Engine kicking on startup when it’s cold

I have a 2001 Jimmy with 4.3 L engine that kicks on startup when cold. It feels like too much advanced. It runs fine after starting.
Experienced mechanics share their insights in answering this question :
The first thing you’d want to do is check the ignition timing. It is possible that it is too far advanced.

If it is too far advanced, odds are, it’s going to need a timing chain, which can be very typical for those things. But, of course, you’d want to have the battery, the alternator, and the starter checked because if any of them are weak, it might not get enough power and kick a bit. But a lot of times it is the timing chain that is worn. So, get that checked out first. Your best bet may be to have this looked at by a professional, such as one from YourMechanic. They will be able to diagnose your car’s hard starting issue if it is starting to become a major problem.

How to Identify and Fix Common car Problems ?

Our sources include academic articles, blog posts, and personal essays from experienced mechanics :

Below freezing temperatures can cause a chemical reaction in your vehicle`s battery which will lead to produce less electrical current. Cold batteries simply don`t produce the same amount of power as warm batteries, and this is one of the most common reasons why your car won`t start.
Your car may not start in cold weather because of problems in a number of areas. battery: cold temperatures affect the chemical process inside the battery and reduce its ability to hold a charge. alternator: alternator belts can become cracked in cold temperatures, making it more difficult to power your battery.
The primary culprits here are fouled spark plugs. Spark plug electrodes wear down over time, increasing the voltage needed to jump the gap in the plug and ignite the fuel and air mixture in the cylinder. That leads to longer cranking times before an engine fires up.
Sometimes a bad starter solenoid, instead of preventing the engine from starting, may cause it to start on its own without the key being turned to the “start” position.” This less-common problem can be dangerous and should be addressed immediately.
Symptoms of a faulty cold start valve:

Engine stalling – After your engine starts, you may experience stalling while you drive. This will either occur at higher RPMs or when you take your foot off the pedal. Rough idle – Your engine may produce loud noises or even vibrations when you are idling.

Cold start is a potential problem in computer-based information systems which involves a degree of automated data modelling. Specifically, it concerns the issue that the system cannot draw any inferences for users or items about which it has not yet gathered sufficient information.
There are many causes of hard starting but illustrative ones are a faulty engine coolant temperature switch (sensor), malfunctioning idle air control (IAC) valve, vacuum and EGR leaks, inadequate fuel delivery or pressure (clogged fuel filter, injectors), and contaminated or old gasoline.
There are a number of reasons why your car might be slow to start but runs as-normal once it gets going. Causes can vary from weather conditions to battery health, wiring issues, starter motor concerns and fuel-pump health.
“Cycle” the Key. Make sure the radio, headlights, heater, etc., are switched to “off,” so they aren`t pulling energy from your battery and engine. Now put the key in the ignition and turn it from the “off” to the “start” position about ten times. You`re “cycling the key,” which can help warm up the battery and starter.
With a cranking system, symptoms are divided into one of three possible troubleshooting categories: Click — No-Crank (solenoid clicks but starter doesn`t crank) No-Click — No-Crank (solenoid doesn`t click/starter doesn`t crank) Slow Crank (starter cranks, but engine RPM slow to start vehicle)
If the car cranks when you turn the key, but the engine won`t start, it could be because fuel isn`t getting to the engine. One potential reason for this could be dirty fuel injectors. Over time, the fuel injector nozzles can become clogged with rust, corrosion or debris.
If the starter isn`t getting enough power, it has a low voltage problem. Lack of power can cause it to work intermittently as it receives enough energy to signal the starter to crank. Loose connections or fluctuating power can also cause the starter to fire even after the keys are removed.
These are the exhaust gas oxygen (O2 sensors) and knock sensors. The wideband exhaust gas oxygen sensor(s) tell the ECU the actual running air-fuel ratio of the engine.
Bad Sensors

One common culprit for this problem is the crankshaft position sensor, which measures the position and speed of the crankshaft. The computer uses the information from this sensor to know when to fire the spark plugs. If the sensor isn`t working, the spark plugs won`t fire, keeping the engine from starting.

Cold start in computing refers to a problem where a system or its part was created or restarted and is not working at its normal operation. The problem can be related to initialising internal objects or populating cache or starting up subsystems.
Ignition delay when starting a car is likely caused by a faulty starter or starter relay. If the problem is the starter relay, you may hear a clicking noise when you turn the key before the engine fires. If this is your problem, a mechanic can replace the part for about $70.
If your car is parked overnight in cold temperatures, condensation can form inside the distributor cap, causing the engine to misfire when accelerating at low speeds. Another possibility is a problem with the engine mounts, which hold the engine in place to the chassis.
What`s the problem? Car batteries produce less electrical current when it`s cold, due to the chemical reaction being slower than on a warm day. Cold batteries simply don`t produce the same amount of power as warm batteries, and this effect can lead to starting issues.

Relevant Questions and Answers :

the most relevant questions and answers related to your specific issue

When cold, Engine shakes and hesitates during acceleration
ANSWER : Hello There,
As a general rule, car engines do not like cold weather and do not do operate as well in cold weather. When you start your car in the morning and turn the key to on, the coolant temperature sensor immediately reads the temperature of the coolant and relays this to the computer indicating that the coolant is cold. The computer then knows at this point that it needs to enrich (add more fuel) the air/fuel mixture at startup due to the change in air density. When you start the car, you will notice that it idles high for a period of time until the engine warms up. This is the enrichment cold start process. This is done with what is called a cold start injector which injects more fuel into the motor until the engine reaches a specific operating temperature. The computer simply feeds a little extra gas through the fuel injectors to start the engine and then maintains a certain amount of fuel supply to the motor until it is warm. I would recommend having an expert from YourMechanic come to your location to take a look at your vehicle and diagnose your cold start issue.

Can front wheel drive car engine power rear wheel drive
ANSWER : Anything is possible with enough engineering. The changes you are looking at would take major structural changes and would definitely not be an easy job. You could possibly consult a manufacturing engineer to get more details on how this could actually be carried out and whether it would be feasible.

I have a 2010 camry. I just recently replaced the engine with a 2014 camry engine. Now I have Four engine lights on. I replaced on
ANSWER : If you swapped the engine from a vehicle that is 4 years newer than the car is then you are going to have electrical and sensor incompatibilities that may not be able to be fixed by just a few sensor replacements. There were many changes in computer and emission related items between 2010 and 2014 engines. I would recommend having a mechanic like one from YourMechanic come to you and compare the two engines to isolate the possible differences and see if the problem can be fixed.

Engine kicking on startup when it’s cold
ANSWER : The first thing you’d want to do is check the ignition timing. It is possible that it is too far advanced.

If it is too far advanced, odds are, it’s going to need a timing chain, which can be very typical for those things. But, of course, you’d want to have the battery, the alternator, and the starter checked because if any of them are weak, it might not get enough power and kick a bit. But a lot of times it is the timing chain that is worn. So, get that checked out first. Your best bet may be to have this looked at by a professional, such as one from YourMechanic. They will be able to diagnose your car’s hard starting issue if it is starting to become a major problem.

How do you replace the rear & side engine mounts without lifting out the engine? & how do you lift the engine out?
ANSWER : Hi…thank you for your questions. If required in the application, a portable engine support bar is used to support an engine during mount replacement. The support bar has lifting capability as well so that the mount can be unloaded and removed. If a particular repair application requires a "crane" (complete engine removal for instance), such are portable these days in any event. With regard to the exhaust system repair, mechanics use ramps to gain access. Six ton portable jack stands will safely support a car two feet into the air which provides more than enough access to repair or replace any exhaust system component. If you desire replacement of the mounts, please refer to YourMechanic’s motor mount replacement service page. For exhaust leaks, please use the exhaust system inspection/repair page page. Once on each of those service pages, if you click on "Get a Quote" and enter your vehicle information (year, make, model) you can obtain cost info and schedule the service. If you have further questions or concerns, do not hesitate to re-contact YourMechanic as we are always here to help you.

Check engine light refuses to go off after engine replaced
ANSWER : Hello there, you have a long series of issues going on with your 2013 Hyundai Sonata. If you keep getting a repeating oil light on than there is likely a fault in that system.

Since this fault has lasted after the engine was replaced it could be a oil pressure sensor, wiring harness fault, ECU fault, oil pump, oil strainer clogged, or low oil pressure.

To diagnose this issue properly you need a complete vehicle inspection to start from square one and identify the root cause of all this.

Honda Pilot engine misfire when cold out and engine running warmer than usual?
ANSWER : Hi There,
It sounds like you may have a faulty coolant temperature sensor. This sensor relays the temperature of the coolant back to the ECM which uses this information to control many things such as when to turn the coolant fans on and off as well as how much to adjust the air to fuel ratio in the motor. Both of these functions are affected when this sensor is not working properly. If the senor is reading incorrectly, this may cause inaccurate temperatures to be read, thus causing inaccurate adjustments to be made to fuel and to the operation of the cooling fans (i.e. staying on too long or not coming on soon enough to help keep the motor cool). I would recommend having a professional from YourMechanic come to your location to diagnose and inspect your vehicle.

Engine malfunction light, reduced engine power, engine powered down
ANSWER : Hi there. There are a lot of things that can cause this on your 2012 BMW M5. I usually start by scanning the computer for codes to see what comes up. If there are not codes then I load test the alternator and the battery to see if they are failing. Low voltage in the electrical system will cause this. If that is fine, then it is usually caused by a failing throttle body. I have seen a lot of these fail due to the motors in them hanging up. If the problem is only happening intermittently, this can make the issue hard to duplicate, but you can still have tests done on the car. If you are going to have this fixed, consider YourMechanic, as a certified mechanic can come to your home or office to test the vehicle and diagnose the Engine Malfunction Light.