons remaining in the tank). Any idea what could be causing the gauge to misread?
Thanks!
Krystal
Jul 18, 2010 at 8:48 PM