hi i have a 1991 323 astina and its hard to start in the mornings specially. i m thinking of changing the fuel pump relay because i cant hear the pump running when the ignition is on. i just chnaged the air flow meter and its still the same. it has new spark plugs, new fuel filter, new air filter and new timing belt.

any help would be greatly appreciated.
thanks, rambo.

If the relay was bad, it wouldn't run at all, and if its fuel pump related it wouldnt run well once it does start.

Next things I would do is check the timing - both valve and ignition, and if thats OK check compression.

If you want to confirm whether its fuel related, get a can of ether (aerostart, start ya bastard or other such brand name) and give it a squirt through the air intake whilst turning it over. If it starts straight away, I'd suspect whatever sets the cold start settings in the fuel injection (temp sensors etc)

Hi mate, thanks for the reply.
well, it only happens when the engine is cold. I had the fuel pressure tested and that was fine.
when i crank the engine in the morning, i have to crank it for about 10 secs for the car to start. As it is starting, there is some kind of hesitation unless i press the gas pedal a couple of times while starting. when the car has been running for a while, it starts easily without having to press the accelerator.

should I check the valve and ignition timing, cold start valve, and temperature sensors? i had the radiator changed last year..is the temperature sensor found in the radiator or somewhere else?
thanks.

Or could it be a weak and worn fuel pump not giving enough pressure? my car runs fine though!

Most likely you have a problem with the cold start mixture circuit. Cold engines need to run much richer than hot engines. This is why darburated engines have a choke. The cold circuit probably has a metering valve that is malfunctioning.

could that be the thermo time switch? where is it found? my car is a 1991 mazda astina 1.8i.