Ask the Car Guy @socky Nov 6, 2019
What is your car trouble?
I want to give back to Steemit community and provide some help on something that I know very well. Cars and how to fix them.
Please ask me about your car issue. Won't go into gear. Strange sounds. Don't know if you should take your car in to the shop. Just ask.
Send me the make, model, and year along with car symptoms.
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Ok. I have a 2005 Dakota. After its been running for a while and the engine is hot it won't start until it cools down.. starts great first thing in the mornings tho
Does the engine crank when hot?
I assume it does. Older cars with carburetors could vapor lock when hot. This is where the fuel turns to vapor in the fuel line. Cars and trucks these days (like yours) are made with fuel injection with high pressure fuel pumps. They are far less likely to vapor lock, but not impossible if there is a problem with the pump or with the regulator.
I would first start with checking the error codes. The vehicle's computer will store error codes even if the engine light does not illuminate. You can have a parts place like Autozone scan the codes for free. Different scanners will download different levels of detail. If this doesn't work, you may need to have mechanic with a better code reader. You can always ask the mechanic if they have the ability to read a greater level of detail than a place like Autozone before you take your vehicle to the mechanic.
I recommend checking the fault codes first. That is the easiest and cheapest step. If no fault codes are present. You can pull the spark plugs to see if they are exceptionally dirty or if one is different than the others. That would give you indication of a fuel problem or a dirty injector. Next have the fuel pressure checked to rule out fuel problems. A mechanic can perform this test. If that is good, then I recommend a mechanic to troubleshoot the issue. There would likely be a sensor that is reporting within spec but not functioning with the correct output when hot. For instance the coolant temperature could be reporting a cold engine when hot which affects the computer's fuel/ignition map. Fuel injectors could be dirty, or an ignition coil could be malfunctioning when hot. Air flow sensor and crank position sensor could be faulty. Given that there are many things that could cause this, a mechanic may be needed to troubleshoot the issue if no codes are present.
Generally, the dealership will be much more expensive than a independent mechanic. If you need a mechanic, you can ask your local parts place for a recommendation.
There i's no check engine light on.. i will stop and see if I get a code today.. so when it gets hot like that I've been just adding a little oil and that seems to need working for now . But It's happening more frequently
OK, great. It is really empowering to troubleshoot your own vehicle. It can really save a bunch of dough. These new vehicles are mostly diagnosed with codes anyway. Hell, I get my wife to go down to autozone with her car to get the codes when she has a problem. She comes back feeling like a bad ass that she found out what her car needs. Based on what the code is, I make a decision on if I will change the part myself or if I'm too busy or too lazy. I would love to know how all this worked out, so keep me informed. If you have any more questions, please ask.
I will.. today was busy AF as you see from today's highlight reel and I didn't have time to go. The truck did have trouble starting after I loaded the couch.. and the temp was a little high.. we sat there probably 15 minutes before it started
best