Hard start, rough idle

Melon

SCCoA Member
Lately, I've noticed that my car is getting hard to start, especially when it's cold. It takes more time to crank (3-5 more seconds I would guess) and when it does start, the idle is low and shaky. It drives fine, but when I come to a stop, the idle still seems low until the engine is up to temp - and then it's fine.

Any thoughts on where to start? Or atleast a point in the right direction?

Thanks
-Melon
 
hmmm....crank sensor, coolant temp sender, vacuum leak, MAF, ignition module... I assume no check engine light.
 
OK - a small update. I went out for a drive the other day - was gone for about an hour. The last 10 miles of the trip, it seemed to stumble and hard to keep at speed. Got home, let it sit and let it go - was kinda mad at it :rolleyes:

On cold starts, it sounds like there's a vibration in the motor - almost like the idle is "lopey" that the car is shaking and perhaps something is knocking on one side or the other of the engine bay? Like literally knocking on the inside of the engine bay.

No CEL, but double checked codes and nothing except Purge Canister - something I've had for a while because I dont have one.

Here's a side thought - my SC has been leaking - would a semi-empty blower cause bad idle? Yes, I'm pulling the belt off and rebuilding the snout this winter.

The plugs were replaced in April, but the wires are about 2 1/2 years old BUT the car did sit for a year when the motor was down so they really only have about a year and a half of drive time on them - maybe 12-15k miles?

I'm just shooting out random thoughts - any real suggestions are welcome. Thanks
-Melon
 
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