97 obw slow to start

[johnceggleston]

today for the first time ever, my 97 obw - 121k was hard to start. it didn't start on the first crank as usual, i cranked it again , longer without pressing the gas pedal. it finally did start but then it felt like it had an occasional miss. no CEL. i drove about 1.5 miles to the store and parked. by the time i came out, 45 min., it was fine.

 

because of the weather this morning , (warm moist air moved in on mostly cool obects and everything had condensation on it) i assumed it was a dampness/ wiring problem. new oem wires and plugs last year. new t-belt, water pump and seals at 98k miles when i bought it. currently 150 miles into a full tank of gas, so not the bottom of the barrel.

 

any suggestions? what wiring i should address first, coil, crank or cam sensors? would the nighttime mister trick be first? any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

thanks,

john

[nipper]

Intermitent things are hard to tell.

 

My gut tells me it was electrical in nature.

 

Was this the first start of the day after sitting all night?

 

Lets try something. In the dark, with the engine running, using a spray bottle, spray the ignition system with water and look for arcing. If there is none, we can hopefully rule out the ignition system.

 

 

When was the last time the fuel filter was changed.

 

 

Blu does this once in a blue moon and drives me nuts.

 

nipper

[njdrsubaru]

i had the same problem with a 2.2 once.. it turned out to be the cam sensor... somehow when the sensor is old, it gets very sensitive to humidity

[OB99W]

[...]would the nighttime mister trick be first?[...]

Sure, why not; Nipper has already suggested it. Start with the plug wires, then the coil pack. Give it a couple of minutes before moving on, since sometimes the water has to find its way into a crack. Arcing is a sure giveaway, but even if the engine gets rough that might be enough of a clue. You could also spray the areas of the cam and crank sensors. Each should be pretty immune to moisture if all's okay.

[johnceggleston]

this was the first start of the day, and the fuel filter has not been changed by me. so that's easy. i'll try the mister trick. i'm glad to hear that njdr solved his problem, it gives me hope. but it is unsettling to think that this may linger.

 

thanks for your help, i'll let you know what i learn.

[keltik]

My '02 does this on occasion after sitting out on the lawn all night or in the rain. She'll crank fine and splutter down at 300rpm for a second or 2 then wind up to normal idle.

 

Doesnt happen all that often but it does irritate me lol. From what i can tell its just condensation in some electrical connections as the car is fine if its sat in the morning sun for a bit.

 

I'd hang in there and see if it happens again. You might just get a code which will make the diagnoses a lot easier.