Eclipse Starting Problem!!!

[dustoff77]

I have a '96 Eclipse. Not only is the head gasket leaking; but the car also has a starting issue. It starts 75% of the time just fine. When it's running it runs great with normal power and acceleration. The other 25% of the time it won't start. I just replaced the fuel filter near the right rear wheel well. That didn't fix it. It wants to kick over and start but it sounds like a fuel issue. It seems to happen most if I park on an uphill incline. Could it be an intermittent fuel pump or is there another filter or fuel sensor? Sometimes if I shake the car to slosh the fuel in the tank it starts up. But I don't know if that's a coincidence. This is past annoying! Any advice would be greatly appreciated!! Thanks!

[thecackster]

Is it just a starting problem..or does it die while your dirving somtimes?

[gthompson97]

i think some fuel tanks use a special sensor or ball thingy for like rollovers and when a car tips on its side the fuel won't spill out all over, it blocks the fuel outlet. i'm not sure if the eclipse's have that or not but you can check into something like that, a problem in the fuel tank itself.

[dustoff77]

Hey Cackster......It's just a starting problem. Once I get it started it actually runs sweet! The freaky thing is it will go a month with no hiccups; then all of a sudden 3 out of the next 5 starts it won't freakin' budge! It happened again today. I tried shaking the car to slosh the fuel and this time it didn't work. I was on a slight incline leaning left. So I pushed the car and tried to level it off....nothing! Later on I added some more gas...(I was down below 1/4 tank) and then also tried jumping it on the outside chance that it could be electrical. It started! So now I'm really confused? If it is the battery or alternator or something else electrical could it be intermittent like that? Thanks for your help.

[dustoff77]

gthompson......a friend of mine said something similar and also said that Eclipses are "notorious" for that sensor or check ball failing. Any idea how I can check this out? Thanks!

[gthompson97]

nope, you could look online or go to a shop and have them look up how to fix it and maybe do it yourself. does the car turn over and not start..or does it not even turn over?? if it doesn't even turn over i'd check the starter wires and battery connections and stuff like that, if it turns over i'd check the fuel tank ball sensor thingy and maybe run some fuel injection cleaner through it too.

[thecackster]

I'm not sure if we have an in-tank fuel pump... but people that i've talked to say, its bad to let it get below 1/4 or1/8 tank becuase it adds stress to the pump... this could be the problem...fuel pump cannot get fuel out of tank untill it's started.

[EVOclipse]

umm i thought it was only the fords that had that fuelcutoff..but eitherway i know its in the trunk and its a switch u can reset

[thecackster]

Ya on the left side in a lil hole, you need a key or somthin to pop it up if it's down or just push it down.

[Talon_ESi]

What's up man? What kind of Eclipse do you have? Need more info. This might sound really silly, but give it a try anyway. Take your starter off and check your block, there maybe a small crack behind it, if this is the case than you NEED to fix it one way or another. I have a Talon sitting in my garage, it has been sitting for about 3 weeks now, there was a crack I never knew about, my car was doing the same thing you are talking about and one night it was doing it rather badly, to the point where it would give a rough idle, I thought it just needed gas, so I went into town to get it and on my way back I threw a rod in cylinder #1, there is now a hole big enough to put a nice sixes cell phone in, It also knocked a literal chunk of the bottom of the block next to the oil filter bigger than a fist clean off the only thing holding it on was the oil pan screw, and it put a nice hole right below that in the oil pan. The cause was a broken piston skirt, hope you don't have the same fate I did.