In the mornings, my 914 is next to impossible to get running (2.0 D-jet)
After several minutes of trying, I can usually get it started to where it will keep running after many attempts where it will barely idle and pumping the gas pedal either does nothing or kills it. Once running, it is rough.
Now here is the odd thing... I can leave it for 15 minutes or so and then go back and it fires right up. Somewhat rough as I drive down the road but after a mile or so things clear up and it runs great.
My question: is there a part of the FI system that, if not working properly when the engine is "cold", will work normally once the engine has warmed up some? What do I need to check? The ambient temp is not exactly cold and the same issue happens after the car has been off for a couple hours or so even if it has been sitting in the sun.
Or is there something else I should check?

thanks!

My first check would be to verify the timing and dwell, then move to the most likely culprit, the cht sender.

Thanks. Was hoping to avoid dealing with the CHT
If it is dwell/timing... that goes back to my ignition problems thread a couple weeks ago. I thought I had figured that one out by replacing a plug wire. I guess I need to go through the entire system and see what is the root all this.

Another thing Steve is you could have a stuck/gummed-up or bad cold start valve (5th injector) at the throttle body area.

Thanks, Tom, will check that.

This sounds like a CHT problem to me. I would start by unplugging it and checking its resistance.

The cold start valve doesn't come into play till its in the 30s Tom. Now if it stuck open that's a different story, but this doesn't sound like a rich problem.


Its easy to check resistance of the cht Steve.

Yeah, will do that. But now it won't even fire
The coil was loose in its bracket and had "spun" coiling up the wires attached to it - including the wire to the distributor. So I uncoiled that mess and also decided to swap out the condensor. So after pulling the dizzy to swap the condensor and then putting it all back together - nothing.
Wondering if the coil-to-dizzy wire broke inside when it coiled/uncoiled
Getting no fire at all to the plugs. How can I test the wire? I tested continuity and get a string of numbers but no "buzz". When I tested a couple of Bosch wires, continuity showed positive (buzz). Tested #3 & #4 Beru wires and same as the other - no buzz but a string of numbers.
Hooked up a timing light to #1 wire and cranked - nothing.

Its really easy to not get the diz all the way back in. Remove the cap and verify the rotor turns

Yeah, already been there - dizzy didn't seat all the way and I could spin the rotor
Checked two coils - blue and black - both show 3.5 ohms across the terminals. Is this too much? Tower to lead is 8.5k on blue and 10k on black.

Do I need a new coil?

I believe 3.5 is about right. If the coil shorted against the case it can blow the condenser

After reading and reading, decided to run to my FLAPS to get a set of points.
Installed and fired right up
Guess the old set was compromised somehow
Now to see if it starts up in the morning without the issues outlined in the original post.

Thanks Curt and others for chiming in. Can't believe it ended up being something so simple