Hard Start Cold

[tmef]

Hi All, I have an 87 Le Baron 2.2 Turbo. In real cold weather (teens and below) it will not start normal. It will start, run on high idle for about 7-10 seconds, then die. It will start right back up and do the same thing. You can keep it going by pumping the accelerator, but it backfires thru the exhaust violently. If you keep it running for about 2 minutes it smoothes out and runs perfect. During that 2 minutes, you can hear the the engine missing in short bursts. Sounds kinda like an engine hitting a rev limiter. That is where the backfires are coming from, but what could be causing this. If the temp is in the mid 20's or above, there is no problem at all. Thanks for any help. Todd

[Thunderstruck]

The first thing you should do is run the error codes from your computer. To do this position yourself in the car as if you were driving, notice where the check engine light is. The WITHOUT starting the car turn the ignion switch on-off-on-off-on and observe the check engine light. It will flash at you. Count the flashes. All the error codes will be two digit codes and here's how the flashing works. Flash (short pause) Flash flash) long pause flash flash flash flash flash (short pause) flash flash flash flash flash are the codes for 12 and 55, which are typical codes you'll see on 90% of these cars. 12 means the battery has been disconnected withing the last 50 starts or so. 55 means end of codes. Any other code, except 33 on a non-ac car, is a problem. So find out what your codes are and we can help narrow down the issue.

That all being said I'll bet the problem is a flaky coolant temp sensor, not the one for the guage, but the one for the computer.

Steve

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38 Plymouth P6
65 Plymouth Barracuda
87 Dodge Diplomat
89 Plymouth Caravan
96 Dodge Neon

"No quarter asked, none given" - Thunderstruck Racing

[Dean Stillie]

And if you have no codes then hook up a scanner and read the sensor readings when this is happening and see if they seem realalistic

[tmef]

My bad, I should have mentioned it in the first place. It reads code #54, distributor synchronization circut. Thanks again.

[Dean Stillie]

with this code I've had the problem be both the distributer or the smec(coil driver)Also the wires where the come out the bottom of the distributer and make that sharpe turn have been chafted