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Re: Damp start problem
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Posted by Saana88 [Email] (#207) [Profile/Gallery] (more from Saana88) on Tue, 24 Apr 2007 17:43:09 Share Post by Email
In Reply to: Re: Damp start problem 1993 900S, Scott Shure, Mon, 23 Apr 2007 17:39:50
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No tach signal, I assume you're pulling the codes with the engine off so that would be a given.
Other easily overlooked things-
Compression? Especially if you're dealing with head gasket failure, our '88 took a lot of coaxing to start when the head gasket went. There's something about immersing spark plugs in water and glycol overnight that makes them not want to fire up.
How about the fuel pressure regulator? This is called "pulling at straws."
I have no idea who/what Jim Moncreif is, but I have had all sorts of rotten luck with non-Bosch caps and rotors. If it's got silver (tin) contacts instead of copper-colored (copper) ones, I say the sooner you replace them the better off you are. The damp issue makes me sniff electronics. How are the ground straps running from the engine to the rest of the car? How about battery contacts? Corrosion and bad contact seems to get worse when it's damp out, then better when things dry out.
My '88 had an extra-cold start issue that turned out to be the wrong grade of motor oil (!) coupled with slightly-off spark plug gaps. Go figure.
So, outside of all these ideas being thrown around in the wind, I'd say get a spare coil out of a junkyard or from someone in the parts classifieds (these are nice folks trying to recycle their parts cluttering up the basement instead of throwing them away) or, as a last resort, hit e-bay, and see if the problem goes away.
I do tend to be old-fashioned with spark plug wires. I replace them between 45 and 60k intervals. If you want to test them, next time it's damp and dark outside, open the hood and start the engine and watch for a light show. The rubber on your wires breaks down with time and heat exposure, which are both present on a seldom-driven, low-mileage car. I simply don't agree that they should only be replaced when their resistance goes out of spec. Even if the wires themselves make good contact from cap to plug (showing resistance in spec), small defects in the insulation can cause problems. Since the ignition system is a high-potential system (that's measured in volts) the potential for that energy to leap the gap to somewhere slightly conductive is very high. Given a gap or other problem in the insulation, that's going to happen, especially in a conductive medium, like, say, moist air. If you don't think moist air can conduct high-voltage energy, you need to pay more attention next time you're in a lightning storm. Physics/SCIENCE!
So a set of wires may be in order, and if those don't help, try a spare coil. In the interim, I don't recommend getting near those wires any time the key is in the run position.
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