Following a 90K mile service and tune-up, my '93 Impreza has become extremely difficult to start cold. It cranks well, but does not "fire." It takes up to a dozen or more tries to get it to fire and it then runs extremely ragged, sometimes dying frequently, until the fast idle picks up. The engine then runs well. Once up to temperature, there is no difficulty in starting. I have had it in the shop twice now, each time coming out with the Check Engine Light reset and the problem supposedly "fixed." By the time I get to the house, the light is back on and when started cold, I'm back to square one. Any suggestions/ideas? I'm focusing in on the MAS or the engine coolant temperature sensor.

 

first off it was was plugs and wires, the platinum plugs in 2.5 and 2.0 are like $10 a peice. and the wires for 2.5 (ej20 don't have separate wires) run about $80 for ngk replacements.
about your problem though, has anyone checked the coolant temp sensor yet? that could be it. or maybe the fuel filter, but the fuel filter would probably cause more problems than just at startup. if you go to a dealer again, ask them exactly what the CEL was, and how to fix it. ask about the possibilty of the coolant temp sensor. just a guess.

-PJ