Hi,

My son has a 1984 240 wagon with B23F engine (non-turbo)
and Bosch LH-Jetronic fuel system. Recently the engine became very
hard to start when cold, even on a warm summer day.
It usually starts after a couple of minutes
of intermittent cranking, but there is a noticeable gas smell. Once warmed
up, the engine runs OK and starts OK. So far all I have done is
a brief check for broken hoses. I also pulled the vacuum line off the
fuel pressure regulator, thinking that if the diaphragm were broken
then fuel would be leaking out the vacuum port. However there was no
leak. After reading some Haynes and Chiltons manuals, I think a next step
would be to check the Air Control valve that bypasses air around the
throttle plate.

If anyone else has experienced this problem or could make some suggestions about
items to check I would appreciate it.

Regards,

Mike