need help! car wont start

[Matt D.]

He is in MN. The temps lately are in the single digits.
Or in the case of this week, below zero.

Current temps in the US:
http://vortex.plymouth.edu/ustemp.gif

[TheBlizzard]

Your coolant temp sensor is most likely bad. Change that and it should be just fine. If your coolant temp sensor is bad, it will not tell the ECU to use a cold weather enrichent fuel map. And if I remember right, if the sensor is bad the ECU will think the outside temp is like 600 degrees F or somethink like that. If you can get your car to start, most likely it will run like shit for about 40 seconds then it will bypass that fuel map and go into a alternate 'default' map. Once this happens you will see a CEL and it will run decent but not great. And when the car is warm it will start back up great, but as soon as it gets down to outside temp again it will do the same thing.

Try that out, if its the culprit as soon as you replace it the car will fire up like a charm.

CRAIG

[TGPilot]

Your coolant temp sensor is most likely bad. Change that and it should be just fine. If your coolant temp sensor is bad, it will not tell the ECU to use a cold weather enrichent fuel map. And if I remember right, if the sensor is bad the ECU will think the outside temp is like 600 degrees F or somethink like that. If you can get your car to start, most likely it will run like shit for about 40 seconds then it will bypass that fuel map and go into a alternate 'default' map. Once this happens you will see a CEL and it will run decent but not great. And when the car is warm it will start back up great, but as soon as it gets down to outside temp again it will do the same thing.

Try that out, if its the culprit as soon as you replace it the car will fire up like a charm.

CRAIG

WOW...thanks Craig! I didn't realize that the cold start was so dependant on the temp sensor! :eek: That takes it a step farther than a frozen line. ;) Defenitely good to know if I have a similar issue.

[jd1828]

I put some IPA in the tank and bought a small oil pan heater. I just got home so Ill give it a few hours for the heater to warm it up. Then Ill go check to see if I can start it.

Would the coolant temp sensor give set off a CEL?

[x1genx]

Ok the coolant temp sensor will give off a CEL and it should be 21. I have also had the same problem. If you have a logger or pulse checker for the terminal check for the cel once you get the car running like CRAIG said before.Make sure on the CTS that the wiring is not clipped due to age and wear etc.etc...and then go from there.

[jd1828]

There is no CEL so Im not sure if that could be the problem.

[jd1828]

I got it started today. I pulled the plugs and they were covered in gas and they were bosch platinum, yuck. So I put in a old set of bpr6es i had laying around. It started right up. The only problem is that it stumbles under full boost and 3k+ rpm. Does a 2g take the same plugs as a 1g because thats where i got those from?

[MustGoFaster]

I would say get some new plugs. I don't know if they are the same.

[A//// Guy]

Plug wires can cause the stuttering.

[TheBlizzard]

Plugs are the same. Make sure they are gapped correctly. I am assuming you pulled them out of a 2G Turbo right? But I would just get some new ones regardless. And like Peter said, plug wires will cause boost related stuttering as well. If that doesn't fix it, I would rule out boost leaks as well.

CRAIG