Dan B

1996 Mercury Mystique, 2.0L fuel injected engine, auto transmission 77k miles (not a typo). Battery is good - car cranks with vigor. Fuel pressure is good - 38 psi (port fuel injected) , new fuel pump & fuel filter. Fuel pressure does not bleed down which might indicate a stuck open fuel injector. MAF & IAC seem good (don't know how to verify it unless a DTC code shows up). After about 5 minutes of attempting to start, it eventually does start poorly. But when it does eventually start, it runs well without misses. No DTCs. OBDII test shows everything working within parameters after the engine starts.

I'm stumped. I would prefer answers from anyone who had a similar problem with their car, not necessarily with the same make and model as mine. I'm not going to spend $800 to fix it, isn't worth that much.

Buddy Hacket told this one many years ago.

A man was ice fishing with absolutely no luck. He did notice that another ice fisherman nearby was doing extremely well. He decided to talk to him and find out his secret.

So, he asks, "How do you catch so many fish? I'm not catching anything."

The successful fisherman mumbles and answer, "Mmmum muum mmmh."

The man doesn't understand a work he said, so he asks again.

The response was the same mumbling answer.

I poor fisherman says, "I'm sorry, I still can't understand you."

So, the successful fisherman spits a big wad of something into his hands as replies, "You gotta keep the worms warm!"