Setup:
1998 honda prelude base model
AEM short ram intake
megan racing header
greddy power extreme axle back (b pipe was hangin too low and scraped on bumps)
VAFC2 (un-tuned)
OBX oil catch can (between intake manifold and PCV valve)


so my car has trouble staring up under certain conditions. if i have let the car sit for a long time and it is cool outside, or if the car was only shut off a couple minutes ago, the car will start up just fine. if the engine isn't cooled down, or if its a warm day out (more than 70-ish), then the motor seems to have a lot of trouble starting up. the starter cranks over, but it sounds like a flooded motor or something. i think i might have a leaking injector or something thats flooding a cylinder, it makes sense in that when the motor is warm the fuel pressure pushes fuel through the faulty injector. but my spark plugs look fine and wouldn't a faulty injector throw a CEL? anyways, i have checked the following:
spark plugs all look normal/same
distributor cap and rotor look normal
cleaned out EGR ports
replaced fuel injector gaskets/seals
i don't burn through too much oil, maybe a quart every 1000-1500 miles or so
car seems to have a little hesitation around 3000 rpms, almost like i lifted my foot off the throttle a little
i still get around 28-30 mpg

things that i plan on doing soon:
compression check
IACV

any input or comments appreciated!

 

Heres a couple of ideas the hesitation at 3000 could be due to the VAFC2 not being tuned but that doesn't explain the hard starts, have you checked the fuel pressure? possible clogged filter, even poor quality or contaminated gas. Have you verified spark at the plugs, and that the plug wires are good. myself as well as a couple others i know have had issues with ignitor units going bad due to old age or a wire short.

 

how canb you test for a bad wire? or do you just have to go buy new ones and hope it fixes the problem? i am getting spark at the plugs if thats what you are asking...

and my car had this problem long before the VAFC made its way into the car. i was hoping to use the VAFC the lean out the motor (i hate how rich preludes run!)

i was told by a honda tech that the fuel filter should not cause any starting preoblems, but the car does have 140k on it. do you guys think this is the problem, or does anyone have any experience with problems from a bad filter?

 

well if your gettin spark the wires probably o.k. 140K isn't bad I got 221K on an original motor no rebuild...yet. did you do the compression test, and how did that go? any strange noises on initial start-up grinding, squelling, rattling, and on start-up it revs to around 2 grand untill warmed up?