So, I spoke with the dealer, and they said that both the crank shaft sensor and the camshaft position sensor are still the original ones that were put on the car during manufacturing, so I need to pursue a separate action against the shop that supposedly replaced it, but that is neither here nor there at this point.

So the dealer actually replaced the CPS and they said that they tested the car and can't get it to repeat the symptoms and aren't getting any more errors in star, so they said that I could pick up the car.

So I go to get the car, and pay for everything, get into the car and it won't start. Try it again and it starts up fine. The tech brings it back into the bay, connects it up to the computer and says that there are no error codes or anything, so his best guess, after conferring with 2 other techs is that there might be bad gas in the tank.

This struck me as a possibility because when I first started having problems, it was immediately after filling up from almost empty at a very small (albeit name brand) gas station that I had never used before. They recommended that I go to the closest Mobil station, fill up with premium (the car was just over a 1/4 tank left of the last fill up, at the aforementioned station), and see if the problem resolves itself.

The car has refused to start on the first try a few times since then, always starting on the second try, and running like a champ once it starts. Also, the symptoms no longer depend on temperature of the engine, happening a few times when the engine is completely cold, and a few times when it is at various stages of heating up, and completely hot.

Could this be a gas issue? Or could it also be explained by a spark plug issue? Because the same shop that supposedly replaced my CPS also changed the spark plugs, so now I'm starting to think that there may be an issue there?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Merry Christmas!

 

Needs a new crankshaft I told you that guy was an idiot and now he never replaced the crank position sensor too. If, and I say if, they replaced the plugs then new plugs shouldn't be a problem. I have seen hard starting be because of a fuel pressure regulator though. Run a couple tanks of gas through it and see if it cleans out and acts right first.

 

I wonder why they didn't pump the gas out for you. Wouldn't it be bad to run the car with bad gas?

 

They said that to drain the gas, they would have to drop the tank and it would be several hundred dollars in labor. I assumed you could just drop a rubber tube down there and siphon the gas out like people have been doing for years, but really wasn't in the mood to argue.

 

No, they cannot do that. There are many methods that prevent this sort of thing, such as rollover valves that prevent gas spillage if overturned. The only way is to drop the tank and suck it out.

 

agreed, you could also jack the car, take off the clamp by the fuel filter and hit the pedal a couple of times to drain it.....

had to do that at a show where they were monitoring the fuel level for entry..

 

They can access the inside of the tank in a few minutes without dropping it. Flip the rear seat base, remove the access cover, and take out the assembly directly underneath. Now it's an open fuel tank that could be pumped out.

 

No i have seen 04blackc32 drain his gas tank to change his fuel pump. He did it by fliiping the back seat and removing the access panel.

 

Oh yeah, I forgot about the access panel.