outside for a few days, won't start...
 

needed to move the car out of the garage for a few days... and now it isn't starting... it almost catches... but doesn't.... the lights weren't left on, etc... could this just be battery/cold weather related... i have the car on the trickle charge now... if that doesn't work... i guess i'll try to jump it...

any suggestions??

I got one. When you moved your car, did you just get in it crank it up move it out and cut it off without letting it warm all the way up.

If that is what you did then it is more than likely flooded. Which there are a couple ways to get it unflooded. I am going to wait til you reply back...cause I dont wanna do all that typing and that not be the case..or someone else can help you out with this also..if you reply back and someone else sees it before i do.

Well I hope that is all it is or some other little problem
later

i moved it out and let it run for awhile... didn't drive it anywhere... but i let it sit and idle until the temp. needle moved up into the operating area...

I'm not sure how it happens, but I know that starting your 7 and not driving it is bad somehow. I have read a few threads where someone just pulled it in and out of the garage and then it had the smoke and lumpy idle. Anyone know what causes this? is it just coincidence?

your car just flooded. it happens alot in cold weather. all you need to do is pull the egi fuse crank for a few seconds. reinstall egi fuse and crank with gas pedal floored and it will start right up. if you get a really bad hot start problem it may mean your engine is low on compression.

I always heard that it was the opposite-since the seals were cold and contracted, they leak and you get less compression and harder starting. When warm they expand and compression is better, easier to start. Comments?

i really don't think it is flooded and i may try jumping it before i do this... but the procedure is

pull the egi fuse..
crank for a few seconds..
re-install the fuse...
crank with the pedal to the floor?

is that right?

i still want to believe it is battery and cold starting related... i've noticed the windows going up and down slowly before... it figures that as soon as i needed to put the car outside for a bit... the Indian Summer goes away and the temp. drops...

i know, i know... it is WINTER afterall...

Well does it just crank very slowly or does it crank at full speed?

it cranks pretty decently... but never quite catches...

Then I think the first thing you should do is take a spark plug out. If it's soaked, then you ARE flooded. Usually, no matter how well you dry out a soaked spark plug, it may not fire right. You are better off taking the sparkplugs out, cranking the engine a couple of times so that all the gunk gets out of it. Then put about 1 teaspoon of ATF in each chamber. Put the new plugs in, and you should be able to start it up.

If the plugs are not soaked, then you MAY have another problem.....

pull all the plugs and see if they are wet...

my vote is still flooded ;)

part of what i was looking for was confirmation on your suggestion... which was this (i believe)...

pull the egi fuse..
crank for a few seconds..
re-install the fuse...
crank with the pedal to the floor?

is that right?

yes that is right. Accept when mine does it i dont floor it. I let it start on its own then give it a little gas and keep it steady until it seems like it will idle on its own...but about the flooring....maybe it is a 3rd gen thing...i just dont see the point in giving it gas til it needs it..but maybe it doesn't matter..weather it is floored or not..try it either way you want..oh and if i am wrong about the flooring..and u have to floor it..then sorry.
later

In a fuel Injected car you don't need to press the pedal to the floor as the injectors will pump gas into the car no mater what. you run a risk of blowing the apex seals just let it start on its own.

If I'm not mistaken, you put the pedal to the floor upon cranking while the fuse is pulled, then, after putting the fuse back in you do not put the pedal down. The reason for putting it down with pulled fuse possibly being that a)pulled fuse = no gas b) open the throttle up to help unflood. That was always my impression.