1. Home
  2. Subaru Cars Forum
  3. Flooded Forester?

Flooded Forester?

The other day I received a phone call from my wife. After running an errand, she had returned to her 2014 Forester and it wouldn't start.

She was in a parking lot only a little over a mile from home, but by the time I got to my car and waited for two stop lights it probably took ten minutes to reach her location.

I got in her Forester, turned the key, and it started right up.

This incident has the earmarks of a flooded engine. During the time it took for her to phone and for me to get there, the excess fuel had evaporated and the engine had returned to normal.

If a flooded engine is what it was, then this is the first time I've experienced the phenomenon with a modern, fuel-injected, computer-controlled engine. I didn't think it could happen.

My questions are: Can a modern engine be flooded? If so, what might my wife have done to create the condition? If it can't be flooded, then can anyone suggest what did happen?

Reply to
John Varela
Loading thread data ...

Back in the old days, you'd pump the gas peddle to get the engine started but you could flood it. Maybe that is her habit.

Reply to
Frank

It can't happen. The car probably has a hot start problem. OTOH, stepping on the accelerator when starting is a no-no. Make sure she's aware of that.

Reply to
dsi1

Pump the throttle to set the automatic choke and also send a squirt of fuel into the carb with the accelerator pump. Fuel injected cars don't have chokes, but pumping the pedal should do no harm because there is no accelerator pump either. At least, I think not. Which is among the reasons why I didn't think it was possible to flood a modern car.

Reply to
John Varela

She's been driving a fuel-injected car since we bought her previous Forester in 1998, and she has never had this problem before. On the other hand, she admits she was in a hurry and might have, even probably had, pressed on the accelerator.

I know that you're not supposed to press on the throttle when starting. What's the problem with that? I'd have thought the computer would respond to the extra airflow.

Reply to
John Varela

A fuel injected engine can only flood if an injector leaks/sticks open or if the ignition secondary fails. Did it belch black smoke when it started, or run rough? I personally doubt it was flooded.. If it was, it wasn't something your wife did.

Reply to
clare

Wouldn't do it as there is no accellerator pump on a fuel injected Sooby.

Reply to
clare

Actually it's not. And if you suspect it has flooded, opening the throttle all the way at crank shuts off the injectors. Some injected engines actually start better with a bit of throttle - particularly if the idle speed control is a bit flakey/stuck closed.

Reply to
clare

My assumption is that the car is setup to start under known conditions. If you start adding random air inputs into the engine on startups, you're just making a big mess. You have to have the dynamic part of the engine i.e., the crankshaft turning at a stable speed before any of the control system will be of much use.

Reply to
dsi1

My son had the same problem with his 2014 Forester on a cold-start.

Reply to
PAS

what CL said is true, even the drive-by-wire FI cars we have, have a 'clear flood' routine the ECU will use when starting with the gas pedal on the floor.

I have read some stories of folks that start a cold car, drive 20 feet, turn the car off while they close a gate or garage door, then can't restart the car due to it being flooded. That is an unusual situation but not impossible.

I think, you should get this documented at the dealership. they may even find a 'pending' DTC stored.

Reply to
1 Lucky Texan

MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.