95 sidekick problem

[therealjaster]

Hello all,

I've been having a problem with my sidekick and I don't know what it is. When the vehicle is cold after I first start it it has a hard time running.... it stalls out, theres no response from the throttle, idles terribly, very sporatic... makes a clunk noise too. BUT after a few minutes of running (after it warms up) it's fine, runs great... Any ideas??

We put a new fuel pump/filter in recently, new spark plugs and wires.

[jtgh]

no cap no rotor?
they are short lived. 60k?

is this 16v?

does a fast right foot cure it. you said no response , so no.
how is hot restarts.

if hot restart is good, then it is only cold starts.
and if its damp and if cap and rotor are junk then it will run like junk.
a tune up on all dizzys needs a full swap out of cap,rotor,wires,and plugs.

they carbon track. and then act funny cold and damp. is worse case
also under heavy load , misfire too.

cheers.

[therealjaster]

Thanks for the informative reply.

Hot starts are fine, it will run all day after it gets going in the morning. This is a 16v, no response from the gas pedal... well there is then there isn't, cuts in and out, until it gets going...

[jtgh]

cold starts bad, cap and rotor? new. they are very important to hot ignition !!!
hot starts good.

try wide open gas pedal starts (this kills injection)
try feathered starts, this adds just touch of ar (5% more with foot) and tells us if car is starving for air at startup.
also
the tSP idle switch can be open , or miscalibrated.


it could be 5 other things ,but this is a good starting point.

bad ect, bad iac, stuck open egr. .

id find out way car is not starting.
too lean, too rich and bad spark.

once those 3 are found, we can roll.

[therealjaster]

Originally Posted by denice25

Check for the battery or stater.

They are both in there, battery is newish and so is the starter.

But it's weird like the power cuts in and out when it's cold. I'm going to take apart the distributor tomorrow and see if that might be it. If not any other ideas?

[jtgh]

95 16v no starts:
if it starts hot with head lights and fan on, the batter is good, hot.
make sure headlights are not dim.
ok
hot start ok
cold start bad
again, you never mention what you call a tune up.
EG: CAP rotor ? what about the cap and the rotor.?
that IS part of a tune up IGNition side.

also
you need to find out why car does not start.
1: loss of spark only cold (cap and rotor can do that)
2: loss of fuel
3: loss of air.

any time a car dont start, always check the spark,
then if that is good ( 4 plugs and the coil , all 5 places , no 4)

so now we get to the real issues.

spark good.
1: loss of air.
if the iAC does not open starts will flood the engine.
air starvation for starting causes flooding.
2; loss of fuel , this can be detected by look at a spark plug after cranking any engine
and then pulling plug and looking for wet gas smelling tips.

if dry, fuel loss.
if wet, flooded.

at this point , you will have your answer.

usually.

there are other factors but this is the lions share.

for cold starts.

PS
tell outside ambient temperature can really help your post.
68d or -50 degress in Nome Alaska, heck I can guess?

cold + wet and humid = failed ignition , 100% due to lack of a tune up.
High voltage just hates, (loves) bad , broken down insulation.

and water always makes it worse,
even dust under the dizzy cap will start to conduct in humid condtions.
then the dirt carbonizes then the cap starts to break down and carbon track then...
since the tin lizzy days, same thing , all cars.

say, I did a full tune up , end to end ignition, rotor thru plugs.
and a new air filter , and a new fuel filter.
if you skipped any parts now is the time to fess up.

i once had a GF whos Distributor cap turned to complete carbon and collapes under its one weight. worst ive ever seen. im standing there, and looking, in total disbelief.

that nissan had some serios powerful hot high energy igniton to keep car ruinning with
such bad parts.
amazing.

cheers.

[jtgh]

the IAC is the IDLE AIR controller.
it opens real wide to start car. (lots of oxygen and just the correct fuel)
if it stick closed
the poor ecu has no way to know that.
so
it mindlessly pour in too much fuel.
the result is flooding

so if you suspect flooding (sniff sniff, my exh. is black smoke and stinks)
then floor the gas pedal (its really an air pedal) this action , tells ECU
you want UNFLOOD mode,
if car starts , then it WAS flooded.
wet spark plugs are the other proof of flooding.

a perfect engine can flood , if the iAC messes up.
it can stick or clog.
the results are the same.

cheers.

[jtgh]

your ECT can be bad.
if it signals a hot engine full time , the car will stave for fuel and not start,
too lean
if the TPS is broken (switch side) then the car will not know is at idle position and
WILL have problems starting and idling.
what the ecu is thinking with a bad tps , is you are push starting car with foot on gas
and you are not.
see ?
the result is bad AFR, air fuel ratio. too l ean or too rich.
all the parts work together in harmony.

no part is extra, all must work.
cheers.

[therealjaster]

Damn, I have my work cut out for me... I'll post when I find something else out.

And temperature here is about 15-20 degrees F.

[jtgh]

that clunk , that sounds non too good.

another trick on 16v,

unplug the MAF and see if it starts better.

20 F not that cold

try my unflood tricks , no meter, no tools try them
all EFI is like this,
you must find out if
bad spark cold ( a real full tune up)
no fuel
weak fuel , low fuel pump pressure or lots of reasons.
no air (easy test ,with right foot test)
too much fuel, unflood mode with foot and again. no tools needed.)

many 95 are dying from bad ect , it is old and is ready too low or too high.

and please tell what teh CEL lamp does. ??????????????????

and again, the cap and rotor. did you change it.