Cold Start Issue - M2.7 (1995) - SURVEY

My car is an early 2.7 and usually goes a week or 2 between starts (or months for winter storage) At that point it initially just cranks/doesn't start immediately.

Turn off key, next crank it fires right off. For the rest of that day cold or hot it has no starting issues.

Only a problem if sitting for an extended amount of time. I have not tried to diagnose it.

 

Turn key on
wait 30 seconds for the fuel pumps to put gasoline at proper pressure
Start car.

If you listen closely, you can even hear the fuel pumps reach pressure and become quieter.

 

Same with the 95 I sold. Andrew and I were emailing about this recently.

My 98 fires right up no matter what (except when I forget to disarm the immobilizer )

 

I have a late 2.7 (August of 95). When I bought the car a couple years ago, the previous owner went over his procedure for starting the car, which was key on, crank twice, key off, start normally and it fires right up.

I did this for the first few starts after owning the car and then wondered if it would fire right up on the first try. The results were mixed.

If the car had been driven that day, it always fired right up on the first try.

If the car had been driven within the last two or three days, it would fire right up unless the ambient temp was very cold.

Randomly, I had the airbag light come on one evening and stay on during the drive home. I was immediately worried that I'd have to have the airbag system reset by a tech. Luckily the airbag light operated normally on the start the following morning and has ever since.

From that point on, I started turning the key on, waiting for the airbag light to turn off, and then start. More often than not since I started doing this, the car starts on the first shot unless it's been sitting for more than a week or if the ambient temperature is very cold. I think by doing this, you're giving the fuel system a few extra seconds to fully-prime before starting.

I had my engine out for a top end rebuild, belt service, and several dozen "while you're in there's" during Winter 2015/early 2016. While I had everything apart, I had the injectors cleaned and balanced. Since doing that, the starts are even more reliable on the first try than they were before under all conditions.

I hope this helps, and I'm also curious to hear what the experiences are for other 95/2.7 owners.

 

I've had that problem with another car (similar generation) if I hadn't driven it for a while. I don't think it's unique to 2.7 Ferraris. If it's not a priming issue, could it be water separating from the fuel and pooling somewhere?

 

This problem sounds like the fuel pressure regulators not holding any pressure and leaking down. When you go to start next time there is no fuel pressure in the rails. If you turn the key to on for a few seconds and let the pump prime / build pressure, does it make a difference? May also be dirty fuel filters causing this

 

I have never experienced this in the 15 years I have had the car. Mine is a 95 - 2.7 October 94 build date with the dual pumps, filters, and ecu's. I turn the car on, let the pumps prime and pressurize, then crank it (not touching the gas to avoid fooling the ECU should it lack an override during cranking). Depending on how long it has been sitting, hours to months dictates how many cranks it takes before it catches (~1 crank to 6 cranks), but once it catches, it continues to run. Car is California with lots of awful ethanol additive.

 

My 95 will only energize the fuel pumps when the crank trigger(s) see 35 rpm each will trigger that side. Just turning the key on should not energize them.
This was a safety feature that if the car stopped running the fuel would not continue to flow.


Like the others said your getting leakdown from either bad fuel regulators or a leaking injector

 

The pumps don't work that way by federal law. Have not for a long time.

 

I have a 95 (October 95 build) and experience the same issue. I agree with most here that the devil lies in the fuel system priming. Most port fuel injected vehicles of this era have similar issues. Because the fuel rail is higher than the static fuel level, when the car sits, the fuel slowly drains back to the tank. This causes some trapped air on the next start that needs to bleed out of the injectors before pressurized fuel reaches them. In later vehicles (at least GM) they added checks in the regulator to prevent drainback.
I guess if it really is a headache, you could intall a checkvalve on the discharge side of the fuel filter.

 

Same issue with my '95 (Dec '94 build date). Car located near SF in CA. On the 2nd crank it works 100% of the time -- I will try turning the key on and waiting for a bit on a cold start and see if that makes a difference.

 

I have an early 95. New pressure regulators and most times does not start on first try.
I find it is outside temp related. I have had the car for 17 yrs and never started on first try from cold unless outside temp is 65-70 degrees. I usualy drive it every day for 5 months so never sits for long. I wonder if it is the ecu enrichment which reads water temp and enriches accordingly. My computers are programmable so we are going to look at temp enrichment and see if it makes a difference. Don't know if this is true but had heard that the fuel pumps have a check valve to prevent fuel pressure loss.

 

well I have something somewhat similar with my 1997.

rarely but completely random/sporadic..

" pure cold start" min 24hrs.. put in key, turn just before ignition, wait, then fire up.
starts perfect, and then idle immediately drops and sits there, struggles but does not stall.
give a little throttle to bring idle back up, and then drops again.

turn car off, and immediately fire up again, and its perfect, at correct idle..

this does not seem to be Time related.. it can happen the morning after I just drove the car, or on start up after a week.

for example, my car is stored now, I fired it up about a month ago, after it had been sitting for 3months. fired up/idled perfect without issue.

so whenever it does happen, I just shut it down immediately and restart.

 

Euro 95 and never had that problem in the 20.000 miles I've driven the car. Outside temperature range: 0C to +37C

 

My 95 used to do this. SF, CA. The starter solenoid took a crap and my shop did some kind of starter relay bypass or something. I think it was something they learned fixing a similar issue on a 348. Will dig through my records to see what it was. Sorry I'm not well versed mechanically! Car fires up every time now right away, regardless of ambient temp or time sitting. 61k miles on the car.

 

Mine does the same, but if the computer has been reset (ie after turning battery off while the car sits for a few weeks) it fires right up without issue, so it's learning something that causes it to stall (imo).

 

This. 1000000%

 

Sure about that?

 

Brian posted it's not the case.

If one did not want to take his word for it, checking the pumps signal with key on would confirm

 

Same issue on my 95.

 

Yes, that's why I posted sure about that?

Well, that and Tim's post.

 

Its every car made, not just Ferrari. Pumps run for about 2 seconds then off unless the motor is started. It is a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Engine management manufacturers have incorporated it their systems world wide. Ferrari has had it since 1980.

 

Found the receipt, they overhauled the starter and installed a "custom relay harness".

As I said before the car never has a problem starting since this was done. I can ask about what the harness does if anyone's interested.

 

That they are just bypassing or adding another relay to the 2 that are under the footbboard that are so troublesome in some cases's


I went through the starter, fuel system extensively to the point I completey removed from the car and bech or should I say driveway tested and rebuilt it LOL
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