# Will not start in rain **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [November 5, 2008, 4:54pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/will-not-start-in-rain/21673 "2008-11-05T16:54:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![fkrcmarik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@fkrcmarik](https://community.cartalk.com/u/fkrcmarik)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2008, 4:54pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/will-not-start-in-rain/21673/1 "2008-11-05T16:54:44Z")
2000 GMC Savanna Van 5.7 gas. Van sits overnight in rain, it will not start until rain ends. Changed vapor canister, fixed for about 3 months, problem has returned, What next? ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2008, 5:07pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/will-not-start-in-rain/21673/2 "2008-11-05T17:07:12Z")
I would suspect that the insulation on your spark plug wires is cracked and is admitting moisture. ---
**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2008, 5:12pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/will-not-start-in-rain/21673/3 "2008-11-05T17:12:41Z")
Not starting in rain is usually a problem with the ignition system. First place I’d look is the distributor cap…then wires and then the coil. Simple test…when it’s nice and dry outside and the van starts fine…get a spray bottle of water…and start spraying ignition components one at a time…Try to start after you spray each component. The last component you sprayed is the most likely culprit. ---
**Author:** ![Beadsandbeads](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c57346/32.png) [@Beadsandbeads](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Beadsandbeads)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2008, 1:06am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/will-not-start-in-rain/21673/4 "2008-11-06T01:06:45Z")
On a dry, dark night, you might be able to see some sparks if you lift the hood. ---
**Author:** ![ok4450](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ok4450](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ok4450)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2008, 1:20am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/will-not-start-in-rain/21673/5 "2008-11-06T01:20:44Z")
The warm distributor cap is probably absorbing moisture after the engine is shut off and I think the vapor canister is a coincidence. When it does this again remove the dist. cap and see if it’s wet inside. The inside of the cap can attract moisture just like the inside of a warm window on a cold, damp day. You can try spraying the cap down with WD-40 and see what happens. That won’t remove the moisture that’s in there but can prevent it from happening again; at least for a while. ---
**Author:** ![fkrcmarik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@fkrcmarik](https://community.cartalk.com/u/fkrcmarik)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2008, 2:37pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/will-not-start-in-rain/21673/6 "2008-11-13T14:37:51Z")
It is not the ignition. It rained last night, the van would not start this morning unti I took off the gas cap. It started 5 minutes later ---
**Author:** ![JayWB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e480ec/32.png) [@JayWB](https://community.cartalk.com/u/JayWB)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2008, 2:53am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/will-not-start-in-rain/21673/7 "2008-11-14T02:53:17Z")
Okay, I’ll bite. How do you know it’s not the ignition? ---
**Author:** ![ok4450](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ok4450](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ok4450)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2008, 7:18am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/will-not-start-in-rain/21673/8 "2008-11-14T07:18:30Z")
Along with that good question, why did you decide to take off the gas cap?