3.6R no start and rough cold start

[ssulb]

I tried to remote start my 3.6R as I was walking to it. It attempted to start and cranked the engine but did not start. This sometimes happens when it’s really cold outside. I guess the aftermarket remote start isn’t programmed to crank long enough. In the warmer days it’s perfectly fine. I turned off the failed remote start attempt and tried to start the car normally. It cranked fine, fast and not slow. Although, it was having a rough time actually starting. (As you can hear from the video) The starter grind happens often around this temperature and is a common issue. I don’t think the starter grind has anything to do with the no start because it starts fine with the sound. It was about 27F outside and snowing. Air conditioning was off, headlights on (everything LED), and I don’t think anything was on to create additional load. Battery is healthy and connections clean. I recently changed the spark plugs about 15k miles ago. Car has about 200k miles on it.

 

This issue happens quiet often during the colder days, but also occurs from time to time during warm days but not as severe. This was probably the worst scenario I recorded. After this occurred and everything was warmed up, car starts up fine.

 

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Does anyone have any insight to what this could be?

 

Thanks.

[Alexmed2002]

I tried to remote start my 3.6R as I was walking to it. It attempted to start and cranked the engine but did not start. This sometimes happens when it’s really cold outside. I guess the aftermarket remote start isn’t programmed to crank long enough. In the warmer days it’s perfectly fine. I turned off the failed remote start attempt and tried to start the car normally. It cranked fine, fast and not slow. Although, it was having a rough time actually starting. (As you can hear from the video) The starter grind happens often around this temperature and is a common issue. I don’t think the starter grind has anything to do with the no start because it starts fine with the sound. It was about 27F outside and snowing. Air conditioning was off, headlights on (everything LED), and I don’t think anything was on to create additional load. Battery is healthy and connections clean. I recently changed the spark plugs about 15k miles ago. Car has about 200k miles on it.

 

This issue happens quiet often during the colder days, but also occurs from time to time during warm days but not as severe. This was probably the worst scenario I recorded. After this occurred and everything was warmed up, car starts up fine.

 

http://

 

Does anyone have any insight to what this could be?

 

Thanks.

 

I've had a similiar issue a couple times. For a couple months I used the cheapest gas around me, and even in the summer my car would sometimes struggle to start. I then switched to Sunoco (considered top tier) and this issue went away for me... I've had no issues since switching my gas. I will say though, under 20 degrees farenheit or so, the starter on my car doesn't sound happy when the car starts, but the sound goes away once the car is running. I'm pretty sure that sound is normal for our cars though, considering how freezing cold it can be. Maybe start with running a tank of whatever "premium" gas stations you have near you such as Shell or Sunoco.

[ssulb]

I've had a similiar issue a couple times. For a couple months I used the cheapest gas around me, and even in the summer my car would sometimes struggle to start. I then switched to Sunoco (considered top tier) and this issue went away for me... I've had no issues since switching my gas. I will say though, under 20 degrees farenheit or so, the starter on my car doesn't sound happy when the car starts, but the sound goes away once the car is running. I'm pretty sure that sound is normal for our cars though, considering how freezing cold it can be. Maybe start with running a tank of whatever "premium" gas stations you have near you such as Shell or Sunoco.

 

 

 

Alright I will try to run some good gas. I usually run a tank of premium ever month because I think they add more cleaning additives to higher octane. I also used fuel injector cleaner during the summer. Little worried why it still happens.

 

 

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[Alexmed2002]

Alright I will try to run some good gas. I usually run a tank of premium ever month because I think they add more cleaning additives to higher octane. I also used fuel injector cleaner during the summer. Little worried why it still happens.

 

 

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Yah I get confused about the gas and such. I've heard many say that premium has the same amount of additives, while others say that isn't true. I've only used regular in my car for its whole life, and I now only use gas from places tht are high tier like Shell and Sunoco.

[SchwarzeEwigkt]

You definitely want to get some top tier gas in there just in case you got a bad tank. Might not be a bad idea to put a bottle of Dry-Gas in in case you have some water in there. If you’ve got a code reader that’ll tell you fuel trims or a cable and FreeSSM or something, you might want to check your fuel trims. If you’re historically running lean (lots of positive long term fuel trim), you might have a vacuum leak or be working on a plugged fuel filter. I just went through this exact thing on my other car. Turns out it was both, but the fuel filter would make it misfire from time to time and eventually made it not start. Cold seriously exacerbated it.

 

I wasn’t sure, but it looked like you’re at like 110k or something, which means you’re pretty far overdue for a fuel filter if you haven’t don’t it already. I think the interval is 60k.

 

 

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[ssulb]

You definitely want to get some top tier gas in there just in case you got a bad tank. Might not be a bad idea to put a bottle of Dry-Gas in in case you have some water in there. If you’ve got a code reader that’ll tell you fuel trims or a cable and FreeSSM or something, you might want to check your fuel trims. If you’re historically running lean (lots of positive long term fuel trim), you might have a vacuum leak or be working on a plugged fuel filter. I just went through this exact thing on my other car. Turns out it was both, but the fuel filter would make it misfire from time to time and eventually made it not start. Cold seriously exacerbated it.

 

I wasn’t sure, but it looked like you’re at like 110k or something, which means you’re pretty far overdue for a fuel filter if you haven’t don’t it already. I think the interval is 60k.

 

 

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I checked for vacuum leaks and seen none. I believe the fuel filter may be part of the issue. I am actually at 193k miles. Fuel filter has been replaced at 120k. Using top tier fuel and fuel cleaner sort of remedied the problem and happens less.

[subaru-tech]

Use a scan tool and check the coolant temp sensor vs ambient air temperature. I had a 3.0 outback do the same thing. Replaced the coolant temp sensor and it resolved the priblem

[SchwarzeEwigkt]

Use a scan tool and check the coolant temp sensor vs ambient air temperature. I had a 3.0 outback do the same thing. Replaced the coolant temp sensor and it resolved the priblem

 

 

You know, that’s a really good point. My wife’s ‘05 Forester would be hard to start when the engine was warm in cold weather sometimes because of the coolant temp sensor.

 

 

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[ssulb]

Use a scan tool and check the coolant temp sensor vs ambient air temperature. I had a 3.0 outback do the same thing. Replaced the coolant temp sensor and it resolved the priblem

 

You know, that’s a really good point. My wife’s ‘05 Forester would be hard to start when the engine was warm in cold weather sometimes because of the coolant temp sensor.

 

 

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hmm interesting.... Maybe it adjusts something with temperature. I will make sure to check it out.