1992 Prelude Cold Starting Problem (White Smoke)

I've been having some problems over the past few years with my 1992 Honda
Prelude not liking to start as the weather gets colder. In the
Spring/Summer/Early Fall (Vancouver, Canada), I never have problems with it
starting. However as the weather starts to cool down and the car is sitting
(overnight for example) it is a real struggle getting it to start. It's
only Fall now, so I'm worried that by winter I'll be lucky if I can get it
going at all.

In the past 2 years I've had a tune-up, new battery, new fuel filter, new
thermostat & upper radiator hose, and a new oxygen sensor done on the
vehicle. Each time, it seems to be starting better, although I am inclined
to think that maybe the weather was just getting warmer once they finished
the work so it would have started fine anyway. Bottom line, it's still
having the problem now that the cold weather is starting, so I am still
stuck with it.

When I try to start it, it cranks over fine (not slow or anything) and it
usually starts to cough and sputter a little (like it's really close to
starting but it just can't quite make it). At that point, depending on how
much it was sputtering, I get a cloud of WHITE SMOKE coming from the under
hood on the driver side (right below the windshield). If I leave it for a
minute or so and then play around a little more, it eventually starts up.
Once it starts up, it runs totally fine. In fact, the wierd part, is that
once I've got it started, there's no more problems starting at all. I can
shut it off, start it again, drive around for as long as I need to; it will
start up instantly everytime. It's only when I leave it for a long period
of time (overnight typically) and it's cold that it has big troubles.

Any ideas at all? Specifically the white smoke seems to be a flag about
something. I just don't know what it is.

Thanks,

Ryan


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Since it's never really COLD in Vancouver area, the part in your owner's
manual about "high altitude / extreme cold weather starting" probably
doesn't apply to you, but have you ever tried it?

Do you hear your fuel pump run for a second or two when you put the key
to position II? If not, with key on II, try smacking the dash on the
left side of the steering wheel to see if you hear it run. If that
works, search this group for the MAIN RELAY fix.

When it does (eventually) start, you said it started great. No
sputtering, belching smoke for a few seconds ? ?

'Curly'