Car wouldn't start..??? TOO COLD..??
 

So I tried to start my car and no good. I'm thinking it's b/c of the cold temps we're having...

She sounded like she was on the verge of starting but just wouldn't commit... Everytime I tried to get her to stay running by either playing w/the gaspedal or choke, she stumbled.

Eventually the battery died.

After getting a good samaritan to give me a jump, same situation... until I flooded her out. I say she was flooded b/c i pulled the plugs and they were SOAKED.

I finally got her started by a pull start today... but I can't rely on that method being she's my daily driver right now.

She has a YAW nikki and headers... the rest of her is stock.

Also the subzero assist is gone. Should I put that thing back in..?

Would a MSD help...?

I'm also thinking about setting up a secondary battery in the passanger bin that I could switch on as a backup or to parallel if need be.

have you tried Starting fluid?

it was -8 the other day and my FB started right up.

I been telling my buddy who I think loves the smell of that stuff w/a passion b/c he uses it on everything... that it's no good for rotaries.
And if it won't start w/out the starting fluid somethings not right.

Don't ask me why I think this way b/c I don't know the reason myself... except I remember reading it somewhere back when I first discovered the internet forums.

Ohhh and once he used it anyway and the car still wouldn't start after spraying that stuff and the plugs were BLACK as I've ever seen a set get.

I'm just throwing up non-factual riggamarore... someone please correct me if I'm wrong... b/c I did pick up a can of it today.

My car sits in the garage and gets pretty cold and usually I have the same issue as you. My method (which works everytime) is when I get in the car I pump the gas pedal smoothly 10 times. Wait about 5 seconds, push the gas pedal half throttle and start it up. Usually catches the first time and once it does I keep it idling at about 3.5k RPM's for a minute or two so it can warm up (removed my choke).

i'm with kerebrus, just pump it like 5-6 times, wait a couple secs then turn the key and rev the engine up at around 2500rpm, (no choke either) until it can hold idle by itself.

also check your ignitors and make sure the ground connection is clean you may be getting false contact. (the ground is where the screws go through the ignitors, make sure there's no corrosion) same thing with your battery cables....and you don't have to do MSD if you don't have the money for it, i just did the 2gdfis and that itself helps it warm up a lot faster and starts easier, you can find a 2nd gen coil for about 15-25 bucks....or free if you know someone who'll give it away.

my car is starting to do this to me... she used to start right up! buti am running on only leading at the moment till i can figure out why.. ignitor more hen likly ... just got to get my hands on one... since i replaced everything else but it.

Starting fluid or ether won't do any damage to a rotary. What it will do for you is get it started and get the velocity up so the carb isn't just running on the idle circuit. You can often start the car on ether, grab the throttle cable and give it some revs on its own until it gets a little warm or, in your case, clears the plugs. If it dies as you let go to get in the car, there's a better chance it'll start from inside the car once those plugs are cleared.

just do what i did, i replaced the trailing (85 model, so i need trailing) with the ignition module for a 79 Chevy Nova (it's only 16 bucks compared to the 100 for the J-109) then follow this thread to hook up your trailing

I tried what Keberus said up above... pump 10 times, wait 5 seconds and try to start, (which is basicly what I do anyways)... NO GOOD.

I tried starting fluid... NO GOOD... especially by myself.

Something else is not right.

The only thing different from last winter is my fucking with my timing, idle and mixture adjustments to get better gas milage...

Last year I had no problems whatsoever starting w/much colder temperatures for sure.

I hanging at my last thread of patience with this POS.

did you make sure all your connections were free of corrossion including your ignitors?. . .

Check your battery. My RX refuses to start when it is very cold. It will spin over but very slowly, not enough for it to catch.

My 02 protege is the same way, it spins over real slow, but the 3rd spin it starts up.

Mine had the same problem in the cold. I just had to pump the crap outta the throttle till it started, or I didn't get to drive it that day. :)

The only problem with that is I'm using my RX as a daily driver...

Getting off work at 2:00 in the afternoon 40 miles away from home... Trying everything I can to get her started to no avail... Hoping on a train and getting home 4+ hours later with FROZEN toes... & Taking off the next day from work to go pick her up w/a friend....

That method ain't going to cut it.

Over the weekend I picked up new battery, swapped out for a 2nd gen alternator, new dual fan/alternator belts, and new terminals.

She started no problem but it was like upper 30's so we'll see.

I'm going to park her at the top of a big hill near my job in case it happens again for now.

It's probably flooding

Sometimes my fb wont start when its cold (Choke knob lost screw) I pump gas like the guy up there said and boom starts first shot, hell even when its warm I start her with my foot slightly on the throttle.

Do you have a working choke? If I use the choke it fires up instantly.

It turned out there's a hose I have plugged on the lower portion of the stock 12A manifold, which is right above the header which gets hot and cracked causing a giant vacuum leak. I had another thread going about if you search my prior posts (it has pics to show exactly what I'm talking about). Once that was replaced along with a new optimum battery she's started up everytime no problem since, even in the cold.

The optimum was worth every dollar. I once left the passanger door half shut by accident so the interior light stayed on all night and then some, and she still started right up no problem.