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I have a HSV E3 R8 Clubsport with a LS3. The car, sometimes, will not start. This usually happens when the car has been driven for a little bit then turned off. Then I go to start it again and it won't start. The engine is turning over (so can't be the starter motor) but it won't start. The battery is fine and has the required amount of voltage. Eventually the battery goes flat after a few attempts of trying to start it. After which it gets towed home.

I charge the battery the next day, as it is drained. Once the battery is charged to where it has been all the time (just over 12V) and I attempt to start it again. The first start sounded really rough and it stalled. I try it again for the second time and it fired up as if nothing was wrong. There was a lot of fuel that came out of the exhaust when I fired it up (so I thought that there is nothing wrong with the fuel pump. I thought that was the fuel that was pushed into the exhaust when I tried to start it the first time it broke down). it idles fine and normal around 640-650rpm.

The car has continued to do this for a while now. I can't take the car out because I'm afraid it will break down again but in the middle of nowhere. It still doesn't won't to start sometimes. I start it a few times every day. Some startups are rough, some are normal and sometimes it won't start.

I need help ASAP.

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  • Fuel coming out of the exhaust? I would check for leaking injector(s). The next time this starts to happen, hold the accelerator all the way to the floor while cranking for 3 or 4 seconds (which should perform a fuel clear with nothing injected except perhaps the leaky ones) and then try to start normally.
    – SteveRacer
    Commented May 30, 2018 at 7:13
  • I'm really doubting your had fuel coming out the tailpipe. The amount of fuel for this to happen would be a huge amount ... enough to hydrolock the engine. The reason I say this is, you've got two cats, two resonators, a muffler, and several feet of exhaust pipe, all of which has to pool up fuel before it can get to the exhaust exit. I'm not saying your car might not be running rich, I'm saying that's enough fuel to blow your car up. More than likely it was condensate (condensed water vapor) which was coming out with the possibility of a little bit of fuel in it. Also, check your oil for fuel.
    – Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2 ♦
    Commented May 30, 2018 at 9:33

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The fact that it seems to happen particularly when the car has been run for a while leans me towards the engine coolant temperature sensor as a possibility - try starting the car, allow the engine to come up to temperature and then turn it off. If it fails to restart don't keep trying until the battery is flat but instead leave the car for 2-3 hours to cool and then try restarting. If it succeeds at that point then the ECT sensor is likely the culprit.

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ok lets see if i can help you...first off because a battery has 12 volts does not negate that its a good battery..if after a few attempts it went dead does not sound good...you need to charge the battery and use a { load meter] you can usually rent one or buy one reasonable ..some places will check it for free ..ie wallmart ,auto zone ,advance auto ect.. secondly ,can also be a lose or corroded ground wire ,some hookups have 2 wires from the negative battery cable ,check that they both are clean and tight you may need to clean wire s that are attached to the body and or frame also may have a ground wire attached from the body to the engine ,also needs to be clean and tight..third ,after checking grounding try to crank if same ,probably is the coil/coils i always try the least expensive route first...hope this was helpfull..

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