When my engine is cold and I'm starting it up, I have to keep cranking it over and over and over before it starts up. When it's cranking, I don't hear any ignition. Then after about 3 tries, the engine comes to life and then it won't idle unless I give it a little gas and perform an "accelerated warmup" on my own. It no longer does the accelerated warmup on its own. The car is completely stock. Also when the car starts up, the exhaust smells like unburnt gas. Its as if the engine has a bad case of flooding. I even unplug the fuses when I turn off the car to see if it is flooding, but I still end up with the same results.

Once the car is warm, it performs like when I first got it. Starts up, pulls hard, gets moving without a problem.

It is an 87' Turbo II.

Thanks!

 

i have a 87 tii also. mine does the same. i was told it was the air flow meter. gonna try and swap one out.

 

clean your injectors lately? also how's your idle? perhaps a small vac leak?
M

 

Once everything is warmed up, everything is great. Idle stable at 750rpms. I plan to clean injectors once I get my other car running - can't afford to not have a car right now.

 

Check to see if the coolant thermosensor is plugged in. If it isn't working properly the ECU ignores it and defaults to a temp of 80degC (176degF), in which case it probably doesn't add the considerable amount of extra fuel required to fire up a cold engine.

 

Where can I find the coolant thermosensor? I don't have FSM and I'm learning how to work on cars by experience as I go on (o.O - lol). Doesnt hurt to ask, I suppose.

 

that's why my engine has been a little strange at startup, thanks man!
Matt

 

symptoms and explanation of problem seem to match... so... bump to my last question - what am I looking for?

I think I know, but I'm not sure. And Sure is good....

 

NVM - I should have done a bit more researching, but I'll post it up here should anyone else have the problem

The thermosensor is located on the back of the waterpump, under the alternator

I just recently changed my alternator - I probably screwed it up while changing the alternator - d'oh!

 

Ok.... something looks broken back there.... but I'm not sure what it is. There is a connecter that seems to have broken off of something. It connects to the waterpump right after where the radiator hose connects to it. It has a green connector on it and appears to have been held on by a metal clip. Is this the thermosensor? If so - then I think I've found my problem. How much do these things sell for?

edit: It's right under where the alternator gets bolted in on the passenger side. its possible that when changing the alternator, I dropped the alternator on the connector, thus breaking it off.

 

Finally able to dl the FSM with my slow-*** internet. Yep... I broke the thermosensor connector right off.... congrats to me - lol. $40.... o well..... I think this should be a caution on alternator replacement guides. *Be careful of the thermosensor connector under the alternator. Do not allow alternator to fall on connector or connector may be broken!*

Time to fix it, move on, and hopefully someone will learn from my mistake. Thanks everybody for your feedback, and especially NZConvertible! Problem found, hopefully problem will be solved.

 

sorry to resurrect, but where did you find a thermosensor for $40? i was looking online and just now searching (which is how i found this thread) and couldn't find a place that sold them.

also, how easy was it to fix? i wouldn't mind a mini write up. its in an inconvenient spot, as you know. any advise, feel free to add. but first, where did you buy the sensor?? or did you go straight to mazda?

note: i didnt see it on mazdatrix.com, but it may be in there somewhere
sidenote: i have an safc; would richening it a lot at 1000 (the lowest setting) help my startups? my start ups and cold idles are pretty bad. i wasnt sure how the cold engine affected fuel mixture, but NZ said it "doesn't add the considerable amount of extra fuel required to fire up a cold engine."

thanks.

 

this sort of worked. i set my safc at +15% or +25% (heh, sorry, i dont remember) and it only cranked a second before starting. it even actually idled. i then brought the mixture back down to -7% and drove to the end of the street. it died. i started the car again and brought the mixture back up to -2%. ran fine. that was the best cold start i've had since rebuild. now to replace the thermosensor.