My car won't start when it's cold

[youngblood]

i just go an 1988 300zx turbo. when i got it it wasnt running too well because it had be sitting for a while. it started up real easy but ran real rough an jerky under acceleration problely from old gas, fouled plug and a dirty fuel system. i drove it about 20 miles back home. i change the oil, spark plugs, wires, cap, rotor, coil, fuel filter, belts, air filter, and flished the radiator and changed the thermistat. after i had it all back it geather. it runs much smother but now is hard to get started when the engine is cold. when i try to start it in the morning it just cranks up then dies. after the 3rd or 4th try it will start but it won't idle good untill it gets up to operating tempiter. after i get it runing for the day it start up super easy for the rest of the day. i don't think its the fuel system because it gets plenty when i'm gunning it around the neiborhood. i had to unskrew F.I.C.D. soleniod valve to get to the 4th sperk plug. i skrewed it back up and pluged it in like it was but i don't know if i could have messed something up. the only other thing i could think of is the air regulator could be falty but i don't know how it could of broken because i didn't touch. ANYONE GOT ANY IDEAS?

[badjuju]

sounds like something electrical, pull any electrical connections off that you pulled off before, make sure they're not corroded, and put them back on.

[youngblood]

you i've been messin with it for a while no luck yet. i also took of the cruse control actuator because it it was All messed up but i don't think that has any thing to do with it.

anybody know how to test the air regulator or the FICD soliniod?

[Pyro]

I would test the air and water temp sensors. Check in your repair manual to find the location and test for these sensors.

 

could also be dirty connections on the above mentioned sensors.

 

Check in the manual to see it there is a cold start injector. Not sure what a 300 uses fro cold start.

 

If you don't have a repair manual then get one. Will also need a volt meter.

[roger.svoboda]

Cylinder head temp sensor on those babies is often the culprit. Don't cost much but takes some fiddlin to get it in. It is on the left front side of the engine. Take off fan shroud and fan. Look from right side down and to your left you will see this gizmo with wires coming out and up to right side of engine. It can be changed. There is a write up on the web. Basically just bust off the plastic connector part to get the old one out. 19mm socket. I was able to install a new one on a 86 engine with a 19mm 1/2 drive socket and a wobble extension. Replace the connector same one as the fuel injector. Buy new or find in junkyard. there is a post on what other cars use the same connector. these things are all common stuff but they keep the mfg numbers secret. Check the wiring back to the connector which is on the right side about at the end of the air box. usually they are all bolixed up from heat and will snap off. 300 doesn't have a cold start they just add fuel until the CHTS says I'm hot. Don't reject the idea that the computer is bad. I just changed out my 85 engine cause it was a burning too much oil with a 86 junker. The 85 engine setup ran well dyno 185 at the wheels but the 86 ran for crap after warmup. Put the 86 computer in for the 85 and now she runs good. Why did a computer die in three days it took to swap out only the auto gods know.

 

You might want to find a fan shroud which you are missing or go to an electric fan. As you are set up now you could experience overheating in hotter weather. basically the cooling system is depending on air flow from driving speed your fan is doing nothing much but robbing engine power.

 

Hopefully the picture is before you changed stuff cause that looks like a used engine rode hard and put up wet.