[DML] Re: Starting problems... cold, now warm.

["Harold McElraft" <hmcelraft@xxxxxxx>]

I'm not sure you have a problem yet. The problem could be several 
things - accumulator one of them. It could be some contamination 
from the fuel filter change that needs to yet be flushed through the 
system. The accumulator is not necessarily an on/off thing. An 
accumulator problem can show up as an intermittent problem or all 
the time. Once it starts to leak internally however, it will get 
worse. If you lack the gauge to check the system and have never 
replaced the accumulator that would be good place to start.

Harold McElraft - 3354




--- In dmcnews@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, Travis Graham <tgraham@xxxx> wrote:
> 
> I seem to have traded a cold start problem for a warm start 
problem!  A 
> good trade? I don't think so... This one's a bit lengthy, but I 
want to 
> get all of the facts out on the table.  Thanks in advance!
> 
> First I had a lingering cold start problem - after sitting 
overnight, 
> my DeLorean would have very hard cold starts.  It would crank for 
a 
> bit, then slowly (5 seconds or so) sputter to life.  After getting 
> started, it would run fine and would always fire right up when 
warm to 
> hot.  Installing a new fuel filter seems to have solved that 
problem 
> before I had to break out the pressure gauge.  That was last 
weekend...
> 
> Yesterday I started up my DeLorean (and it started right up with 
no 
> hesitation after sitting for a week!) and went for a good drive.  
I 
> parked it for about an hour, then went to leave and it wouldn't 
start!  
> It cranked and cranked but had no intention of firing up.  The 
fuel 
> pump was working, as I noted its usual hum after letting off of 
the 
> key.  After three rounds of this, I jumped the cold start valve 
using 
> the control pressure regulator's wire and it started right up.  I 
drove 
> straight back to its garage, turned it off, and then immediately 
tried 
> starting again.  It fired right up.  And 30 minutes later, it once 
> again fired up with absolutely no hesitation.  Unfortunately I had 
to 
> leave before it had cooled off enough to be in the "warm but not 
hot" 
> zone... and I haven't had a chance to resume experimentation.
> 
> Known variables: fuel pump = replaced in late 2000, thermo-time 
switch: 
> less than a year old.. and the cold start valve seems to be 
working 
> properly - I pulled it out a few weeks ago to check.  Fuel 
> accumulator... ?  It could very well be the original.
> 
> Given my symptoms and known factors, (and without having a chance 
to do 
> further investigation), I would assume that my most-likely problem 
is a 
> bad fuel accumulator.  Maybe I'm just lucky, but I've never had a 
> problem with hot starting before and I've owned this car for 8 
years 
> and put 40k miles on it.  So, here are my questions for the group:
> 
> 1) Is there any possibility that I have killed my fuel accumulator 
> simply by swapping the filter?  That seems odd...
> 
> 2) Can a faulty fuel accumulator be sporadic?  Or, assuming that 
it's 
> bad, did I just get lucky with my timing since it's gone bad?  It 
would 
> seem to be to be more of a binary, broken or not-broken, part to 
me.
> 
> 3) Is there anything else besides the check valve on the pump that 
> could be the culprit here?
> 
> Thanks for any ideas.
> 
> Travis Graham
> #06344








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