Hi, I have a carbureted '89 Corolla 4A-F with 138k miles. The car's in great condition, runs great, and is meticulously maintained.
During this winter, maybe 20% of the time on some cold days (below
40F), when I turn the key to start the car, nothing happens (e.g,. as if the battery were dead). Sometimes I hear the beginning of a crank and then nothing happens. The next time I turn the key, the car always starts strong and starts immediately. Humidity has no effect. This never happens if the engine is warm.The battery is strong-- the car's lights are always bright-- I've tested the voltage multiple times and it's always good-- I replaced the battery with a new one last month anyways. No difference, as I expected. The battery connections also look good.
Spark plugs are 20k miles old; distributor cap/spark plug wires were replaced 40k miles ago (OEM parts); starter is original.
I guess that something in the ignition system needs to be replaced, but how do I diagnose the problem so that I know what to replace?
Thanks, John