Hard start, heating up and backfiring problems

Hi,

First, this vehicle isn't offered in the US, so my technical information is limited. However, I will try my best to help.

Based on what you described, it sounds like the vehicle is getting too much fuel. That could be caused by a faulty fuel pressure regulator or even an engine coolant temperature sensor.

Since it's backfiring, take a look through this link to see if anything helps:

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/engine-backfires-while-running

If that doesn't help, I would suggest checking fuel pressure to make sure it isn't too high. Here is a link that explains in general how it's done:

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-to-check-fuel-system-pressure-and-regulator

Additionally, when checking fuel pressure, pay attention to how quickly pressure drops when you turn the key off. If should hold for some time and drop approximately 10 to 20 PSI. If it drops faster and goes lower in pressure, you could have a fuel injector leaking down and flooding the engine. That could make it hard to start and could cause a backfire.

Try these things first and let me know the results.

Take care,

Joe