2004 s40 1.9 hard start/wont start

[HeavyFuel]

I just picked up a 2004 s40 with 83,000 miles that had a very hard start issue. If i hold the throttle down and pump it, It would pop and sputter for a long time while cranking, and then finally run on its own. I have had it for less than a week now, and now it wont start at all. Just pops and sputters wile cranking. Previous owner changed turbo, coil packs, timing belt. I changed fuel pressure regulator. Wondering if i need more fuel pressure. How much pressure should be at the schrader valve with key on? Seems maybe low to me, but i dont know what its supposed to be. Any help is appreciated.

[jefe]

Not sure about fuel pressure, but I had a similar problem and ended up discovering I reinstalled the coil packs and wires in the wrong order (after a timing belt job). Fixing that along with new coil packs, wires, spark plugs, and eventually the wiring harness that connects all of that to the firewall got the car running good again.

[alschnertz]

Fuel pressure should be around 44 psi.

Are you sure it ran well after the timing belt service?
I would check the timing marks. That can be done by removing the plastic covers.

Has the compression been checked?

[HeavyFuel]

It actualy runs perfect once its started. The prblem is it doesnt start easily. Takes a very long time of cranking with the throttle pressed/pumped, nearly draining a brand new battery. Now yesterday i couldnt start it at all. Just sputtered and popped while i cranked it.

[alschnertz]

Why did the PO change the turbo? Were there other mods that the PO did?

Re. the fuel pressure, "Seems maybe low to me"
How did you check the fuel pressure?
Perhaps your new FPR was defective?

What spark plugs are in there and are they gapped correctly?

You may want to clean the MAF, IAC and throttle body.
Check the compression too. Hopefully the PO didn't change the timing belt because it broke...

[HeavyFuel]

Tested fuel pressure today, and it reads 45psi. PO told me turbo was changed by the owner before him. I assumed it failed. I have read that the turbos on these last 80,000-100,000. Today, it started with no trouble. PO had same experience: start very hard sometimes, start right up and run perfect other times. I bought it cheap, hoping to figure it out. I was sure it would be fuel pressure when i first looked at it, and thats why i bought it. I was wrong, seeing that its reading 45 psi. With the intermittent problem that it has I wonder if it could possibly be a crankshaft position sensor or camshaft position sensor.

[alschnertz]

Where do these internet stories come from?
Not an expert, but my original turbo has 222,000 miles on it.

I think I'd still check the camshaft timing.

[HeavyFuel]

I thought 80,000 seemed awful low for turbo life. But people seem to have no problem putting new timing belt and head gaskets in Subarus every 100,000 miles. I will check cam timing marks. I still wonder if the position sensor could fail intermittently, seeing that my problem isnt always happening.

[HeavyFuel]

Timing marks are good. Last night I took of the Idle Air Control Valve and cleaned it, and also cleaned inside the ports that the IACV bolts onto. Cleaned inside throttle body as best i could , given its hard-to-spray-into location. Started it up and drove it. It poured white smoke (with slight blue tint) out of the tailpipe the whole 6 mile drive. I hoped it was just the cleaner i used, but the smoke lasted the whole time i ran the car (about 20 minutes total). Now today it wont start at all. Been trying it multiple times.

[HeavyFuel]

Tonight i tried to start it again, no go. I pulled the spark plugs. Plugs are black, wet, sooty. After wiping off, they are grey. I shined a light down into the cyllinder, and the top of the piston was wet looking. The oil on the dipstick, and under the oil cap is normal, not milky looking. I will do a compression test next. I ran out of time tonight. Hoping i dont have a bad head gasket.