Crank no start on first attempt after sitting

[Nico]

Is there a fuel regulator on the fuel rail that can go bad? I've had this issue on both of my S54 powered cars for some time. If the car sits for a long time, it often does not start on the first try. It will crank just fine, but not fire. Turn the key off and try again, and it fires 100% of the time on the second try. Battery is on a tender, fuel stabilizer in the tank, fuel filter is relatively new. I think it's a fuel pressure regulator. Definitely not ignition on my cars. Also definitely not VANOS related or anything electrical that I can find- no error codes, and the fact that it fires 100% the second time points to a fuel issue. I think the rail loses pressure when the car sits too long- could be leaky injectors, bad fuel pressure regulator or something else.

See post above. I filled up the tank with new gas (topped off) let the car sit for 5 days, went to start it up and it started up immediately with no hiccups. Not even a little hesitation. Today is the 3rd day where it started right up now after sitting over night. So I’m really not sure what was the cause—we’ll see if it happens again.

EDIT: just started the car up after 8 hours at work and started right up again, it usually would take a second try if it sat at work all day.

I’m not sure how the car goes from couple months of hiccup starting to not starting on the first try and then back to normal after sitting for 5 days. Makes no sense

[hemi6]

Same issue here, been happening for about 6 years, it doesn't affect anything so I stopped worrying about it a long time ago.

Mike

[PSUEng]

Bumping this thread after having seemingly the same issue. I recently replaced my entire charcoal/evap canister assembly and car starts right up, every time, recently after having sat for 3 weeks. Battery is new, and fuel is good. I had started getting DTML codes off and on, so I just replaced the entire assembly.

[Amos]

I had the same issue for many years. I think it seemed to happen more frequently with cold weather? Or maybe hot weather? Don't remember.

My fuel pump died one day and I haven't had the issue since replacing it, been a couple of years now.

[c watson]

Bumping this thread after having seemingly the same issue. I recently replaced my entire charcoal/evap canister assembly and car starts right up, every time, recently after having sat for 3 weeks. Battery is new, and fuel is good. I had started getting DTML codes off and on, so I just replaced the entire assembly.

Members said I was nuts when I suggested this lol

It worked for me when I was plagued with the same issues for years!

[PSUEng]

Members said I was nuts when I suggested this lol

It worked for me when I was plagued with the same issues for years!

Well, at first glance I couldn't rationalize why that would be the cause. Some threads on here lead me to it so I thought, well, it's easy enough to do--a bit pricey--but I did it and seems to be great so far. That plagued me for years too!

[van_basten]

I had this issue a decade ago when I first bought the car. Then I read from the old M3 forum that using Shell gas may fix the issue. After I switched from Chevron to Shell the issue completely went away. I can't explain it but Shell 91 works for me.

[E46 M3]

Just an update because I hated finding old posts with no resolutions, in my case it has turned out to be the fuel pump. I bought the Hella branded one new for $105.43 and I've never had stronger startups!

[jet_dogg]

Thanks for bringing closure to this thread for others who may experience this very same thing.

[nextlvel]

Agreed thanks [mention]E46 M3 [/mention], I stumbled upon this thread due to showing the same issue. Will likely be grabbing one of those fuel pumps !

[bigjae46]

Or does fuel quality change seasonally?

Depending on your state, it does change. IIRC, the federal RFS (reformulated fuel standard) regulations implemented "summer gas" in ozone non-attainment areas. If you live in or near a major city, it is likely that you were in a non-attainment area at some point. Other clues are emissions inspections and lower speed limits - two common plans used to get a city into ozone attainment. So your area might be in attainment right now but was in non-attainment at some point. And the restrictions/rules do not go away...politicians have to eat too! If this is the case, you definitely get RFG or summer gas from Apr 30 to (I think) Oct 15th. I'm pretty sure everyone gets RFG, not sure about it.

Summer gas has a lower reid vapor pressure (RVP) by refining out the VOCs like propane and butane from the fuel. Those VOCs are helpful to start the car especially during cold weather. If you have summer gas in the tank it and its January then the car might be a little harder to turnover.

Winter gas has a higher RVP and then refiners start lowering the RVP in February to meet the April 30 RFS targets. Lower RVP gas costs more to refine which is a reason (could be THE reason) that gas prices are going up right now.

If you live in CA then you get summer gas year 'round - which is part of the reason why fuel prices are higher there year-round. Can't ship low RVP fuel out of the state during the winter time - no one wants to buy it. Some other warmer climate libtard states might also run summer gas year round, not sure who.

All of this probably doesn't help...I doubt that seasonal changes in fuel would be the difference between a start and no-start issue. I think the RFS came out long before the E46 hit the road.

I used manage projects to turn over 40 million gallons of gas from high RVP to low RVP...that's how I know all of this nerdy stuff...lol

[bigjae46]

I've had this problem in two different E46 M3s and in both cases the problem persisted when swapping in a Walbro pump. I only fixed the issue by replacing the PTFE hose and it worked exactly the same way in both of my M3s. EIther throw an OE pump at the problem (new hose included), or get a Walbro and E46 M3 pump install kit from Radium. Pumps from eBay are often counterfeit.

Edit: Could also just try a new PTFE hose from Radium on the stock pump, but I'd get a new pump just to rule out a failed check valve in the stock pump while you're in there. Stock pump is still the easiest solution, but it's $$$.

http://www.radiumauto.com/Fuel-Pump-...BMW-P2087.aspx

http://www.radiumauto.com/Walbro-GSS...Pump-P533.aspx

I swapped in the Radium pump and have been having this issue - no start 1st try, fires up 2nd try. I replaced the OE pump because I broke the stupid outlet nipple.

I've read that most of the walbro copies do not have a check valve. Does a real Walbro have one?

[ethan]

I swapped in the Radium pump and have been having this issue - no start 1st try, fires up 2nd try. I replaced the OE pump because I broke the stupid outlet nipple.

I've read that most of the walbro copies do not have a check valve. Does a real Walbro have one?

Yes - the Walbro 255s I bought from Radium both had functional check valves.

[heinzboehmer]

I swapped in the Radium pump and have been having this issue - no start 1st try, fires up 2nd try. I replaced the OE pump because I broke the stupid outlet nipple.

I've read that most of the walbro copies do not have a check valve. Does a real Walbro have one?

I had trouble with my walbro from Radium. Switched to AEM and no more issues.

BUT, I also swapped the PTFE tube, so can't completely pin the issue down on the pump. I did swap the tube with the Walbro installed and still had issues starting though.

[t44tq]

I had a similar issue in my S54 clownshoe and it turned out to be a cracked nipple on the fuel pump assembly was leaking and causing a loss of fuel pressure. Once the pump assembly was replaced, no more issue.

I'm getting this issue on my M3 now occasionally, so I think it is a sign to replace the pump assembly.