MajorCommonEngine

Daihatsu Terios: HC-EJ 1.3 Carburettor Flooding & Hard Cold Start

HC-EJ 1.3 Carburettor Flooding & Hard Cold Start is a common engine fault on the Daihatsu Terios on the 1997–2005 cars, and we rate it major. Putting it right costs $180 to $580 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. Below is what goes wrong, the symptoms to notice on a test drive, where to look, and what to ask the seller before you hand over any money. It is one of 34 documented faults on the Daihatsu Terios.

Vehicle: Daihatsu Terios
Engine: 1.3L
Years: 1997–2005
Fuel: petrol
System: Engine

This page covers the Daihatsu Terios as a model. Some faults only affect particular engines or build years — enter a plate below to narrow the list to one car.

All Daihatsu Terios faults34 documented faults on this model

What you are looking at

No photograph available

We do not hold a verified photograph of the Intake manifold or Thermostat yet. We would rather show none than show a picture of a different part.

What goes wrong

The HC-EJ 1.3L carburetted engine fitted to J100 Terios is prone to needle valve wear and float sink with age, allowing fuel to flood the intake manifold during hot soak or extended overnight storage. The result is a saturated engine requiring prolonged cranking or the full-throttle flood-clear starting procedure before the engine will fire. The accelerator pump diaphragm and choke thermostat bimetallic spring also harden with age, compounding cold-start difficulty. Unaddressed flooding can wash cylinder walls and dilute engine oil.

What you would notice

Engine cranks excessively before firing when cold
Strong petrol smell from intake on cold morning start
Black smoke and stumble on initial start
Engine fires only with accelerator held to floor (flood-clear mode)

How to check it

Where to look. Carburettor assembly, intake manifold

Attempt a cold start from stone cold.
Smell for fuel flooding at the air filter.
Inspect the carburettor bowl and needle valve for fuel overflow.
Check engine oil for petrol dilution (overfull level, thin smell on dipstick).
Inspect choke operation for smooth automatic open.

Parts involved: Intake manifold, Thermostat.

What it costs to put right

$180 to $580 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. That is for this job on its own, not for the car.

An estimate, in NZD, for the repair as normally carried out. What a specific car costs depends on which part has failed and what it damaged on the way — treat this as the floor for a negotiation, not a quote.

Ask the seller

“Does the car start first or second crank when cold?”
“Has the carburettor been rebuilt, cleaned, or replaced?”
“When was the engine oil last changed and checked for fuel dilution?”

Now check the Daihatsu Terios you are actually looking at

Everything above is true of the model, and it is free. What it does not tell you is whether THIS car has been looked after: its odometer history and whether the reading has ever gone backwards, whether there is still money owing on it, whether it has been reported stolen, how many owners it has had and what it is really worth today. That comes from the official records for that plate. Enter the plate for the free details, or get the full history and a market valuation from $13.49.

Not sure what you would be paying for? See what a full KickTyres check includes.

Where this comes from

The failure described above is documented in published sources — owner forums, technical service bulletins, recall notices and workshop write-ups — held in our fault database. The inspection instructions and the cost estimate are KickTyres’ own interpretation of them, and it is a starting point for an inspection rather than a manufacturer statement.

Daihatsu Terios buyer questions

Is hc-ej 1.3 carburettor flooding & hard cold start serious on a Daihatsu Terios?

We rate it major and common on the Daihatsu Terios. The HC-EJ 1.3L carburetted engine fitted to J100 Terios is prone to needle valve wear and float sink with age, allowing fuel to flood the intake manifold during hot soak or extended overnight storage. The result is a saturated engine requiring prolonged cranking or the full-throttle flood-clear starting procedure before the engine will fire. The accelerator pump diaphragm and choke thermostat bimetallic spring also harden with age, compounding cold-start difficulty. Unaddressed flooding can wash cylinder walls and dilute engine oil.

How much does it cost to fix on a Daihatsu Terios?

$180 to $580 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. That figure is for this job on its own. A car showing the symptoms on this page is usually worth either walking away from or negotiating down by at least the repair figure.

Which Daihatsu Terios years are affected?

Our research records this fault on the 1997–2005 Daihatsu Terios. Build dates move around, especially on imported cars, so treat the range as the years to look hardest at rather than a guarantee either way. The official records tell you the exact build and first registration date for the car in front of you.

How do I check for it before I buy?

Attempt a cold start from stone cold. Smell for fuel flooding at the air filter. Inspect the carburettor bowl and needle valve for fuel overflow. Check engine oil for petrol dilution (overfull level, thin smell on dipstick). Inspect choke operation for smooth automatic open. Look here: Carburettor assembly, intake manifold