Hey guys ok my wifes 98 protege lx 1.5 automatic is having trouble starting when cold. It takes about 10 mins to start it but to start it we have to push/pump the gas peddle while we turn the ignition to try to start it when it starts it shoots out a lot of white smoke from the exhaust pipe. Once it start it works perfectly without any problem I can turn it off right after I turn it on, on a cold day without letting it warm up and it still turns on perfectly and it keeps turning on perfectly as long as you turn it on every 3 hours but more than that it has a little trouble not as much as when it has been sitting there all night. I have taken it to 2 mechanics 1 said low fuel pressure it was the fuel pump which we replace the fuel pump and it did the same thing other one said that the spark plugs didn't get a enough current to start the engine which he said it was probably the distributor which we replace with the ignition coil and distributor cap. It still has the same problem I read online maybe it was the o2 sensor which I replace 1 which was the one before the cat converter and still has the same problem. Any suggestion would be greatly appreciated. Today I am going to replace the fuel filter to see if that will do anything I will post if it works and fixes the problem.

 

Do you have any trouble codes? If so let us know the codes.
Meanwhile make sure the basics are o.k.

1. Check and clean the EGR ports and valve, clean the throttle body and use mid or high octane fuel.
2. Check for vacuum leaks and blockages in vacuum tubes including the nipples for the vacuum tubes.
3. Check ignition parts. Make sure all ground connections are good.
4. Check fuel system parts.
5. Check sensors.


Your description tells me that you are quick to replace parts but you are not testing the systems. Having trouble with the cold engine I would check (test with appropriate equipment) the sensors that have to do with temperature: Air Intake temperature sensor located in the air cleaner box and the Engine Coolant Sensor located below the distributor. Get the Haynes manual for the testing procedures. Clean the MAF sensor.


If you don't know a procedure search You-tube and Google for it.



Good luck!

 

hello, sorry to hear, I own a modded 96 DX 1.5L but had the same problem, checked, tested, and checked again, only confirmed fixes were those who chose to finally rebuild there head, but come to find out when i built my engine i was seeping very "slight seeping" of coolant through head gasket coolant port to combustion chambers (cylinder) 2 cylinders to be exact when first starting cold fuel is of a micro second delayed of engine rotating which is all that is needed to soak your spark plug then dilute the fuel just enough to lower the octane to coolant ratio already accumulated in your cylinder from the last drive and the more you crank over your engine the more it floods by you pumping your throttle your putting your car in whats known as "flood lock out mode" (when throttle pedal is mashed to the floor) momentarily cuts out injector signal so no fuel sprayed to let your combustion chamber discharge any un-burnt fuel and in turn dry igniter side of your plug when starting to regain the correct air to fuel mixture is when you then hear your engine beginning to fire again. so put short and to the point you need a head gasket (not a head rebuild they just didn't take into consideration that when head was rebuilt and reassembled they replaced there head gasket) in turn fixed the "cold or hard start problem"

 

thanks for the help I took it to the dealer it was the head gasket that needed to be replace and that fix the cold start runs perfect no trouble. Good thing I did it my self those dealer ship prices are insane all in all took about 7 hours including time the car spent at the dealer i got a deal on a head gasket for 20 bucks from one of my friends came out to about $140 not bad for a car that has great mileage.