I couldn't get Anya started yesterday. I tried putting gas in the tank in case it was empty ( the gas gauge has been acting weird lately, but thats not a true problem for me )
I tried disconnecting and reconnecting wires firmly in case anything was loose, I checked the distributer cap and made sure it was ok, which it was, i even tried pumping the gas pedal while cranking. It turns over just fine, but it wouldnt fire for some unknown reason. I tried countless times to start it over the course of about 6 hours, to no avail. Then, this morning ( early morning, around 2AM, ) after making the painful decision to park her indefinitely due to being unable to afford more than a simple repair, I tried out of desperate hope to start her, and the first time, without a seconds hesitation, she started flawlessly.

I've had similar trouble over the past few days, but until yesterday I was able to get her to start after some wire-wiggling. My radiator is leaking slightly, so I have to add water/antifreeze to it every time I go somewhere, and I usually spill a little into other parts of the vehicle due to the bottles....for lack of a better description, blurping the water out randomly. I strongly suspect now, that what's been causing the trouble is something getting wet that shouldn't.....but due to my lack of knowledge in most vehicle-related things, i'm unsure what that could be. And thus, I have written this post. So I say finally, what could be the cause of this problem?

 

honestly there is very little you could get wet on the front of the engine that would cuase it issues starting. First thing I would do this weekend is pull all the plugs and replace them. Maybe even change wires and coil. These are cheap and easy things you can do that can cause a hard start or spark issue. Then once you get it started run it down to the parts store and have them try to test the battery and alt.

 

*Fresh champion copper plugs gapped to .035, new plug wires, distributor cap, rotor, fuel filter for starters

*Next time it won't start, check for SPARK. Pull a plug, keep it attached to the plug wire, place the plug electrode near a good engine ground, have a buddy crank the engine while you watch. You are looking for a strong, blue, snapping spark. Yellow/orange/white spark is weak, which may not be strong enough to start the engine.

 

I see the weather in your area is above and below freezing like ours in Chicago. Perfect conditions for condensation in the fuel lines, especially if you allow your gas tank near empty. Try some gas de-icer in the fuel tank and keep your gas tank full. (ya, gas prices are not nice right now)

 

i believe the problem has been found. a bad starter wire and royally screwed up terminals on the battery. ill take pix after the job is done to show what a travesty it was. good god i want to smack the former owner of this thing....they didnt take care of it at all. its so pathetic how many things are neglected.

 

Well done! Glad you got it sorted out.

And this for the PO (previous owner)