I have been getting really lousy start-ups on winter mornings.   A friend said I needed to put a can of dry gas in, I don't recall doing so. What are the best option on this?

ThosL,

 

Fuel line deicer/fuel line antifreeze (I believe its wood alcohol?) is what is being referred to. A small container added to a full tank of fuel will absorb any water in your fuel tank/lines and allow it to burn. I always add one to the tanks of my vehicles during the winter, about half way through the winter season, even though I've never had a fuel line freeze up issue. Another thing to decrease the possibility of water in the first place, is to always keep the fuel tank as full as possible. This leaves little room for air in the tank to condense the water from it into the fuel.

Can you elaborate on the really lousy part? Lots of things can cause cold starting problems, but there are too many versions of "lousy cold start" to say what's causing your problem without having some more info.

^^^ what FF said

 

dew/moisture on old plug wires can cause issues. Failed Engine temp Sensor could as well.

My one experience with water in the fuel showed up on the highway. If your only trouble is starting, it's probably something else.

Cold or wet in the morning, vehicle runs crappy until it really warms up.  Check engine light flashes.  Once it warms up in 15 minutes or longer it runs well.

I'd be looking at plug wires and the CTS first.

If the check engine light flashes when it is running I would see if there are any codes stored. 

 

I agree if it just happens when you first start it then I'd be looking somewhere besides water in the fuel.

while it's wamed-up an idling well, you could use a plant mister to spray water on/near each plug wire and see if it causes stumbling. Some folks say if you do that at night you can see arcing.

 

seems like plug wires or coil. the moisture is driven-off after the engine bay warms up.

check your idle air control valve if it is dirty or sticking it will not run right or possibly not start.

last time i ran in to that issue after i ran it by cracking the throttle body enough for the car to run it ran fine once it warmed up a little bit

while it's wamed-up an idling well, you could use a plant mister to spray water on/near each plug wire and see if it causes stumbling. Some folks say if you do that at night you can see arcing.

 

seems like plug wires or coil. the moisture is driven-off after the engine bay warms up.

 

I had a 56 Chevy that you could almost read from all the light that from the arcing that was going on under the hood from the spark plug wires. 

Very likely it's the plug wires.  I will have to buy a set of those for around $30.

do not get cheap aftermarket, they are known to not work reliably on Subarus. OEM is best.

 

NGK or Denso will probably be $25 to $50 on am,azon depending on what part number you need.

Edited March 18, 20179 yr by 1 Lucky Texan

If you are running a fuel that is say around 10% ethenol or higher, is dry gas gonna be of any benefit. Just saying. 

I happen to come across this:

 

 

Dry gas - Wikipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dry_gas

1.  
2.  

Dry gas. Drygas is an alcohol-based additive used in automobiles to prevent any water in the fuel from freezing, or to restore combustive power togasoline spoiled by water. ... The belief that dry gas is not needed because of the significant amount of ethanol is largely true because ethanol is a drying agent.

I ran a test at Auto Zone:

 

It came back as ignition coil, based on:

 

PO301

PO302

PO303

PO304

PO400 egr

P1100 low input.  

 

I'm thinking wires as when it warms up it runs well.  I don't think I've changed them since I bought it, a year ago.