GMC Acadia Forum banner

Intermittent long start-ups...

21K views 17 replies 9 participants last post by  rbarrios 
#1 ·
'12 Acadia SLT with about 135,000km. Just bought it used last summer and it is a beautiful vehicle to drive. Noticed over the winter that sometimes when I get in to start her up the engine seems to crank over forever before it fires up. I have even tried turning the ignition on until the fuel pump clicks off with full pressure and it will still crank and crank before firing up.

Sometimes I can get in and she might turn over 3 or 4 times and runs. Haven't checked the plugs yet but was wondering what options I have on what to check. I saw that a dirth throttle body might cause this. Is there something obvious I can check?

Other than this the Acadia runs flawlessly, is easier on fuel than my '02 Envoy but does take a little longer to heat up.

Glenn
 
#2 ·
I don't think you have much of a problem. The colder it is outside, the harder it is to start an engine. Be thankful the engine isn't a diesel!! (I hate the smell of ether in the morning. ;D ;D ) The mileage doesn't suggest a need for new plugs - those are good for at least 100k miles (160K km). You could give the throttle body a cleaning - wouldn't hurt anything. Make sure the air filter is good, too. Maybe put a can of injector cleaner in the fuel tank the next time you fill it. Most of all, don't worry about it!! The season is changing. ;D
 
#3 ·
Speleos said:
I don't think you have much of a problem. The colder it is outside, the harder it is to start an engine. Be thankful the engine isn't a diesel!! (I hate the smell of ether in the morning. ;D ;D ) The mileage doesn't suggest a need for new plugs - those are good for at least 100k miles (160K km). You could give the throttle body a cleaning - wouldn't hurt anything. Make sure the air filter is good, too. Maybe put a can of injector cleaner in the fuel tank the next time you fill it. Most of all, don't worry about it!! The season is changing. ;D
Thanks Speleos. I forgot to mention that I had already run a can of injector cleaner through with no change. I'm not sure it's just the cold because it isn't a constant problem. Probably every 5 or 6 starts... maybe more or less. The other day while it was turning and turning over, just out of curiosity I depressed the accelerator slowly and the cranking stopped. I thought the engine was running but the tach showed 0 rpm. Restart was like a normal start.

I will check the air cleaner.

Glenn
 
#5 ·
on this vehicle

there are 2 pumps.

It also seems that the start sequence takes a little longer than your previous model (in my case- my 2003 Trailblazer) it does indeed seem to fire up a little faster than my Traverse.


The reason is- that the pump in the tank pushes the fuel towards the front---
then the high pressure fuel pump in the front has to pump and pressurize the fuel to some high number- then the computer says- OK, min pressure met... ok to start...

In your case- Im wondering if something is happening where the pressure is not building up and youre getting that delay.....
Fuel pressure test???
 
#7 ·
Blackstar said:
...
Other than this the Acadia runs flawlessly, is easier on fuel than my '02 Envoy but does take a little longer to heat up.
Shouldn't be much difference. Check the coolant level in the radiator, too. Don't rely on the level in the expansion tank.
 
#9 ·
rbarrios said:
on this vehicle

there are 2 pumps.

It also seems that the start sequence takes a little longer than your previous model (in my case- my 2003 Trailblazer) it does indeed seem to fire up a little faster than my Traverse.


The reason is- that the pump in the tank pushes the fuel towards the front---
then the high pressure fuel pump in the front has to pump and pressurize the fuel to some high number- then the computer says- OK, min pressure met... ok to start...

In your case- Im wondering if something is happening where the pressure is not building up and youre getting that delay.....
Fuel pressure test???
That sounds like it could be a cause. I'll see if I can get the guy to run a pressure test next oil change. Coming up soon.

Thanks for the tip rbarrios...

Glenn
 
#10 ·
divotdug said:
or a leaky fuel injector is allowing pressure to bleed off. Are the long starts random or usually only after it sits overnight. I had this issue with a Blazer many years ago. New injectors corrected the problem.
My wife drives it more than me but I'm gonna say first start up in the morning
 
#11 ·
Speleos said:
Shouldn't be much difference. Check the coolant level in the radiator, too. Don't rely on the level in the expansion tank.
Level is good. When I leave work on a cold evening, I can see the Envoy temperature gauge begin to move within the first 1/2 mile and have warm air immediately. The Acadia takes twice this long and much slower getting to operating range. It's livable though because of th heated seats.
 
#12 ·
Blackstar said:
Level is good. When I leave work on a cold evening, I can see the Envoy temperature gauge begin to move within the first 1/2 mile and have warm air immediately. The Acadia takes twice this long and much slower getting to operating range. It's livable though because of th heated seats.
I agree, my 2012 takes much longer to heat up then my Sierra (has the 5.3 so very likely similar to your Yukon)
 
#14 ·
Murphree35 said:
my 07 is bad about this when i put gas in it.....really annoying
hard/long starts after refueling is an easy $25 fix.
Its the purge valve.
Will take you about 15 min to change.

the 07s have it behind the Throttle body-
the 09s and up have them next to the throttle body visible from the front of the engine.


If it is indeed the purge valve- and causing hard starts-- it will eventually set the CEL- P0496 I believe will be the code... (off the top of my head).
There are multiple post on how to replace the part...
 
#16 ·
If you need another guess, it might an intermittent problem with the crank position sensor, or it is in the early stages of going bad. That is usually accompanied by other symptoms like an intermittent CEL, possibly engine vibrations, or can even put the vehicle in limp mode. If any of those things start happening, it should throw its own code, and be addressed right away. If it is just hard starting at this point, it is one of those things to keep in mind.
 
#17 ·
rbarrios said:
hard/long starts after refueling is an easy $25 fix.
Its the purge valve.
Will take you about 15 min to change.

the 07s have it behind the Throttle body-
the 09s and up have them next to the throttle body visible from the front of the engine.


If it is indeed the purge valve- and causing hard starts-- it will eventually set the CEL- P0496 I believe will be the code... (off the top of my head).
There are multiple post on how to replace the part...
Could the purge valve cause hard starts at times other than just refueling?
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top