I know there are several sources this trouble could come from... I already did a search on the topic but the results weren't helpful...

Car: 89 TPI 350 (5.7l) th700

Problem:

Car sat over night. Key turned: Engine starts at once. But doesn't idle, goes below 500RMP and just dies.
Second try: Engine starts at once, and to prevent it from dying I push the gas pedal.
Car doesn't accept the acceleration. It stops at 500RPM, a hair away from dying, sputters, shakes, and I can hear noises from the engine I can no other way describe than little detonations. Like popcorn in the microweave. Even with gas pedal pushed to the ground the car only rolls, like down a hill.
After behaving like this for like 5secs, it suddenly lives up, goes into the correct RPMs, and gets driveable.
When driven for like 10mins, the starting problem is GONE.
Its only present when the engine is ice cold.

Things changed: Ignition wires. Distributor cap, rotor and fuel filter are next.

Beside this I have a code 42 which was already there when I bought the car, and being the Newbie I was back then I believed what the previous owners said, that the SES light would be normal. So I'm having this error code since September of last year which leads me to the assumption that the cold start problem can't be part of the code.
I'll only give infos on the code if requested, the topic is alerady long enough and it wouldn't really be a part of the topic.

Please give me some hints! :hail: Every morning I gotta go to work I'd rather walk than drive!! TIA....

 

From what I heard around here, the coolant temp sensor is especially critical for engs without a cold start inj like yours.
Check the resistance of the sensor using the following chart a copied from one of Vaders' posts.

 

42 is normal, kinda. Happens whenever you set teh timing. Shouldn't be all the time though. That would make me want to check wires going to the dizzy.

CTS is a good lead too. Easy enough to check cold resistance. If you don't have an ohmmeter you could go to radioshack and buy a pack of cold resistors (7-8k) and hot resistors (270 ohm). Start it with a cold resitor in place of the sensor, and once it gets a little bit warmed up put the hot resistor in and see what it does.

 

I do have an ohm meter. To check the cables was my idea too. I got something like a routine to work with code 42, and it led me to a faulty ignition module. So I replaced it, but well the code is still there (I did clear the codes from the ECM after replacing). I don't know how long the car is driving already with the code 42, since it was there when I bought it and the prev owners said its okay this way.
Maybe the code IS the source for the cold start trouble?
Never the less, I'll check that sensor!

PS: Would adjusting the IAC or TPS help any? Or changing the fuel filter?

Thanks for your responses. Please keep em coming...

 

Changing / cleaning the IAC could definately help. If you try that be sure to clean out the passages in the throttlebody that the IAC uses. TPS shouldn't be the problem if everything is ok after it warms up.

 

Yo. Now that I have changed the distributor cap and the rotor, that problem is gone!!!!! The car could still start a LITTLE better but its 99% perfect now. I will still have the fuel filter replaced.
Geez, I'm so happy