Often after the car has been outside in the rain for extended periods, it starts idling very rough and periodically stalls out. Usually, if I can keep my foot on the gas to keep the rpms up, it won’t stall, but occasionally it does anyway. After the rain stops, it takes perhaps 30-60 minutes before the car runs fine again (i.E. Some component drying off). I took it to my mechanic and (of course!) He could not replicate the problem. The distributor cap, rotors, and ignition wires were all replaced within the last 18 months; my mechanic tried spraying water on these but the car still ran fine, so I don’t think those are the issue. My gas cap appears to have a very tight seal, so I don’t think water is leaking into the gas tank.
What else could it be? Could the ignition coil be vulnerable even though the other ignition components are fine? Could it be something in the fuel system? I figure it’s probably not the fuel pump because if it were, the issue would be constant rather than only in the rain. Is there anything in the air intake system that is susceptible to water/leakage? I believe the car has a mostly original exhaust system, could any water leaks in the manifold/pipes/cat lead to these drivability issues? My mechanic said the PCV valve seemed a little worn and sticky, could that possibly be the culprit for rough-running in the rain? The thing drives totally perfect in dry weather.
I greatly appreciate your help in pointing me in the right direction for components to inspect/replace so I don’t keep spending more and more money on diagnostic fees that turn up nothing. Thanks!
(p.S. I just sent a donation via paypal from my email address (redacted). Cheers!)
Thursday, January 21st, 2021 AT 2:43 PM
(Merged)