Hi everyone,

I've just started experiencing a problem on cold starts with my car's idle. It is a 1994 C280 with approx 80K miles. It can sometimes sit for 5 days without being started, and the temperature at night has dropped to the low to mid 30's. When I turn the key the car turns over as quickly as it always does, and the motor starts immediately. After 3 or 4 seconds it just dies. When I start the car again, right away, it starts without problem and does not cut out on me. This doesn't happen on warm starts, and did not happen on cold starts during the recent warmer temperatures where it was only going in to the high 40s at night. It doesn't happen if the car sees use every day or two, even on a cold start when it has been cooler at night.

Any ideas? If it was a carbureted car I would guess it was something to do with the choke. But I don't understand computerized fuel injection anywhere near as well.

Jonathan