7thgear

I know there has been numerous threads about the tC's engine not being able to start up "strongly." But what's in common about all those threads is that there isn't a solution for it. I remembered something about the fuel you use, so I'm going to do a test to figure out why after leaving the tC's engine off overnight, the car struggles to start or sometimes even dies. This problem only happens when it is starting from a cold start. Other than that, it starts up pretty well.

I am currently running Chevron regular since day 1 I had the car and Mobil 1 fully synthetic oil. I also have been getting gas at the same gas station. But recently I switched over to a different location, still Chevron, because it was cheaper, and roughly around that time, that is when the engine problem started happening.

So what I'm going to do now is switch over to my 1st location of Chevron and see if the problem goes away. If not, I'm going to try to use premium fuel. If that doesn't work, then I'm going to try to switch different gas stations, such as Shell or 76. I doubt it has anything to do with the oil.

A primary suspect might be the aftermarket intake (Injen) I have. The MAF sensor might be dirty (or damaged?) so I'll try to clean that also and the air filter.

It doesn't really bother me and the car runs fine, but I just want to know why it struggles to start in the morning.

I'll keep you guys posted and if you have any suggestions, let me know. Thanks.

Whocares05050

I use shell v-power. awsome stuff

7thgear

Does your car have problem starting? Any aftermarket intake?

andrewStC

My tC had problems starting like two times already. I work from 5pm to sometimes late like say midnight so it's out there for a while in the cold. So when I try to start it it wouldn't the first time, but did the second time. I'm using 76 gas at the same gas station for about a month now.

tC_vixen

High five! Me too

SSQ

Funny thing is, I rarely use Cheveron, and when I do, it starts weird. When I use stuff like 76 and Arco, it will start up perfectly normal, no hesitation. These are all 87 octane.

7thgear

Hmmm... thank you for that info. And here I thought Chevron "with Techron" was the good stuff. I'll let you know the results if I happen to switch over to another brand.

SSQ

Yeah, we should have similar stuff in our stations. I'm in Corvallis.

It's really how you determine "good stuff" I guess. I am still skeptical about Acro gas, as the car seems to run a little weaker with it. As for the cheveron, once it starts, it's just like any other.

But let's stick to the starting issue, there will be no end to this if it turns into "what gas should I use" thread.

7thgear

My dealer told me not to use Arco cuz the check engine light will go on. Obviously that's not the case, but Arco's gas is a lower grade of gas than others.

tC_vixen

Wells, all I know is that Shell has something good in their gas. I think it prevents buildup, or something like that

sciontc_mich

Might want to try BP if you have it where you are. tC has responded VERY well to it. And haven't had any starting problems when using it. cold, or hot.

7thgear

Thanks for the replies guys. No BP here. Just Arco, Chevron, 76, and Shell. And of course some other unknown stations. For the people who responded, do you guys have an aftermarket intake?

SSQ

BP is actually Arco.

I have the stock airbox.

tCizzler

I honestly think its the intake... I swapped mine back and forth a couple times, and every time the stock box was on it started like a champ. But when the WR intake was on, it was iffy, and sometimes barely turned over or took an extended amount of time to turn over. But now that it has been on for a long time steady, it only acts up on a rare occasion

7thgear

That's what I was thinking too. But I'm gonna do the gas experiment first. I just read on Shell.com that Shell V-Power takes away the "hesitation during start-ups," so that may be the reason too. But then again, I don't want to have to pay for premium gas when the car takes regular. If the hesitation does go away, I'll slowly move down to regular Shell gas. If that's not the case, I'll clean the MAF and air filter off the intake.

Steve27

As for the basic issue, tough starting in the morning, this could either be a bad sensor (I would check for codes), or low fuel pressure due to a pinhole leak.

As for gasoline, don't use premium, it can actually cause the problem due to the higher octane levels (regular burns easier than premium).

tCizzler

It would be pretty strange if we ALL had pinhole leaks and bad sensors without throwing any CELs, there seems to be a commonality here. Like i said, i know what causes mine to do it. I don't know why it's my intake, but i know it's my intake

paul34

very odd... it is odd because I *think* I might share your experiences.

I've never had any start up problems... until one day I tried Chevron (because the BP pumps constantly shut off and I've struggled and wasted far too much time and emotion on them...), and the next day was the only time I had an incident.

It started up fine, but the RPMs sort of "dipped" a bit too low. It was a little below idle... not enough to shake the car, but lower than usual, especially for a semi-cold start.

andrewStC

When I gas up at 76 I use 87 and my car is stock, I barely get the start up problem, but it has happen three times already. All the times is when it was cold.

HR_Guy

I had this problem a couple of weeks ago. I have filled Chevron premium since brand new, and it recently started. I went to a different Chevron gas station (by my work instead of my home) and it went away.

I heard from my dealer that Arco gas will cause deposits to build up and make a "pinging" noise under heavy load.