Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General Troubleshooting intermittent starting problem

Sometimes, after the car has been sitting overnight, the starter will crank just fine but the engine will not start. The problem goes away after a few hours and the car starts right up. Occasionally, the engine will die immediately after starting. This happens a couple of times and then it will start. There is no CEL. I thought I had seen mention here (I'm a long-time lurker) of an FI relay that could be the culprit but there is no such thing, apparently. An interesting side note is that my owners' manual diagram is not even close to the actual layout of the under-hood power distribution box. Any help there?
I'm thinking maybe it is the ignition relay or the EEC module relay. Thanks in advance for any advice.

I have the exact same problem. I am not sure if you are a Duratec or Zetec, so I am not sure if its exactly the same, but based on what you describe, it appears the same to me. I'd like to add to the details that I have observed this problem over the course of about 6 months in my car. It has no direct correlation with weather (happens in wet and dry weather), previous trip duration, or time between starts as far as I can tell. It usually remedies itself by the 3rd attempt or so, but it usually barely starts.

After turning the key to the crank position, the starter will run but it is as though the engine refuses to turn over. By the second try, if it doesn't start, it will sound like it started to turn over, but won't get going fast enough to not die. The third or fourth try is almost always successful. I don't have a tach, so I can't tell you if the needle moves when it almost starts. What on earth is going on?

I have the Duratec V6. My engine does not even try to catch. The starter just cranks and cranks.
No pattern to events. When it finally catches, it runs fine. It only has about 61K miles on it.
Can someone tell me if the engine will throw codes without a CEL?

If you haven't already, you guys may want to check out my post here. Especially if your car has the throttle hang fix done. My car has started by revving MUCH higher now (like a normal car) since I have removed the piece of copper in mine yesterday, although the moosing has already returned...

To solve both, have you tried utilizing a larger orafice in the copper cap? Mine allows my car to get up to 2000 rpm at cold startup, but still is effective against the moose & throttle hang.

I do not have the throttle-hang fix. The car mooses very rarely, usually right after first start-up and only for a few seconds.

Doesn't anyone have any ideas about my original problem?

If the engine is actually turning over but won't start, you should probably start by cleaning the IAC. This is especially true if it will start with the throttle cracked a little.

If it runs poorly for the first minute when cold, it could be the ECT.

If the starter is turning, but the engine is not, the bendix in the starter is sticking.

Tough one to call without getting your hands dirty on the car...

Could be a weak battery or the grounds getting a bit weak. Try cleaning off the battery terminals & the connectors. Check that braided line connecting one corner of the coil pack - Just loosen the bolt a bit then tighten it down again. It is rare they need attention, but you never know.

Perhaps the fuel pump or fuel pump relay are starting to fail. The relay is a cheap fix, you could even just swap it for the horn relay & see if that helps.

Double check the fuel cut-off to make sure it is properly reset. I've heard of a good bump or RR tracks tripping them. Not usually on the Contiques, but it does happen & costs nothing to check. Even happened on my Merc once. I have no idea what tripped it 'cause it was sitting in my car port over night & it ran fine when I parked it.

Other than those simple things, I really don't know what to suggest.