Fiat Marea ELX Weekend Getting hard to start

On Sat, 9 Dec 2006 20:30:40 GMT, ato_zee.TakeThisOut@hotmail.com wrote:

>
>On 9-Dec-2006, nearyh.TakeThisOut@clara.net wrote:
>
>> Is this a common problem? Can anyone suggest a reason/ cure?
>
>You don't say the age.
>Did have a case where a flexible fuel ink between the tank pipe and the engine
>side pipe was perished and porous. Overnight there was fuel drainback towards
>the tank, and on cranking it was pulling mostly air. Eventually, if the battery
>wasn't flattened first, it got enough fuel to start. Rest of the day it was fine.
>Come morning crank for ages.
>Just one possibility, took a while to find this one as the flexible link was
>well hidden.

Now that sounds evil! I can imagine the problems trying to sort that
one.

My car is about eight years old, it has done 82 thousand.

BTW the car is used infrequently as I only use it for fishing trips,
holidays and the odd trek out, so it can stand sometimes for weeks
without being used. Even after standing, usually the first turn of the
key gets it going.

HN
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On 10-Dec-2006, nearyh RemoveThis @clara.net wrote:

> >You don't say the age.
> >Did have a case where a flexible fuel ink between the tank pipe and the engine
> >side pipe was perished and porous. Overnight there was fuel drainback towards
> >the tank, and on cranking it was pulling mostly air. Eventually, if the battery
> >wasn't flattened first, it got enough fuel to start. Rest of the day it was fine.
> >Come morning crank for ages.
> >Just one possibility, took a while to find this one as the flexible link was
> >well hidden.
>
> Now that sounds evil! I can imagine the problems trying to sort that
> one.
>
> My car is about eight years old, it has done 82 thousand.

The reason for the flexible link is obvious, the engine moves slightly
on it's mounts, so a solid fuel line would be continuously flexing and
eventually fracture, plus engines come as a separate
assy to the body, so a flexible link is necessary and convenient.
That is until the tube perishes from age and flexing, then first of
all it gets porous, that's when the starting trouble starts, the fuel tanl
being lower than the fuel pump and metering system, fuel
drains back.
May not be your problem but it's worth checking.
I first thought ignition, plenty of sparks, must be fuel, moved on to it's
the fuel pump diaphragm, found it wasn't that, having wasted a couple
of hours, eventually nailed this 3 inch bit of flexible pipe hidden behind
other pipes and wiring looms. Bingo that's fixed it.
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