I finally resolved the intermittent starting problem on my 1989 244 DL w/ 5spd manual.

Symptoms: it seemed that anytime there was moisture in the air, the car could be guaranteed not to start in the morning. Since it was needed anyway, I replaced the distributor cap & rotor, ignition wires, spark plugs and the ignition coil. I thought everything was good, but lo and behold it returned again. So, I thought the in-tank fuel-pump might be going bad (as the next time it wouldn't start, I got into the trunk, removed the access cover and banged on the top of the in-tank pump assembly...the car then started). So, I replaced my in-tank pump - BUT, the intermittent start still came back.

The REAL problem: where the power wire for the in-tank pump passes through the top of the in-tank pump/sender assembly, the solder connection of the wire to the tab that passes through the cover was intermittent.

Solution: Re-solder the fuel pump power wire connection to the cover pass-through tab. I actually went further and hard soldered the wires through the cover to the harness to the vehicle, and then re-sealed the pass-through point with JB Weld epoxy.

End result - so far, so good. The car has started every time, even after a rain last night and muggy morning today.

Much as I hate to do it, this car may be up for sale soon as I need to thin my fleet down (we have 5 vehicles in the driveway and 2 drivers in the house), but I had definetly wanted this issue resolved before I decide to sell it.

I REALLY appreciate posts like this because it gives great feedback and encouragement. Problem was really simple after all, it just required seeing the trees for the forest. As these cars age more and more hard to detect but simple things go wrong. How many times have many of us taken a car to a mechanic who replaced part after part and didn't solve the problem?

Thanks! I posted the fix because solutions to problems like this are what I search the enthusiast forums for the most.

I'm a little too old to care about the latest cool looking wheel or what have you - I want my vehicles to run well, and these forums help me accomplish that.

Congratulations! It's inspiring to hear posts like these for those of us who haven't yet triumphed over that elusive gremlin haunting our bricks.

I have a pristine '83 wagon with 100,000 on the working odo. I have owned it for about 3 months and have yet to trust it on the road due to it's intermittent running problem (not that I get to work on it every day). I ain't giving up, though. Thanks for the post!

Jim