2001 Toyota Celica engine starts rough

BEACHYS

MEMBER
2001 TOYOTA CELICA
4 CYL
FWD
MANUAL
215,000 MILES

I just purchased this car and a injector was leaking. I replaced all 4 injectors and it fixed the rough and surging idle and large fuel consumtion. Since I replaced them the car runs really great and uses less gas, but now when I go to start it up after it sits overnight it has to crank over 5 or more times before it starts to spudder and then fire up. I pulled the batt. Terminal off and reset the computer so it could change the perameters but that didn't help. What can I do next.

7 Replies

JAMES W.

MECHANIC
2,394 POSTS

I'd check your fuel pressure. You may have a bad regulator or it's bleeding down overnight. Also, how old is the fuel filter?

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Wednesday, March 18th, 2009 AT 11:36 PM

BEACHYS

MEMBER
4 POSTS

Is the pressure regulator; fuel pump; fuel filter all located in the tank and can you get to it under the back seats? Why did the fuel not bleed back when the old injectors were still installed? The fuel will bleed back and the car will start hard after I wait no more than 20 minutes and that seems fast. I also can not find a connection to hook up and test fuel pressure how is it done on a Toyota? Thanks again Sam

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Thursday, March 19th, 2009 AT 10:00 AM

JAMES W.

MECHANIC
2,394 POSTS

Sam, let's go back to the basics here. When was your last spark plug change? In re-reading your first post, I'm thinking ignition. If it were fuel you'd have more symptoms for poor driveability.

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Friday, March 20th, 2009 AT 11:43 AM

BEACHYS

MEMBER
4 POSTS

I changed the spark plugs before I changed the injectors because the car was running rough. I though a tune up would help. Before I started my car today I turned the ignition on and off 4 or 5 times to see if it would prime pressure to the fuel injector rail and it worked and the car started right up after two cranks. So does that mean the fuel pump is bad or fuel pressure regulator?

Thanks,
Sam

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Friday, March 20th, 2009 AT 7:54 PM

JAMES W.

MECHANIC
2,394 POSTS

SAM, if the fuel pump was bad, you'd have problems with accelleration and cruising down the road, BUT, if the pressure regulator was bad, it cuold be slow to build pressure to the fuel rail. Hence, more cranking. If you'll give me your email address, I'll send you some PDF files on diagrams for your fuel system.