940 Doesn't Start After Rainstorms

cfhosford · Post by **cfhosford** » 21 Jun 2005, 09:04

Hello: I have a 1992 940 GL that often refuses to start after a rainstorm, and once after I went through a car wash. Once it even quit while I was driving in the rain (I went for a bite, and waiting for the rain to quit -- it started again.) There's just no spark during these periods. My mechanic thinks it could be the rubber gasket around the hood, or else a leaking distributor that's allowing water to get in. Does anyone have any idea what could be causing this? Much thanks. - Chris

yeagermeister · Post by **yeagermeister** » 21 Jun 2005, 09:34

i would check the distributor cap for cracks first, and make sure it seals up around the bottom- moisture inside will certainly cause similar problems.

another possibility could be the electrical connections on the fuel pump as well, if they are exposed (i'm not sure about the configuration of the fuel system on the 940, but my Nissan Xterra had a similar issue with the Fuel Sending Unit- which was later recalled- which is in the gas tank, but the electrical connection was on the outside of the gas tank.) this corroded, and i had the exact same problems as you.

petershen1984 · Post by **petershen1984** » 23 Jun 2005, 21:22

Your mechanic is correct to suspect water leaking through the seals around (perimeter of) the hood, as the distributor could get wet even with a good cap. In my case, the car was already running and started to idle weird and slow to a stall. I still haven't fixed the seals yet.