94 Es300 Will Not Start If Outside Temp Less Than 80º F. Please Help

[honguye4]

My 94 es300 will not start when the outside temperature not reach 80º F .The car turns over and tries to crank but will not running. On the hot day when the temperature is over 80º F, the car starts up fine and run smoothly. Someone please tell me how to fix this problem. Thanks

[blk_on_blk]

Are there any other symptoms, because this symptom seems bizarre. My first thought was your battery, but if it cranks over in cooler weather, then it should be fine. I can't imagine why 80 degrees would be any magic cut off point for it to run or not.

[honguye4]

There is no other symptoms, first it cutoff around 60 degrees. I replaced ignition control module, camshaft sensors but the car will not start even around 70 degrees temperature. On once hot day, I re-try to start the car and start up fine. I drive around several miles. On the next morning, when the temp around 60 degrees the car won’t start, but it started in the afternoon with the temp around 80 degrees. This is really weird symptom.

[blk_on_blk]

That is weird. After mullin' it over, I think of what common things contribute to start up issues with these vehicles. The first thing I thought of is the ICV (idle control valve). It's a device to regulate the idle upon start up... I'm guessing it's like a modern day 'choke' on the engine to regulate the amount of fuel verses air upon start-up/warm-up. On these vehicles, over time, the ICV gets residue and sticks, making it where it won't start and idle without using the gas pedal and feathering it to keep it running upon start up. Even with a sticky ICV, once the engine is warm, it will idle normal.

So, with that said, yours could be sticky in a way that it starts/idles fine above 80 degrees, but below that temp it needs more assist from the ICV to get it to start.

One way to check is to see if you can start the vehicle in cooler weather by feathering the gas pedal. This means just slightly depressing the pedal when you go to start it... if it kind of springs to life, then dies, but then springs to life again on another try, but then won't keep running, that's characteristic of a sticky ICV. There are a couple tutorials on here of how to clean the ICV (you don't need to replace it), including one I did with some pictures. Hopefully this is the problem, for it's a pretty easy fix.