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My wet starting troubles began about two years ago with a "special deal" coupon for a Florida Mobil gas station: oil change, trillion-point check. I was directed into the bay and the floor opened, revealing several mechanics below who raced with raised tools to my car's underside. Alarming! Soon after, my car had difficulty starting following a day and night of torrential rains. With every long, soaking rain thereafter, to varying degrees, it has continued. One of the first things I checked was for arcing in the dark night. I also checked, with my limited understanding, the pertinent fuse and proximate wetness. An indie Volvo mechanic whose wife drove the same car showed me a cut that looked suspiciously fresh in the crank position (?) cable near the firewall and replaced it. No luck. I brought the car back. He water sprayed and tested and when I picked it up said everything looked sound and suggested ethanol was wreaking havoc with the fuel, making it wet, and recommended Lucas or Seafoam, and Shell gasoline. While fussy wet starts became my norm, the won't-start-at-all used to be rare, tied to extreme, wet conditions; for instance, those torrential rains, and back in Boston, a hurricane. Mostly, the car eventually kicked over, driving a bit stumbly at first, and requiring that the gas pedal stay depressed at stops to prevent stalling for the first mile or so. Currently, even relatively tame rainy nights mean my car won't get me to work the next morning. A few weeks ago, after not starting and sitting through several rainy days, when I next tried starting the car the muffler blew up. Towed to the shop which is now inconvenient from where I live but where the muffler was warranted, the mechanic asked the trick for starting. I referenced the wet issue and that it needed to dry out. As have other mechanics, he pulled the distributor cap, checked the spark plug wires, the new battery, looked at this and that, pulled the plug off the ignition coil, sanded it, lubed it, put it back on. They pushed it into the heated bay. Reluctant to replace the muffler until they could start it and see what caused the explosion, they let it sit, then got a raggedy start and a couple of huge backfires. The woman at the desk told me I didn't have a wet start issue, that it might be a timing issue, and that my car backfires. I said my car doesn't normally backfire. Grrrrrr. I agreed to waive the warranty and asked them to put the replacement muffler on. With that finished, and a few hours passed since the car entered the heated bay, they turned the key and, shocking to them but unsurprising to me, the car started like a quiet charm -- and then passed its annual inspection. As of yesterday, with the rains returned, my car won't start. I tried three times, and it made the usually hopeful, puttery sound of starting to catch, but I hesitated to keep trying, worried about the possibility of unspent fuel and another muffler explosion (although no one said that was the cause). I very much appreciate your time and thoughts. Adding to what is already on Brickboard, you have offered useful knowledge and further things to be investigated. Meanwhile, Happy Holidays to all.
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