Help ! The Gremlin is back.....

[Alfisto@domain.elided]

During World War Two, there was a naughty little imp called a Gremlin who was 
very mischievous and caused all kinds of misery to those it worked it's spell 
on. Commonly encountered by mechanics in the Royal Air Force it was also a 
frequent visitor to the other services and loved to cause mischief, not to 
hinder the war effort, but to keep mechanics on their toes and their heads in 
their technical manuals. Following the War they transferred their attentions 
to the world of sports cars and racing and at one time were thought to be the 
progeny of the Prince of Darkness, a demon well known to us early Alfa, MG 
and Rootes sports car owners. As technology improved and better cars were 
produced gremlins had no place to go so they searched world-wide for other 
places and people to inflict their misery on. At first they thought Italian 
cars might be a prime target and they were for a while and when one reads 
problems encountered in the Alfa  and 164 Digests one can surmise that they 
might have found a prime market for their wily talents. One of them has 
discovered my 94 164LS.......
350 days of the year the car starts and runs perfectly. In all kinds of 
weather. Except when it rains. Ten days when it rains it may start but will 
idle very poorly as if on four cylinders, and can not pick up enough torque 
for the auto tranny to move up a slight hill. I turn off the motor and wait a 
while and it restarts as if nothing has happened. The other five days when it 
really pours down, and if the car is not used for a couple of days, it  will 
start, hunt, and shut down from flooding, never to start again until the sun 
comes out. If its a leap year who knows what may happen !  It does not happen 
when the car may be wet from light rain, condensation, dew, or snow - only 
heavy rain. The interior of the car is dry as is the engine compartment. The 
ignition cables are dry and in good condition - and as they and the coils are 
all covered, they cannot be damp or affected by condensation. (Remember this 
is a 24V car not a 12V model). Three front coils have been changed (but not 
the rear bank - yet) and all temp. sensors and sending units have been 
replaced, all electrical contacts and fuel supply regulator cleaned. It would 
appear that something is affecting the ignition or else the gas supply (there 
is a slight smell of gas after fruitlessly turning the motor over but it 
seems to emanate from around the driver's door and not within the engine 
compartment nor out of the exhaust. The ground under the car is generally 
dry. What else is there that could get wet and prevent the car from starting. 
Water does accumulate in the sliding roof well but I cant see that that would 
affect anything in the overhead light console.
Even some of the local 24V experts are flummoxed by this so perhaps someone 
in Europe might have encountered a similar problem.
Graham Arlen
Oakland CA

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