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It seems especially prone to dying after some rain, or if the car has sat for more than a few days. Typically what happens is that it starts fine, and drives perfectly for the first few miles. But after it's reached temperature- if I have to wait at a light, or slow to an idle it chokes and dies when I try to accelerate. Then for a period of about 10 minutes or so it won't start. It sometimes catches on a few cylinders, or for a few seconds, but inevitably it dies. It also likes to backfire during this period. Eventually it starts just fine, and then it runs without major incident until I get more weather, or a few days off in a row.
It's also worth noting that once it's reached temperature there seems to be a "gap" between idle and acceleration. That is to say that the acceleration is not smooth. When you step on the pedal, not much happens for the first 1/4" or so, and then it jumps, a bit like if you had a lead foot. This happens even at speed, and regardless of the dying issue.
This problem began sometime ago after I had the fuel lines replaced. Having spent most of its life in the upper-Midwest it has some serious corrosion, and it developed a leak after an 800 mile move. Since then, I've replaced the timing belt, water pump, crankshaft pulley, seals, wires, and plugs, all with no real effect. Having pulled the plugs recently one friend suggested I might be burning coolant, while some others said it looked lean. I think my next test might be a new cap and rotor, but from what I remember they're not that old-- like 2-3 years or so.
So, does anyone have any thoughts? Has anyone had a similar problem? Thanks!
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