Hard to start after driving

[2000RCAR]

I have a 65 and when I start it when it is cold it fires up the first time always. After I drive it a while it acts like the battery has lost some charge and barely turns over unless I let it sit for a while and cools off. I have put a new battery and stater in it and it still does the same thing. Any suggestions??
THANKS!!

[riptide motorsport]

sounds like your timing is off.

[Hankl]

sounds like your timing is off.

X2

Hank

[Jim Schenck]

Also check for a weak or overheated main engine ground, they have been the cause of many hot start problems in the past. Check both from the battery to the chassis and chassis to the engine (or battery to engine if you wired it that way)

[2000RCAR]

Timing is ok and if that was the problem would it not be like that all the time?

[Brian Z]

Could be the ground wire not being a big enough gauge. I had the same problem in my mustang when i moved my battery to my trunk. I used a bigger gauge wire to the battery and it fixed it. We had the same problem in the GTM for a while too.

Best regards,

[2000RCAR]

Could be the ground wire not being a big enough gauge. I had the same problem in my mustang when i moved my battery to my trunk. I used a bigger gauge wire to the battery and it fixed it. We had the same problem in the GTM for a while too.

Best regards,

What size ground wire should i use?

[jgb0124]

Bigger gauge wire was the solution to my similar problem, too.

[jgb0124]

I used number 2 from the negative battery post to a starter mounting bolt.

[Brian Z]

I used 0 gauge in my mustang. It was basically a ground wire for a large welding machine. You could also try running an additional ground wire as it would be the same as running a bigger gauge. That is what we did on the GTM with the same problem. Just run 2 ground wires if you can't find one big enough.

[efnfast]

What size ground wire should i use?

2 ga.

I have several grounds

- battery ground
- ground on the starter
- 2x ground on the engine block

I think I'm covered, heh.

[2000RCAR]

2 ga.

I have several grounds

- battery ground
- ground on the starter
- 2x ground on the engine block

I think I'm covered, heh.

Where did you hook up the ground on the starter at? I know I can ground it to the frame but where on the starter?
Thanks!!

[AJuergens]

Is the engine EFI?

The ECU got messed up causing 2 injectors stay open on me, ran fine because it was getting the fuel it needed, once it stalled, the cyclinders flooded, and wouldn't start.

I have read posts on here about the starter becoming heat soaked, I have not had any experiance with this problem, but it may be worth looking into (not sure how you would determin that)

Al

[2000RCAR]

Is the engine EFI?

The ECU got messed up causing 2 injectors stay open on me, ran fine because it was getting the fuel it needed, once it stalled, the cyclinders flooded, and wouldn't start.

I have read posts on here about the starter becoming heat soaked, I have not had any experiance with this problem, but it may be worth looking into (not sure how you would determin that)

Al

351 4 barrel

[Jeff Kleiner]

Changing to #2 battery cables (ALL of them; + and -) usually solves this issue.

Jeff

[Russ Thompson]

I agree with Jeff, doing that TOTALLY solved the exact same problem. Once my coupe warmed up it would barely turn over IF it did at all. the larger cables completly soved this problem.

[riptide motorsport]

" Timing is ok and if that was the problem would it not be like that all the time? " NO it would not be like that all the time, only when hot, that is one of the indications of timing being incorrect, hard turning overt when hot, let it cool and it turns over fine.........that's just the truth......check your timing. Your proclaimation of the timing being correct is a very bold statement.....how do you know this to be a fact and if it was set properly originally , howe do ou know that it hasn't changed for some reason...............it's a very simple , cheap, easy check and fix........KISS it

[2000RCAR]

" Timing is ok and if that was the problem would it not be like that all the time? " NO it would not be like that all the time, only when hot, that is one of the indications of timing being incorrect, hard turning overt when hot, let it cool and it turns over fine.........that's just the truth......check your timing. Your proclaimation of the timing being correct is a very bold statement.....how do you know this to be a fact and if it was set properly originally , howe do ou know that it hasn't changed for some reason...............it's a very simple , cheap, easy check and fix........KISS it

The reason I think the timing is ok I had it tuned last month.

[Jeff Kleiner]

Next time it does it pull the coil wire off and see if it cranks over at normal speed. If it does the problem is related to timing, if not it is the starter circuit.

Jeff

[2000RCAR]

Next time it does it pull the coil wire off and see if it cranks over at normal speed. If it does the problem is related to timing, if not it is the starter circuit.

Jeff

Will do Jeff. Thanks I checked the battery ground and it is a #2 wire going to the frame. It also has a red/black with a red plastic key shut off in the trunk and that ground is to the frame. Also the block has a thick wide braided wire grounded to the frame.

[StephenP]

Also - the stock Mustang starter will heat soak. The headers are slose enough to really cook it. Mine was hard to start - slow crank - after a while on very hot days. You might look at a new mini starter if all else fails. BUT be sure and to the ground and good power lead first.