Starting problem only when engine is hot

[Burntboot]

Aside from the fact that adding cold water to a hot engine isn't a good idea, why is the coolant low?

If the system is full, you shouldn't be able to add anything.
If the engine is hot, you shouldn't be able to take off the "rad" cap, at least not without a scalding shower and serious burns.
If you are regularly topping up the coolant then you have a leak somewhere that you need to find and correct. (its supposed to be a sealed system)

An engine thats running too hot will indeed cause "heat soak", but for all the wrong reasons.

[Cali Cruiser]

How many miles are on the van? My first guess would be a failing fuel pump. I had random weird things happening for months, before I figured out it was a bad fuel pump.
Has the fuel filter been changed? Many times this get overlooked with regular maintenance.
Gas cap seal should be replaced just because...especially if you have never done it.

[djshimon]

Sweet van and even sweeter rims!

[bigbluetotoro]

Sweet van and even sweeter rims!

Thanks! the wheels are more rare then the van. they are from a Mitsubishi Starion the weird style the tuner guys don't like hahah. they just required extended lugs but fit good and give me a little more width.

Thanks for the input guys! the problem is most definitely heat soak. I just don't understand why I drove it for a year or so without it happening at all until now. its so bad now that it happens every time. I'm thinking its another component going bad like the fuel pump or regulator. because its happening on like 15 degree days. and every time. but opening the hood and waiting 10 min does fix it. but aint nobody got time for that! also how important is the gas cap when it comes to the pressure system? all this started happening about a year or so ago after my dad left the OEM cap at the gas station. so its an aftermarket fuel cap.

[groundown]

Your picture is kind of making me miss my back window, also loving that blue color!

Totally off topic, but what's going on w your rearview mirror and what was involved in making it work?

I tried some hot rod round mirrors briefly but couldn’t see much. Still looking for a more streamlined solution and dig (what I can see of) yours

[Cali Cruiser]

Fuel injected systems need to maintain pressure in order to work properly.

If the gas cap is not sealing the system, I would compare it to keeping a balloon inflated that has a hole in it...it may work for awhile if you keep blowing, but eventually you WILL lose pressure.

If you have been experiencing this for a year already, it is very possible that your fuel pump is also going bad, especially if it has been overworking for a year to try and maintain pressure in a leaking system.

I would start with replacing the gas cap. You could have your existing cap tested at a smog shop (possibly at an auto parts store), but if this problem started after you started using the current cap...I would suspect that you have the wrong cap or a faulty cap.

Maybe you will be lucky and the gas cap will solve everything. Keep your fingers crossed.

[boogieman]

say what willis?!?! no, not true

[Burntboot]

CC - Gas cap sealing is very important on new ('95->) cars as the vapour side is sealed and recycled.
Prior to that, you can drive around with the cap off with no drivability effects, won't do much to keep out the water and leaves though

AS to our vans. Yes they are fuel injected and yes they do run at pressure.
Pressure in the system is maintained by use of a 1-way no return valve working in conjunction with the FPR.
The fuel pump supplies the pressure to that system.
If any of those 3 components are weak there will be an issue with fuel pressure.
Less fuel pressure will indeed exacerbate heat soak, thats why the factory fix was to essentially raise FP.

What you really need to do is DIAGNOSE the PROBLEM instead of GUESSING.
This requires actual hands on , getting dirty, kind of labour.
Sometimes it aint any fun at all (though sometimes it can be a blast) at the very least it is rewarding when you finally hit upon the real problem.

You need to diagnose your fuel system, that would mean checking fuel pressure, under several circumstances, to ensure that FP is in the correct range (not too high or too low) and that after the system is shut down that it MAINTAINS that pressure for the correct amount of time.
Heck even the fuel damper can cause a loss of system pressure if its leaking. ANY leak will cause the pressure to bleed down and the less pressure the more likely it is for the fuel to boil in the lines (aka heat soak) it is NOT only the providence of TV but a common affliction of any and all fuel injected engines.

If you had had heat soak since day one, different story, but when it rears its ugly little head after being "fine" for a long time, thats a clear indication that something in the system has become marginal.
So, go find it and fix it and be done with it.

PS it is of course important to have the correct cap in the vehicle, some are vented and some are not, but that has nothing to do with what CC was talking about.

[Suzu]

try grounding the idle up temperature switch wire

Would someone please explain this process?

[originalkwyjibo]

Cut the wire going to the idle up temp switch as labeled in the pic in post #17 of this thread. It's the one with a single wire. Attach a ring terminal to it and ground it under a bolt somewhere close by. This will tell the computer to temporarily increase the fuel pressure at startup every time.

[Suzu]

Cut the wire going to the idle up temp switch as labeled in the pic in post #17 of this thread. It's the one with a single wire. Attach a ring terminal to it and ground it under a bolt somewhere close by. This will tell the computer to temporarily increase the fuel pressure at startup every time.

Thank you! Do I need a "high temperature" ring terminal?

[originalkwyjibo]

It is not necessary.

[Suzu]

"You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to originalkwyjibo again."