Last week I drove my stock SC300 on a trip. I got about an hour away. Has always ran great. Killed it to pump fuel, and wouldnt start when I went to leave.

It acts like a fuel problem. At first I thought a clogged fuel filter. When I was trying to start it, It was just turn over and over, ...and then start. But it would only run for a few seconds, and would bog down untill it died.

After it did this several times (started and died), it all of a sudden started and idled fine. I left the gas station, and ran it hard, ...trying to make it starve for fuel, but it wouldnt. Ran tip top.

I drove it another 100 miles to my destination with no problems. .....Killed the car, ran in somewhere, came back.....Same thing. Wouldnt start. Finally started up, ...drove it 250 miles home w/ NO PROBLEMS.

It does this whether its hot or cold, whether it has sat or just been turned off, and only when I first start the car. After its started, it runs like a new one. No CELs, btw.

Suggestions?

 

maybe a dying throttle position sensor?

if it failed thinking it was open, it could dump fuel

 

Would that only affect start up? Once it decides to run, I can drive for hours with NO problem.

The last trip I made, I did notice it seemed to consume alot of fuel. The exhaust smells rich, too. I guess I should have included that.

 

It could possibly be you fuel pump and related relay. I had a honda accord doing the same thing. Drive short distance, go in some place for a few minutes come out and it just spins over with nothing. My neighbor is a mechanic, and he explained that the fuel pump is going bad, and that the fuel is draining back out of the fuel rail. He said that it will take time for the system to prime itself again. the fix for the honda was a new fuel pump, and a fuel relay under the dash was replaced as a precaution.This fixed my problem. Not sure if the SC's work on the same principle, but it is something to check.

 

I was thinking fuel pump relay/ecu just as a blind guess by your description... the best way to find out would be to hook up a fuel pressure gauge and watch (hopefully you will be able to duplicate the issue with the gauge hooked up)

other potential reasons include all the relays that are engine related, as well as the ignition switch itself...

 

Oh, It does it every time now. Thats sounds like a good way to trouble shoot it, though. I need to put a fuel pressure gauge on it.

Good thinking.

 

I had the same prob last week I just purchased my car and went to the supermarket and was stuck... had to tow back to my house.
The next day I went to turn on the car and it started. I moved it across the street parked it and turn it off and crank again it would not turn over.
I left for a week so I can get some cash to overhaul my engine with a tune up.

But this heat down here is 101- 103 and I just was not trying to get out in that heat to look into it. So finally I started it up yesterday and it started... wow!
I turned it off and started it again it started. I drove it for a while but was scared to get stuck. So this morning I started it up and took to T-LEX the clean the fuel throttle and I got and oil change while I was at it.

Car Started with no probs runs fine.
the cost to fix with oil change $75.00

In about 2 weeks going for a full tune up.

Hope this helps