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Thread: HELP: D won't start without starter fluid

  1. #1
    Junior Member
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    HELP: D won't start without starter fluid

    First, my apologies if this is posted in the wrong place, feel free to move it. Hey guys, I'm new here but I've had my Delorean for about 6 months and have done a TON of reading about these things. The car I bought was in excellent condition, all original, and 27k miles, but had not been running for 2-3 years. The car ran out of gas and was then parked in a garage and ignored. When I got the car, the fuel pump needed to be replaced (some rust do to moisture in totally drained fuel system. Anyway, long story short I have done the following:

    - Replaced the fuel pump and filter
    - Tested CSV by doing plug swap (car will actually idle with plug swap for a little while before flooding).
    - Tested TTS by testing OHM's

    I can crank the car by spraying starter fluid into the intake. After it cranks, if I keep my foot on the gas and the engine about 3500 RPM's, the car will keep running. But as soon as I let off the gas, or the engine drops below 3k RPM's, I can't recover and the engine just dies. Then I need starter fluid to crank again.

    After all my reading and playing around, I feel like I might have a air flow adjustment problem or (and maybe more likely) I may have a fuel mixture problem. I know fuel is coming out of the injectors because if I put one in a mason jar and attempt to crank the car the injector is spraying fuel.

    So, in a couple hours I am about to start messing with the fuel mixture screw but I was looking for any other input/ideas before I did.

  2. #2
    Senior Member Bitsyncmaster's Avatar
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    My CSV had a bad wire (crimp) on one of the bulkhead connectors and would never fire. You need to verify your CSV sprays with a cold engine start putting it in a jar and cranking the engine.

    You probably have a miss adjusted mixture for your other problem needing to hold high RPMs.
    Dave M vin 03572
    http://dm-eng.weebly.com/

  3. #3
    absotively posilutely bytes311's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by FireProofCane View Post
    First, my apologies if this is posted in the wrong place, feel free to move it. Hey guys, I'm new here but I've had my Delorean for about 6 months and have done a TON of reading about these things. The car I bought was in excellent condition, all original, and 27k miles, but had not been running for 2-3 years. The car ran out of gas and was then parked in a garage and ignored. When I got the car, the fuel pump needed to be replaced (some rust do to moisture in totally drained fuel system. Anyway, long story short I have done the following:

    - Replaced the fuel pump and filter
    - Tested CSV by doing plug swap (car will actually idle with plug swap for a little while before flooding).
    - Tested TTS by testing OHM's

    I can crank the car by spraying starter fluid into the intake. After it cranks, if I keep my foot on the gas and the engine about 3500 RPM's, the car will keep running. But as soon as I let off the gas, or the engine drops below 3k RPM's, I can't recover and the engine just dies. Then I need starter fluid to crank again.

    After all my reading and playing around, I feel like I might have a air flow adjustment problem or (and maybe more likely) I may have a fuel mixture problem. I know fuel is coming out of the injectors because if I put one in a mason jar and attempt to crank the car the injector is spraying fuel.

    So, in a couple hours I am about to start messing with the fuel mixture screw but I was looking for any other input/ideas before I did.
    I had the same problem with my car where if I let my foot off the gas the engine would just die. Turns out the plunger inside the fuel distributor had seized up. Do you feel any back pressure when you press down on the air plate?

  4. #4
    Senior Member DMC-81's Avatar
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    Welcome and congrats on the purchase. Based on your situation, I think you are on the right track with the fuel metering system. I would pull a six injectors and do a full mason jar test to verify approximate amounts and spray pattern of each injector. The wisdom here is to touch the mixture screw last, after verifying every other component of the fuel system.
    Dana

    1981 DeLorean DMC-12 (5 Speed, Gas Flap, Black Interior, Windshield Antenna, Dark Gray)
    Restored as "mostly correct, but with flaws corrected". Pictures and comments of my restoration are in the albums section on my profile.
    1985 Chevrolet Corvette, Z51, 4+3 manual
    2006 Dodge Magnum R/T (D/D)
    2010 Camaro SS (Transformers Edition)

  5. #5
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    Join Date:  Feb 2017

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    Quote Originally Posted by bytes311 View Post
    I had the same problem with my car where if I let my foot off the gas the engine would just die. Turns out the plunger inside the fuel distributor had seized up. Do you feel any back pressure when you press down on the air plate?
    When the car is running or off? Cause I can't keep it running. But when the car is not running, no I don't really feel any back pressure when I push the air plate down. Of course, I'm not really sure what it's supposed to feel like.

  6. #6
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    Join Date:  Feb 2017

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    Quote Originally Posted by DMC-81 View Post
    Welcome and congrats on the purchase. Based on your situation, I think you are on the right track with the fuel metering system. I would pull a six injectors and do a full mason jar test to verify approximate amounts and spray pattern of each injector. The wisdom here is to touch the mixture screw last, after verifying every other component of the fuel system.
    Thank you. I might try that. I have pulled 2 just to be sure and I figured the car running at higher RPM's without skipping or sputtering that it was spraying fine.

  7. #7
    Senior Member Bitsyncmaster's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by FireProofCane View Post
    When the car is running or off? Cause I can't keep it running. But when the car is not running, no I don't really feel any back pressure when I push the air plate down. Of course, I'm not really sure what it's supposed to feel like.
    Get to know what it feels like in the morning before you start it. It should almost bounce on it's own (no pressure at all to move it).

    Then after you prime the system (try starting) you should feel a little pressure and know the difference.
    Dave M vin 03572
    http://dm-eng.weebly.com/

  8. #8
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    My guess is the fuel injectors (all of them) need to be pulled, cleaned and tested. Make sure the frequency valve (the thing bolted to the R/H valve cover with 2 hoses and a wire going to it) is buzzing. Make sure there is a plug in the housing over the mixture screw to seal up the vacuum.
    David Teitelbaum

  9. #9
    Senior Member DMC5180's Avatar
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    HELP: D won't start without starter fluid

    Quote Originally Posted by FireProofCane View Post
    When the car is running or off? Cause I can't keep it running. But when the car is not running, no I don't really feel any back pressure when I push the air plate down. Of course, I'm not really sure what it's supposed to feel like.
    jumper the Rpm relay to run the fuel pump. You don't need the engine running. however if it is a stuck plunger situation, you will want to pull All the injectors and place them in jars first, so you don't accidentally pour fuel into the cylinders. If the plunger is stuck the fuel will fill the jars quickly. Do not Run the fuel bump more than 5 seconds without checking the jars. It all depends on the size of the jars you use though. I use baby food jars. The larger the jars the longer you can run the pump without over filling.

    Do not mess with the mixture screw. it is unlikely to be the root cause of your running condition.

    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    Last edited by DMC5180; 07-04-2017 at 12:44 AM.
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    VIN 5180, Frame 3652, STAGE II​, DM-eng Solid State Solutions (RPM Rly, Dm.Lt.Mod., Fan Fail Mod. , FAN Rly, HS.Rly) , HID headlights, SPAX user since 2009, Eibach springs, M Adj. Rear LCA's, DPNW poly-sway bar kit, DMCEU LCA Stabilizer link kit, DMCMW Illuminated door sills, Aussie Illuminated SS Shifter plate, REAL MOMO EVO Steering wheel, DELOREANA Extended View Side Mirrors w/ Heaters, DELOREANA LED Door Lights.

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bitsyncmaster View Post
    Get to know what it feels like in the morning before you start it. It should almost bounce on it's own (no pressure at all to move it).

    Then after you prime the system (try starting) you should feel a little pressure and know the difference.
    Yea, I don't think there is any difference. It seems like it moves exactly the same way. So does that imply a stuck plunger in the fuel distributed? Based on how nasty the fuel was when I started this process, I wouldn't be surprised if it gunked something up. What are my possible solutions?

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