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Thread: Newb Delorean owner question!!! It won't start!!

  1. #1
    Member
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    Newb Delorean owner question!!! It won't start!!

    So I've had my delorean for a couple weeks. It has started like a champ every time until today. It didn't start up on the first try so by habit I pumped the accelerator once and it continued to not want to start! I then held the accelerator to the floor like I would with a carburetor engine thinking I may have flooded it. It still won't start.

    Is there a trick to starting this car?

    I now understand that it is technically fuel injected so should I NEVER tap the accelerator to try to start it?

  2. #2
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    btw my fuse box area is upgraded

    relays.jpg

    I was told to jump the RPM relay to see if it was that, but I don't think I have one anymore?

    Can I shoot some starter fluid in the air intake?

  3. #3
    Senior Member Bitsyncmaster's Avatar
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    Location:  Leonardtown, MD

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    Pressing the throttle will not flood the K-jet engine. All it does is open the throttle plates. There is no accelerator pump like in a carburetor. Was anything different like it sat for a week or have you been running the car daily? There are lots of things that can cause a no start. Fast way to find if it's a fuel problem is to give it a shot of starting fluid into the air plate opening. If you get it fire that way you can assume your problem is fuel and not ignition.
    Dave M vin 03572
    http://dm-eng.weebly.com/

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    I just backed it out of the garage and replaced the carpet that I took out earlier and when I went to start it up to put it back in the garage it hesitated in starting and then wouldn't start when I cranked it over again.

    I'll go get some starter fluid and try that. do I shoot it forward toward the fuel distributor or just right down the air baffle thing?

    It's so bizarre that it would just occur after I just ran it a few minutes prior. Now it just cranks and cranks and nothing.

    I did take out the window switches on the center console but I'm sure that it not related.

  5. #5
    Administrator Ron's Avatar
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    Push the plate down and spray the fluid under the plate in general.

    If you suspect fuel, listen for the pump to run once when you turn the key to run and see if the plate offers resistance when you push down on it. It should. (No pressure will allow it to bounce ~freely.) Pressing the plate will make the injectors spray so don't hold it down and flood the engine. You should smell raw gas if it is flooded.

    You might try checking the spark first by pulling the coil wire and using an old plug wire to see if it jumps spark to the engine block while cranking. The resistor block on the drivers side of the bulkhead is a common place to find dirty/loose connections that cause a no spark.

  6. #6
    Motors about after dark Michael's Avatar
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    I'm going to sneak a quick question in on this thread rather than start a new one. Tonight at the grocery store, my car took about 5 or 6 seconds of cranking before it started. Usually starts right off the bat hot or cold. Tonight it was hot, sat for about 30 minutes. Here is the catch, had a big crowd and I let about 4 people sit in it before I left. I think one of them may have pumped the accelerator at least once.

    Engine was hot, about 90 degrees ambient, sat for about 30 min. Would that cause a hard start issue?

  7. #7
    Administrator Ron's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Michael View Post
    I'm going to sneak a quick question in on this thread rather than start a new one. Tonight at the grocery store, my car took about 5 or 6 seconds of cranking before it started. Usually starts right off the bat hot or cold. Tonight it was hot, sat for about 30 minutes. Here is the catch, had a big crowd and I let about 4 people sit in it before I left. I think one of them may have pumped the accelerator at least once.

    Engine was hot, about 90 degrees ambient, sat for about 30 min. Would that cause a hard start issue?
    Nope. Pumping the pedal does absolutely nothing but wiggle the throttle plates. No fuel pumped or resetting as with a carb.
    (When cranking, same thing, ie, holding the plates open just offers another way for the ample amount of air already allowed to come through. Little if any help clearing out a flooded engine. )

    Do you notice if it cranked and cranked, then "caught up" slowly or fired off solid and revved?

  8. #8
    Motors about after dark Michael's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ron View Post
    Nope. Pumping the pedal does absolutely nothing but wiggle the throttle plates. No fuel pumped or resetting as with a carb.
    (When cranking, same thing, ie, holding the plates open just offers another way for the ample amount of air already allowed to come through. Little if any help clearing out a flooded engine. )
    Well I just went out and tried it after setting for the same amount of time. Cranked right up. Oh well, back to your regularly scheduled no start thread.

  9. #9
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    ?RESISTOR block correct here?

    Quote Originally Posted by Ron View Post
    Push the plate down and spray the fluid under the plate in general.

    If you suspect fuel, listen for the pump to run once when you turn the key to run and see if the plate offers resistance when you push down on it. It should. (No pressure will allow it to bounce ~freely.) Pressing the plate will make the injectors spray so don't hold it down and flood the engine. You should smell raw gas if it is flooded.

    You might try checking the spark first by pulling the coil wire and using an old plug wire to see if it jumps spark to the engine block while cranking. The resistor block on the drivers side of the bulkhead is a common place to find dirty/loose connections that cause a no spark.
    resistor block! very interesting you say that. I have noticed it might not be connected correctly, only because all the pins are not connected. Look at this photo and note that it has been functional previously with it wired like this. But notice the left lower is not connected. is this normal?
    IMG_6126.jpg

    Can you tell me how this resistor block works? what is the purpose?
    Last edited by ttwo; 09-05-2019 at 01:46 PM.

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by ttwo View Post
    resistor block! very interesting you say that. I have noticed it might not be connected correctly, only because all the pins are not connected. Look at this photo and note that it has been functional previously with it wired like this. But notice the left lower is not connected. is this normal?
    IMG_6126.jpg

    Can you tell me how this resistor block works? what is the purpose?
    Lower left is meant to be open like that. Upper left has a single connection, while on the right side, the upper connection is supposed to have an additional clip to let you put two connections on that one spot, plus the last (fourth) connection on the lower right.

    Details are here on wire colours and whatnot: http://dmctalk.org/showthread.php?40...ll=1#post66530

    I don't know honestly what exactly it does. Not like an electrician might explain it. Something about it cutting down the starting current for ignition. Or doubling it maybe. What I can tell you is that if the connections on it are not all good and snug, you not only won't be able to start, but if they come loose while driving, it'll shut you down and you won't be able to restart it.

    We seem to be seeing a lot of these connections lately getting loose, or brittle, or corroded or the plastic ends crack off. Call it an ageing thing, plus it's pretty hot in that engine bay and that resistor gets very hot to the touch. So those four wires are a good place to start checking, plus the little black ground wire right below the resistor (on the same bracket) and definitely check the wires on top of the ignition coil itself. They'll give you that no start problem too.

    Looks like your engine bay light switch isn't connected either yet you have yourself a refurbished car judging by the signature plate you can see there. Anything else on your car not working or plugged in?


    Sept. 81, auto, black interior

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