I have a 1993 Del Sol Si, D16Z6 with an automatic transmission.

I've rebuilt the entire engine with only 3000 miles on it, but all the ignition parts aside from the sparkplugs have about 118,000 miles on them.

Today, I encountered a problem I've been having for a while: the car doesn't want to start. I don't quite understand. I don't have any check engine light, so it's not a fuel problem, and it's not an electronic/power problem, because it tries and tries to turn over. It's like the car won't spark. All the spark plugs are still good. Any ideas or places where I could start to try and isolate the problem?

I've tired the method of flooring the accelerator and it works sometimes. I have to hold it at about 3000 RPMS for a few seconds, otherwise it will stall out, idling at about 200 RPMS, which seems awfully low and it's really rough. After I hold it in, and keep it from dropping too low and getting rough by tapping the pedal, it goes back to normal. I've thought of the Idle Air Control valve, but I've never heard of that causing starter problems.

 

Have the wires, cap and rotor been closely inspected (such as wire wells in the cap and the carbon on inside of the cap)?