1996 Dodge Intrepid Hard to Start

BMILLSPAUGH

MEMBER
1996 DODGE INTREPID

I have a 1996 Dodge Intrepid, 3.3L engine, automatic transmission with 196,000 miles on it. This car is very hard to start after it has warmed up and been shut off for more than 5 to 10 minutes. It will start right up if it has been sitting for a week without having been started. After it has been started and has warmed up, if it is shut off, it will start by just bumping the starter within two or three minutes. If it sits for 10 minutes, it will be very hard to start and run and smell like it has been flooded immediately after starting. The engine will smooth out after a few seconds of running and be just fine. There is a gassy smell in the engine compartment, but I can't find any fuel leaks.

2 Replies

2CARPRO JACK

MECHANIC
11,533 POSTS

I have seen both the fuel injectors and fuel rails leak on those cars. Sometimes fuel leaks are hard to find, it dries so quickly on a warm engine. If you remove the upper intake, you can cycle the key for fuel pressure and it is alot easier to see everything.I do suggest that you have it seen to immediately.

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Sunday, November 4th, 2007 AT 7:51 AM

BMILLSPAUGH

MEMBER
2 POSTS

I took the car to a mechanic friend of mine who spent a couple of hours trouble shooting. He found a bad fuel regulator tnat was causing flooding of the car after the car had been run for a little while. If the car was started immediately, the flooding was not enough to make it hard to start. If the car sat long enough, sufficient fuel was leaked into the intake plenum to flood the engine so it was hard to start. If it sat long enough, the fuel would dry up and no longer flood the engine.

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Wednesday, November 7th, 2007 AT 7:58 PM