Hard starting after shutting off for a few min

[comet_666]

So I have asked this before I am sure but I just logged it with my Fi-Tech. I was driving around, stopped to get gas and then when I go to start the car again it really struggles to crank over, almost not cranking at all, then it will crank a bit and fire right up. So according to the log, I shut the car off at 14.4 volts. When I turn the key to restart it it's at 12.2 volts, when I turn the key it drops to 6.1 volts during crank. Last year I replaced starter relay and I also bumped initial timing down to 17 and it still does same thing. The mini starter itself is probably 25 years old.
Thoughts?

[cdr]

bad battery

[metallicareload99]

 
Supposedly the Fitech won't know to turn on if voltage is much below 11 volts

[comet_666]

This has been ongoing for about 4 or 5 years, I replaced the battery last summer and exact same thing.
It acts like its starter heat soak, as soon as it spins a bit the car fires right up..it's really strange.

[metallicareload99]

Yeah, I've had a rash of bad batteries over the last few years. I think I'm on my 3rd battery in the last 3 years? And I try and take care of my batteries. Alternator good, decent cables, car inside heated garage most of the winter, battery disconnected, battery charged every few weeks or so the usual blah blah blah.

Your 6 volts or so is pretty bad, I'm sure even a carb and points ignition car would have trouble starting with that, to say nothing about a fuel injected electronic ignition car. What do you use to look at your data logs, Microsoft excel?

[comet_666]

Yes excel. When I start the car cold its fine, it only does the drop to 6v when its hot and then try to restart it. I would say I have had 3 batteries in the last 8 years too.

[70 sublime]

Do you have a factory starter or a mini starter ??

[comet_666]

hi torque mini starter from like 1994

[cdr]

not sure on the efi that you have, but can you add cranking fuel to it, if not try cycling the key on wait 10 sec, turn it off wait 10 sec & then try to start it, let us know how it goes, on my Holley EFI, if I dont have enough cranking enrichment it will act like over advanced ign timing 

[comet_666]

I'll give that a go tomorrow and see what happens, seems strange its at live 6v though 
thanks guys!

[armor64]

I had a problem close to this with a Fi-Tech unit last year. got the car on the road in October, Cold starting was a dream, 1/2 crank and its going. It would NEVER warm/Hot start. Even the shop that did the AC noted it when they filled the Vintage Air AC, if it sat hot too long, no restarting at all.

When it registered above 170 Degrees, only cooling off completely or Ether starting worked. Unfortunately it would not put a single squirt of fuel even on key on with adding every option recommended i could find. no matter what i did, battery, cables, starter, relay, when hot, the FiTech would register under 10v on cranking and not fire the injectors (this is why ether starting worked, got running on it, key back to on, and injectors took over). it would not squirt on key-on either when hot (no matter settings either)

Support didn't know why, on key on, it registered 12v+, but still no squirt. I even pulled the wiring off onto a separate battery sitting on the core support, leaving the starter on the factory one, and it wouldn't do it either. The hard part was, every time i needed to test it, i had to drive around to get hot first, park it at home for 10+ mins (to get fuel vapour out of the intake) and test. It was not fun, as if it died on the road, i was screwed to get it restarted if the intake vapour wasn't enough to get it going without air cleaner off and spraying.

Contacting Fi-Tech didn't help, as I bought the unit at a car show in the US 2 years before the car was together, only option was a huge shipping cost from Ontario Canada  to California, with no hope that the repair wouldn't cost buckets too.

I gave up, bolted in a pressure regulator and my old edelbrock carb to drive until winter storage. But, after meeting Rich from Deboss Garage at an event and chatting for a bit (Dunneville is super close by), ended up getting a base model Holley Sniper and bolted it on last month. other than figuring out the Idle Air Circuit tuning (must be warmed up) to lower the rpm at idle, it has been a perfect runner ever since.

Hopefully you have better luck with your diagnostics and fixes!

[69Chrgr]

I do a LOT of Holley Sniper installs, and have done a few Fitechs and Edelbrock EFI systems. They are ALL very sensitive to the voltage drop during crank. I use the Holley P/N 75643 stand alone relay to trigger the 12 volt wire required for the ECM. This is a common issue. It does not operate well below 11 volts during crank.

[comet_666]

The strange thing is it's not like it wont fire off, it will barley crank over almost like the battery is bad.

[b5blue]

  I chased no crank and no start issues for a long time until I realized I'd replaced my crappy looking + battery cable with a repop pretty one. The lead battery connector was not attached to the copper wire properly. This loose connection hidden inside the lead had me replacing starters and all manner of ignition. A few wacks with a hammer pinched the lead tight to the copper conductor and issues were over. USAF tech school taught me to tug test all wiring during an install and after many hours and lots of bucks that's how I found the bad connection. Grab crap and push pull on connections while failed and keep doing voltage checks. I made alligator clips to hold on to my meter probes so I can attach the meter and have my hands free and still read the meter. 

[68CoronetRT]

Need to find a better source for the Fitech's power supply. The cranking is drawing too much power on whatever line you have the Fitech powered from.

I installed a fused relay right off battery power for my Fitech(Also Holley Sniper) and it works great! I just carry a spare fuse and relay in the glove box. Never had an issue.

If the car is just flat out not cranking then you have an issue between the battery and starter in the wiring department.

[comet_666]

Yah, it's just hard to turn over when hot, not fire up, sounds like dead battery and i'm sure it's a bit worse now that I have the electric fans kick in when i turn the key. I bought a new starter in the winter so I may just try that seeing as my starter is 25 years old +