[alfa] NEW DATA! 164LS Challenge - taming of the shrew round two

[hagen_jason@xxxxxxxxxxx]

For all of those with 24 valves, here is what I have done to try to solve the poor starting condition on my 164Q.   My car exhibits this during cold AND warm start.  Any additional suggestions would be great, but I feel like I have exhausted just about every option...

-  Car is fully tuned up (plugs, cam timing, timing belt, throttle body, etc.)
- No vacuum leaks, idles perfect
-  Checked fuel pressure (this is the USUAL culprit I am told).  Holds fuel pressure at right level for hours even after car turned off.
-  Had injectors professionally cleaned and blueprinted.
-  Replaced coolant temp. sensor.
-  Swapped in a known good ECU.
-  Checked all wiring to all components from ECU!
-  New O2 sensor
-  Checked intake air sensor and air-flow sensor
-  Checked copius grounds.  Added additional ground strap from intake plenum to the engine.
-  Swapped out idle air actuator
-  Replaced Motronic and fuel pump relays (front of car near radiator, under black cover, towards driver side).

My car runs PERFECT once started.  Sometimes it fires right up (warm or cold), sometimes it requires 5+ seconds of cranking with opening the throttle.  It always starts eventually.

Here's what I haven't changed:
- Ignition coil control packs
- Ignition coils (but since car runs perfect when running, this seems remote possibility.
- Actually swap out AFM (air flow meter)
- Ignition switch (though this appears fine based on other tests)

No error codes by the way.  And I have been working on this problem with Paul from DiFatta brothers (over the phone) for months.

My next step will be to put trouble lights on the coils and injectors to see which isn't working when cranking initially.  Also, will try spraying starting fluid into the plenum through a vacuum hose to see if this makes it start all the time.  If so, I will look to ignition.

I have also disconnected the alarm to see if that was cutting out the ECU circuit.  No such luck.  I did notice the Cardisc calls for a wire called ignition ground to the ECU, which my car doesn't have.  Interesting.

I hope this helps others.  Any advice or suggstions would be great.

--
Jason Hagen

[demime 1.01d removed a section which didn't have a content-type header]
--
to be removed from alfa, see /bin/digest-subs.cgi
or email "unsubscribe alfa" to majordomo@domain.elided