318 Cab not starting well..

[Boomy]

Not sure what this could be.If I use the car, then were to say park it overnight or all day, when I come back to it, it will start absolutely fine.Leave it for two or three days + and it's a pig to start! I am having to leave it turning over and over and over waiting for it to catch.Once running, it idles a wee bit rough and has the odd 'hunt' but after a few minutes is fine.

It starts perfectly when hot or cold so long as it's been driven recently and as an example, I used the car yesterday and if I were to go outside to the garage now, it will fire up fine.If I do the same tomorrow night, it will be a pita

Any ideas where to start looking?

[Brianmoooore]

I would start by investing £36 in a set of rebuilt injectors. See 'injectortune' in our traders' section.

[Boomy]

Would it still start perfectly every day, engine or weather hot/ cold if it were injectors though mate?
This only happens if you leave it a few days.I was assuming it would be choke or sensor related etc.

[Grrrmachine]

I'd imagine it's something odd like a tiny crack in the fuel lines causing you to slowly lose fuel pressure. If I'm a mind reader, Brian is thinking that worn injectors will cause the same drop in pressure, and since all injectors need a refurb these days anyway then it's no loss of money trying that to see if it fixes the issue.

If it doesn't, then you need to check the condition of all rubber fuel hoses, including those at the pump itself (under the rear seat). Or invest in a pressure tester that you can hook up to the fuel lines to confirm.

[Brianmoooore]

Worn injectors can leak fuel into the inlet manifold, making the mixture extremely rich, and causing poor starting. Loss of pressure in the fuel rail for other reasons will cause slow starting, until the pump has rebuilt the pressure, but then it should start OK.

[Boomy]

Ok, a few things to go on there.Cheers.

It's so annoying as it just turns over and over and over.I have to hold the key as it does so, listening to it part catch, part catch again, then again and again and again.It eventually starts if you do it this way and is then fine.

Something else of a mystery I just remembered..

When I was doing this the other day, my friend swore that something which "looked like smoke" puffed out from under the bonnet.My only experience of anything like that was my Weber carbs spitting on my old Westfield before they were tuned up.