# Truck won't start in rainy Seattle **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** starting\ **Created:** [September 4, 2008, 2:22pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/truck-wont-start-in-rainy-seattle/19094 "2008-09-04T14:22:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![seattle1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecd19e/32.png) [@seattle1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/seattle1)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 2:22pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/truck-wont-start-in-rainy-seattle/19094/1 "2008-09-04T14:22:55Z")
My 2000 Dodge Dakota works great…except in the rain. It will turn over, but won’t start successfully. ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 2:29pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/truck-wont-start-in-rainy-seattle/19094/2 "2008-09-04T14:29:52Z")
Poss. bad/dirty distributor cap/rotor/spark plug wires. I’d replace the cap and clean the wires. ---
**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 2:37pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/truck-wont-start-in-rainy-seattle/19094/3 "2008-09-04T14:37:12Z")
Some ignition part is getting wet…Most likely candidates are the cap or plug wires or coil(s). When it’s nice and dry outside…get a spray bottle of water…spay the electrical components with the water one at a time and then check if the truck has problems starting. The last component you sprayed should be the problem. ---
**Author:** ![common-sense-answer](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/common-sense-answer/32/716_2.png) [@common-sense-answer](https://community.cartalk.com/u/common-sense-answer)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 2:46pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/truck-wont-start-in-rainy-seattle/19094/4 "2008-09-04T14:46:25Z")
Just wondering… Does a Toyota Tacoma have trouble starting in dry weather in North or South Dakota? Sorry about this whole thing, I couldn’t resist. ---
**Author:** ![Docnick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Docnick](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Docnick)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 3:03pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/truck-wont-start-in-rainy-seattle/19094/5 "2008-09-04T15:03:56Z")
Agree. it’s usually the iginition wires/cap. My kid brother had a 1952 Dodge in college. He solved the no start problem by burning the sports section of the paper under the hood with the hood partially closed . It worked, drying the wires out sufficiently for a start . I definitely don’t recommend this cure but it did identify the source of the problem. ---
**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 4:42pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/truck-wont-start-in-rainy-seattle/19094/6 "2008-09-04T16:42:25Z")
Good one. I had to re-read the OP post to get it. ---
**Author:** ![oldschool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e19adc/32.png) [@oldschool](https://community.cartalk.com/u/oldschool)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 5:18pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/truck-wont-start-in-rainy-seattle/19094/7 "2008-09-04T17:18:15Z")
That was good,but we could get carried away with these comparisons.An Outback won’t start in the City. Lets think of some more,I am just wasting time before I must start Algebra homework,needed a laugh. ---
**Author:** ![common-sense-answer](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/common-sense-answer/32/716_2.png) [@common-sense-answer](https://community.cartalk.com/u/common-sense-answer)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 5:39pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/truck-wont-start-in-rainy-seattle/19094/8 "2008-09-04T17:39:56Z")
I had a Toyota Highlander, once. I had to sell it the day after I moved from Denver to Miami. It had to be towed from my driveway. ---
**Author:** ![ok4450](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ok4450](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ok4450)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 6:03pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/truck-wont-start-in-rainy-seattle/19094/9 "2008-09-04T18:03:31Z")
This is usually caused my moisture in the secondary ignition. Heat attracts moisture and what happens is that residual heat from the engine can pull moisture out of the air and condense it on the inside of the distributor cap; much like a sweating window on a damp cold winter day. Remove the cap, dry out any moisture that’s present, and then spray the cap and pluw wires down with a little WD-40 to see if that helps it a bit. ---
**Author:** ![Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/joseph_e_meehan/32/21_2.png) [@Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Joseph_E_Meehan)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 8:16pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/truck-wont-start-in-rainy-seattle/19094/10 "2008-09-04T20:16:28Z")
I’d replace the cap and clean the wires I would replace the cap AND THE WIRES. This is an eight year old car. I suspect those are original wires. In any case if the wires are going to be replaced, I recommend OEM quality wires not the fancy expensive designer wires. The OEM will likely work better and longer and will cost less. However they likely will be boring black and not an exciting yellow. ---
**Author:** ![Docnick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Docnick](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Docnick)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 8:21pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/truck-wont-start-in-rainy-seattle/19094/11 "2008-09-04T20:21:12Z")
My Ford Granada was very tempermental, high in upkeep and sluggish in cold weather. Like the Ford Torino of 1972 (a rust bucket), which lived up to Torino’s native son’s (FIAT) as one of the most bi-degradable cars to reach North American shores. ---
**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 8:59pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/truck-wont-start-in-rainy-seattle/19094/12 "2008-09-04T20:59:53Z")
I wonder what cars WON’T run in Dodge City Kansas. Would a Toyota Camry have problems in Malibu…Especially since GM is calling the new Malibu the new Camry killer.