Hey guys, just want to see if anyone has any idea:

Once in a very long random while (usually after the car was parked for a few days, regardless if the tender was plugged or not), the car will have a weird start up. It will start up right away, immediately for the 1 to 2 seconds after the engine starts, it will sputter like its about to die then comes back to life.

Last night I took the aston out for a drive and the first start up was like that. Followed by a very rough idle, almost like the beginning of a stall, but slightly. Once I put it into gear and drive it, it went away the next time I stopped for a turn.

When I stopped for a frozen yogurt and started the car again, it was fine, but half a mile down the road the CEL came on follow by the warning "emission system service requred".

I google that and figure its not big deal, but the sputtering start up is troubling me.

Other info

the car was on half tank of gas, with the last fill up one and a half week's ago, the car has only been driven twice since the fill up. Does that rule out bad gas or lose filler cap?

Thanks guys!

 

That warning is very generic and could be nearly anything. Pretty sure my "emissions" CEL is actually being caused by my thermostat. Thermostat goes bad, car runs rich, cats are dealing with more pollutants, boom CEL. Running rich can also explain the sputtering at startup.

How old is your thermostat?

(Side note: I know my thermostat is bad, and I've got a huge install weekend coming up - thermostat, coolant flush, headers, idler pulley, FEAD belt, brake pads, door struts, carbon fiber interior trim, etc etc... Waiting for everything to arrive and install it all before I can definitively say my thermostat was causing that specific CEL, but I know it's in dire need of replacement.)

 

My thermostat is probably the original one, I know its on its way out as during April when I was driving to Cats & Canine in the high 30s / low 40s, the car only gets to a click or two below 50% on the water temp.

So I guess you have the CEL on too?

 

Oh yeah, my CEL has been on for ages hahaha. I've had a new thermostat sitting in my garage for 8 months now.

 

Are you concerned that running rich might damage the cats?

 

I probably should be, but I'm not that worried. I just don't see how they'd be dramatically affected and ruined by the engine running rich.

Worst case scenario, I've got the OEM cats sitting in my garage and I can swap them on until I get a replacement set of high-flow cats.

 

Well, I just came back from autozone and the code was P0442 which I assume its just gas cap not being tighten properly