1997 Ford Escort.... hard starting all the time

[mp3deviant721]

My dad just recently bought a car for my sister, a 1997 Ford Escort. It has some quirks, but the most that bothers me is the fact that it starts hard. It takes quite a few tries to get it to start. Once it is started it runs great. No power issues or anything. If you restart it hot, it isn't as hard to start. Mostly when it's cold, but it does start harder than it should even when it's hot. I really don't know where to begin to diagnose this, any help is appreciated.

 

[mp3deviant721]

Bump

 

[Funnyman141]

you could check all of the electrical connections for the starting system to see if any are loose, or corroded. And you can also check the grounds, I've heard those can cause plenty of strange issues.

 

[1993Ranger4x4]

Try cycling the key a few times. On some of the older escorts they had fuel drainback issues with that fuel pump.

 

[gribly]

That year specifically has the correct fuel rail to swap a 98+ motor into a '91-'96 body, it's returnless. I would say that it's probably a leaky injector causing fuel to drain back, and it takes a second for it to purge the line so it can run.

But I could be way out in left field.

 

[mp3deviant721]

That year specifically has the correct fuel rail to swap a 98+ motor into a '91-'96 body, it's returnless. I would say that it's probably a leaky injector causing fuel to drain back, and it takes a second for it to purge the line so it can run.

But I could be way out in left field.

Couldn't a leaky injector cause a rich condition that the PCM would detect? I could take a look at that though, I have access to a fuel pressure gauge at work.

 

[mp3deviant721]

I just found out yesterday that there is a leak indeed. But I am thinking it's not a leaky injector. The fuel pressure drops instantly and if there was a leaking fuel injector the engine wouldn't run very good. So I am thinking maybe the in tank pressure regulator is leaking. The fuel pump pressure isn't very good either so I might as well replace that when I have the tank out.