Cold Start Woes! 83 N/A

[sjb15316]

Well, it never ceases to amaze me, but here's another prime example of how one thing can lead to another. RE: 83 N/A.

About 2 or 3 weeks ago, I noticed that my car was "running rich", so while I was doing the AFM overhaul, I went ahead and drilled the cover plug out of it for future adjustment. I finally decided to try to adjust it (without a CO2 meter) and turned it counter clockwise just as the FSM showed. It immediately required adjusting the idle screw to reach the 750 rpms that is advised for normal operation. Took it out... ran like a TOP! "Happy, happy, happy!"

SYMPTOMS:

About a week later, old man winter decides to visit and I jumped in it just to drive and it wouldn't start. Took almost a minute to finally get it cranked and ran the battery WAY down. Drove it around, stopped to visit some friends (approx 1-2 hrs), got back in to go home and while easier, it still was hard to start. I'm thinking my Cold start valve is going out or it has to be where I adjusted the AFM mix. Got home, parked it for a few days... still cooler temps... and same thing except it DID pull the battery down. Waited a couple of minutes it had enough to turn it over and it started. "I've got to get my CSV checked". Finally decided to take it to work and check it on lunch.... Put the mix screw back where it was originally... same thing... but pulled the battery down to nothing but a "grunt". Got my jumper pack out and jumped it off, threw the pack in the back just in case!

Got to work and shut it off... Immediately tried to crank it and while hard, it did crank. Lunchtime same thing but battery isn't acting like it should (1.5 y.o.). I took it back (of course, I'd just missed the free exchange date) and got a new battery and IT FIRED RIGHT UP!!! I barely hit the starter and it cranked!

So for you guys that are having "Cold start" issues... make sure your battery is good and hot before you start thinking the worst. Obviously, mine was barely or not maintaining enough voltage to fire the spark.

And for the "nay-Sayers", yes I did check my alternator to make sure output was correct and charging properly. It WAS the battery causing my problems all this time.

Good luck guys!

[siteunseen]

It's nice when things are "easier". I drove mine for a couple of hours a month or so back then stopped for more fuel and had to ask someone for a jump start, people are getting weird about that now, got it back home and realized the alternator belt was super loose. Tightened it up and no more problems.