Well I thought I was clever when I scraped the crud off the terminals of the distributor cap and got my wagon to start. Then the problem returned. I gave it a better cap I really cleaned up good.

Then I thought I was clever when I found a faulty spark plug wire on #4 with the trusty multimeter and a resistance test. It was a loose connection where the wire crimps onto the plug end. I learned that with these, the 5K ohm resistor is in the end, not in the wire. It would miss when the motor leaned a little when accelerating. So smart I am!

Now, it's still hard starting and bucks a little when it's cold. It clears up when good and warmed up. It's never given me trouble in the rain before. It all started when the rains hit, for what it's worth. Probably not much.

Could it be:

The six year old battery?

Coil?

Plugs?

Cold start sensor?


I have to drive 500 miles and back for Xmas in this dependable 275K car in a couple weeks.

Thanks!
Steve