What causes my car to be hard to start when it sits for a couple of days?

Answer 1

There are a few problems to look into when your car has
difficulty in starting the engine after it sits for a couple of days.
To look into and check on the following:
1. The battery - not adequately charged causes problem to
start up the car;
2. Alternator or dynamo is faulty - cannot recharge battery
enough to start the car;
3. Fuel filter is dirty and it clogs the fuel from getting into
the ignition system, thus cannot start up the car;
4. If it's carburettor system, the float is faulty and no fuel
get into the ignition system to start up the car;
5. If it's fuel injection system - it's clogged, fuel cannot be
sprayed into the ignition system to start up the car;
6. The spark plugs are dirty - carbon deposits, thus it
makes difficulty to start up the car;
7. Key ignition starter is faulty - no noise, no play;

Answer 2

Take your battery to an auto parts store and have them check it for a dead cell. If it is OK, get a full charge on it. If your battery is OK, something is taking juice from it and draining it. It takes about 9.5 volts to start an engine, so the drain is taking it down below that level. If you tried, your headlights and radio may work. Have you recently installed any new radio speakers or ANYTHING electrical? If so, look at that item and your problem. Pull the fuse from that item and leave it off overnight and see if the car starts the next morning. You may have to do that to all your fuses and keep getting the battery recharged, but that's the best way to find the problem. There is a circuit open somewhere.

Answer 3

Ther could be several things, however fuel delivery is the most common. If it has a carbureter, it could just be that the gas has evaporated out of the carbureter bowl, and has to pump gas up to get some to start on! You an check this pretty esily, if you open up air induction system (usually just take the top off air cleaner unit), -- put about a tablespoon or so of gas in carb throat, - put aircleaner top back on, and get in and crank engine. You should get "power" developed within several revolutions of engine, - bearing in mind that you could have flooded it somewhat (if you put in too much), -- this may have made engine turn fast enough to pump gas up to bowl, and engine will then continue to run.

If it is a fuel injection unit, - or has the fuelpump in the tank (instead of side of engine - since you didn't give year model or wether fuel inj. -or carb.).. You should be able to just let the fuel pump "fill the line" by switching they key on and off a few times (you will hear the pump "buzzing" near rear of car, -then after a few seconds it shuts off!)

It is entirely possible that you may have a fuel line leak too, so check over the fuel line at all the connections where there are hoses hooked on, (and along steel lines) -- look for "wet" hoses", or dripping gas on ground. If you have a leak, the gas will all drain out to the "hole" -- if above fuel level in tank, it will stop when it has the line to engine "drained", - if lower it will leak continueously (or till the tank runs dry). If you have the fuel pump on engine (mechanical pump), it will have to pull gas all the way to the carbureter, and it will pull air aling with it till it gets gas into the pump diaphram (it will pump much better with gas inside- than air)--this will be in proportion to the size of leak, as air is easier to move than liquid (uphill anyway)! If it has electric pump (fuel injection units all have electric pumps too)-- it will take time to "bleed" the air out of them in order to fill up the injection unit so it will deliver gas properly, again -- if air is in injector unit it has to pump it out through the injectors, and air has very little combustion value!

Answer 4

Could be fuel injectors or could be the spark plugs... I would take it in for a tune-up.

Answer 5

carbon billed up have your injectors and spark plugs checked

Answer 6

if its carburated your float level is low,or your acellerator pump within the carb is worn.

Answer 7

fuel pump is leaking back on it.