Sorry to thread jack but I have a question that is similar, and I was wondering if you guys would be able to help. These past 2 days when I'm leaving for work, I turn on my car and when I release the start engine button, the motor gets spastic. There are short split second pauses as the engine is trying to run, and it actually makes my car rock left and right. This rocking occurs for about 2-3 seconds. The temperature outside is about 34. Is this normal? I've owned this '04 since October. Thanks for your input.

 

IN texas it hit 27 degrees today in san antonio. This is murder on us, and my s2000 sounded like it had cams when i tried to start it. I guess the fuel map is used to our normal hot winter weather....and then we got the "arctic blast" as the news would call it. The first time she sat all night, i try to start it, and it starts....slowly.....like it has cams, then it idles for 3-4 seconds then dies. I start it again, it starts up much easier, and then doesnt die...does this EVERY time it goes from 80, to 28 outside.

Got to love texas.

 

Up here in the NE, I routinely start the car in 15* weather no problem. That is with a stock battery. It can ahndle it if it is in good shape. Once in a while on a particularly cold morning, it will be rough for a seconds. I think this is due to the oil thinckening at first. I switch to Mobil1 5w30 for the coldest three months of the year. I don't think you would need that in CA and TX. Shoot, 28-38* is warm.

 

IF the car is in 70's degree weather for a month at a time, then overnight it drops to 27....its gonna have a hard time starting at least the first few times until the fuel map is learned.

 

i get the same thing when it first gets cold for a few days. The ECU is slow at learning about cold weather starts