North American Turbocoupe Organization



Hard Starting T-Coupe
TurboTim88 Offline
Junior Member
#1
Hello all. I have been reading messages on this board and getting some useful information for my 88 Turbo Coupe. However, this is my first post. I've had my bird for 6 months and for a 14 year old car with 135k on the clock it runs great. But I have a little bit of a problem getting it to start after it has been sitting overnight. It takes 3-4 attempts for the car to start and remain running. The car always cranks quickly and turns over fast but then it will immediately stall. On the 2nd attempt the vehicle will again turn over real quick and then run very rougly and die in 3 or 4 seconds. Then on the 3rd try (or sometimes the 4th) the car will start right up and run perfectly. For the rest of the day it is fine. This just seems to be a morning thing when the car has sat over night. Does anyone have any ideas on how to fix this little problem or is it simply old age setting in? I recently replaced the idle air control motor. The car also has a new battery, alternator, and a tune-up (plugs, wires, cap, rotor, coil, & fuel filter) Thanks for the information!
1988 Ford Thunderbird Turbo Coupe Pretty much stock K&N filter and 2.5" dual exhaust
2000 Ford F-250 XLT Superduty diesel 4x4
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segfaultxr7 Offline
Posting Freak
#2
My 88TC starts after about a half-second of cranking first thing in the morning, so I don't think it's old age. [Image: smile.gif] What if you hit the gas a little while cranking, will it start and run then? Try scanning for codes (there should be instructions floating around here..) and see if any come up. If the base idle is too low or something like that, it'll tell you.

It's possible that you have a weak fuel pump that takes a while to build up pressure after the fuel has bled off overnight, but I wouldn't really worry about that if it runs good under high-RPM/boost conditions. It's easy to test that though. Next time you go to start it in the morning, turn the key on without starting the engine. Listen for the fuel pump to run for about a second and shut off. Repeat that about 5 times, then try starting the car. If it starts and runs immediately, it's definitely suspect..
88 TC 5-speed
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SteveX82 Offline
Posting Freak
#3
I've noticed similar problems after forgetting to hook a vaccuum connection back up after making some repairs. If I give it some throttle for a bit once it turns over, then the computer has time to get used to the leak and allows the car to run relatively normally after that.

My suggestion is to look over all your vaccuum lines (especially any you might have recently disconnected) and try listening for any obvious suction noises.

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maroon 1987 TC 5spd, 131k miles

k&n cone in fenderwell, gillis valve set at 18lbs (22 at track), kirban adjustable fpr set at 42psi, walbro 255 hi-pressure pump, bosch hi-pressure bypass valve, ported e6, .60/.48 T3 turbo, full 3" exhaust

Best 1/4 mile: 14.528 (with 2.272 60' time)
Best trap speed: 95.87mph
Estoril blue 1987 TC 5spd, 148k mi, a237, Bailey BOV, spec stg3 clutch, spearco FMIC, 50 trim t3/t4, 3" exhaust, Bamafuel, LM1, 55pph
Best 1/4 mile: 12.31 @ 110mph on 25psi
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Jeff K Offline
Administrator
#4
Do this: next time you start the car after extended shutdown, cycle the key from off to run for about 2 seconds. Do this 3 or 4 times, and then try to start it. This will cycle the fuel pump to pressurize the system. If it starts pretty quick, your fuel pressure is bleeding off too fast after shutdown due to either a leaking FPR, or a bad check valve in the fuel pump.

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Jeff Korn

88 Turbo Coupe: Intake and exhaust mods, T3 turbo at 20 psi, forced air intercooler, water injection, bypass valve, Ranger roller cam, subframes, etc., etc.. // 86 Tbird 5.0 (original owner): intake, exhaust, valvetrain mods, 100 HP nitrous, ignition, gears, suspension, etc., etc.... // 91 Escort: Bone stock winter car // 00 Windstar (wifes vehicle)
Jeff Korn

88 Turbo Coupe: Intake and exhaust mods, T3 turbo at 24 psi, forced air IC, water injection, BPV, Ranger cam, subframes, etc., etc.
86 Tbird 5.0 (original owner): intake, exhaust, valvetrain mods, 100 HP N2O, ignition, gears, suspension, etc., etc.
11 Crown Vic Interceptor
14 Toyota Camry (wifes car)
95 Taurus GL Vulcan winter beater
67 Honda 450 Super Sport - completely customized
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TurboTim88 Offline
Junior Member
#5
Thank you for the useful information. This morning I cycled the pump on the TC 5 times without starting the motor and it still took 3 subsequent attempts to start the car. I was suspicious of the fuel pump and have done that cycling trick before but usually only 1 or 2 times. I usually have to cycle the pump once on my Ranger if it has been sitting in the garage for a few days. The Turbo Coupe is much more fun to drive :-) I worked around the vaccum tree this weekend because the small line to my boost gauge broke. When I made that repair I checked all of the connections on the vaccum tree to ensure they were secure. I know this may seem like a dumb question, but where else could I have a potential vaccum leak? Thanks again for the help.
1988 Ford Thunderbird Turbo Coupe Pretty much stock K&N filter and 2.5" dual exhaust
2000 Ford F-250 XLT Superduty diesel 4x4
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revamp Offline
Member
#6
tim

What it seems to me is that not enough fuel is going to the engine your first couple attempts. There is a little spring loaded screw on top of the engine. Tighten it about ONLY one turn, and then see how your engine starts. If the car starts ok, your set. But if the car starts but it idle's too high, you've done it too much. If this doesn't work for you, check the fuel lines, or have your mechanic do it.

Good Luck,
Andrew
88 TC W/ 87K:
K&N in custom sanded airbox||Gillis Valve||Stereo Sytem: Pioneer 8400, Infinity Ref. Series & Polk Audio Speakers Powered by 4 Channel Pioneer Amps||Performance Radiator & Cooling System||Custom Interior Converion||Gutted Cat & Dynamax Ultra Flow Muffler||Indiglo Gauges ||and more to come!
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Pete D Offline
Administrator
#7
I would suggest you do the complete fuel system diagnostics which I will e-mail you if you will send me your e-mail address.
All you need is a mechanical guage that screws into the schrader valve on the back of the fuel rail. Also put a vacuum gauge on it and see if you are getting 18-20" at idle, engine warm.

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NATO Member. it's not a vice, it's an obsession
"The nice thing about each new day is nobody ever used it before" Barnaby Jones
88 TC X 2, 86 SVO, mods list at
http://www.turbotbird.com/showroom/pd_88tc.htm

[This message has been edited by Pete D (edited 07-02-2002).]
Pete Dunham


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segfaultxr7 Offline
Posting Freak
#8
To add to what revamp said, if you get the car good and warmed up then unplug the IAC, it should idle at 750 rpm. If not, first check again for vacuum leaks and then turn that screw on the throttle body until it idles at the proper RPM. Then shut it off, plug the IAC back in, and it should be at around 1000.
88 TC 5-speed
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