Engine not starting due to flooding (petrol, not water!)

[IronOxide]

I recently had a problem with my 2010 CJ ES.

I'd moved it out of the driveway a few yards in the morning, as I was having some bodywork done to it by a repairman. This all went fine, but when he'd finished and I went back to the car it would not start - the starter turned, and the engine cranked, but no starting apart from a very short splutter at the beginning.

I cranked it over a few more times, but it got to the point where the battery would start to suffer if I did it much more.

I read the manual and had a look on the internet but couldn't find anything so called out the RACQ - they immediately diagnosed that the engine was flooded, and to clear it the guy held down the accelerator to the floor, then cranked it, and it started up after a few seconds. Apparently doing this puts the ECU into a 'flooding clear' mode.

According to the RACQ guy, the engine can flood if you only run the car from cold for a very short time, he reccomended in a similar situation let it go down to slow idle (about 6-700rpm on my ES) for at least 30 seconds before stopping the engine.

The car has been fine since then, and I have been on a few longer journeys to charge the battery.

Hope this helps someone else.

[Dire]

Yep car being hard to start is a common issue in CJs.
It used to happen a lot to me but hasn't for ages... It'd always work the second try though, I never required assistance.

If you use too much fuel and switch the car off straight after (eg getting up a steep driveway) or only start the car for a short time then it can cause this...

[sleeper]

flooding clear mode, heh.

that method has been used well way before ecu`s were in cars.
the racq guy is probably right, it just strikes me as funny

[Sir Lancer-lot]

Had the same issue with my BAFalcon auto choke stays on if started then stopped and started again soon after

[IronOxide]

Thanks for your replies guys. I had a very similar problem many years ago on a Citroen Saxo (which was not mine I hasten to add), but that time it turned out to be the fuel inertia sensor got tripped. I was helping a mate install a car alarm at the time so must have knocked it.

I initially thought that was the issue yesterday (the repairman did check under the bonnet for the paint code), but could not see a sensor under the bonnet nor could I find mention of one in the manual, so I guess perhaps the CJ Lancer doesn't have one.

[himynameisdaniel]

Can confirm this problem on my 2010 Activ.
I live on a quite a steep hill, i find that letting it idle for about a minute prevents any further startup issue for the next day.

[Seffy]

Engine flooding sucks; that's what killed my teg.... well that and the distributor failing from overheating. But on to bigger and better things.

Hasn't happened in my Lancer yet though; What I do is once I turn the car on I let it run for a few minutes and then turn it off; this is what I do whenever I turn the car on to drive it a little bit up or down the driveway or something. Hopefully you don't have to encounter this problem again mate, it's a really hateful thing to happen. :/

[Cammo00]

the engine can flood if you only run the car from cold for a very short time, he reccomended in a similar situation let it go down to slow idle (about 6-700rpm on my ES) for at least 30 seconds before stopping the engine? Never heard that before. Learn something new every day

[jayce321]

my RA has done this to me today when i started it from cold it clicked over and wouldnt start the first time, When i tried the second time it started more harshly the revs played a bit before going normal. Ive only had the car for a week.

I always put the car to acc first for a few seconds to get the fuel pump and everything going before starting.

[evil.ralliart]

flooding clear mode, heh. that method has been used well way before ecu`s were in cars. the racq guy is probably right, it just strikes me as funny

Yep..exactly Steve...maybe the RACQ guy thought they still made carbies lol