Does anybody else know this?

[dawn brown]

Got in my veccy the other night to just pop to the shop, turned the engine on for like 4 seconds then turned it off because my sister pulled up behind me. Anyway i didnt end up going anywhere in the car that night, the next day got in the car and it just wouldn't start it just kept turning over, couldn't understand why, so i phoned the rac out and the problem was i had wet plugs, he explained that cause i turned the engine on then off, and didnt let the engine run for a minute. He said its one of the common causes for a non start when someone has started their car then turned it off!

[denzo]

thats a new one on me

[Tadpole]

thats a new one on me

What hours later, new one on me also!!

[dawn brown]

What hours later, new one on me also!!

Yep, he said its very very common!

[scottyd]

Happened to my father in law. AA guy said he had flooded the engine and its v common

[wickedwillie]

I used to get that with my mondeo V6 petrol but my diesel Vectra, never had it

[john_k_sri]

I've often had it in the past, nothing to worry about.

[videodoctor]

I had the same happen to me in my old vectra.I got it out of the garage to wash it(about 6 foot distance) and then rolled the car back in.The following morning it wouldn't start.The aa bloke said that the engine was flooded.

Its due to the computer sensing that its cold and so putting extra fuel in to start.But if you don't run it long enough then theres unburnt petrol left in the engine.The following time you start it,the computer thinks its cold again so squirts more petrol in and voila,it floods.

The aa guy just kept turning over the engine and eventually it spluttered into life with a cloud of smoke out the back.
Moral of the tale is keep the engine running for more than 30 seconds each time you start it.

[chief29]

This reminds me of the time I borrowed dad's mercedes to fetch my stuff from university. I returned home unloaded and realised it was a bit dirty from the trip to Aberystwyth. Like a good boy I moved it 10 yards down the drive and washed it. The next day it wouldn't start. You can imagine the grief that I got. I was blamed for thrashing it all the way there and back!! Moral of the story don't wash the car ever again.
Seriously we have a 95 astra 1.4 and if we just move it on the drive for some reason we have to leave it running. Alternatively you have to hit the throttle as soon as it fires and hold it at about 2500 rpm for about 15 seconds. Otherwise it fires then dies and you will be winding it for a mminute or more. I don't like this method as I like to let the oil warm before reving it.

[john_k_sri]

This reminds me of the time I borrowed dad's mercedes to fetch my stuff from university. I returned home unloaded and realised it was a bit dirty from the trip to Aberystwyth. Like a good boy I moved it 10 yards down the drive and washed it. The next day it wouldn't start. You can imagine the grief that I got. I was blamed for thrashing it all the way there and back!! Moral of the story don't wash the car ever again.
Seriously we have a 95 astra 1.4 and if we just move it on the drive for some reason we have to leave it running. Alternatively you have to hit the throttle as soon as it fires and hold it at about 2500 rpm for about 15 seconds. Otherwise it fires then dies and you will be winding it for a mminute or more. I don't like this method as I like to let the oil warm before reving it.

I used to have a 96 Astra 1.4 which died shortly after starting if the outside temperature dropped below about 5degrees Centigrade. On restart it was fine until the next morning. Never got to the bottom of it until one of the cylinders went west but I lived with the 'problem' for 5 years. just got used to it.

I notice that the engine in my Vectra 'overfuels' for a bit longer than normal on start up when it is really cold. This may make engine flooding more likely. But I do remember being told that there is no need to leave the engine idling or 'rev' it after starting, just move off.

Or you could retrofit a 'choke' LOL