hi everyone-

my 87 245 (manual transmission) has developed a new unnerving problem - lately, about 60% of the time it starts fine (hot or cold starts), another 20% of the time i need to crank it about an extra half second before it starts, and the other 20% of the time it turns over, but then sort of coughs and sputters and *almost* dies out before it finally "kicks in" and starts. the sputtering can happen after the car is warmed up or even after letting it sit for a few hours - can't find a pattern to it. once it starts it runs fine.

i've checked all the fuses under the dashboard and they all look good with clean connections. the battery is fully charged, new alternator and wiring harness. no burning oil or compression problems. spark plugs and distributor cap are only about 1.5 years old.

a friend is betting (only $5, but still...) that it's the starter, but i'm more inclined to thing it's got something to do with the fuel injection or fuel pump relay. how can you tell if your starter is dying (besides the fact the car won't start) - do they go suddenly or can it be a slow process? any suggestions? has anyone had a similar problem? i'm just trying to cover my bases before i bring it in to a mechanic for a look if need be (unfortunately i don't have the tools/know-how/courage/time to troubleshoot a fuel injection problem!)

thanks,
kathryn
ps. by the way, thanks to everyone on the brickboard who helped me out on a wiring harness troubleshoot last summer - i haven't had to get anything fixed on the car since then!