Just posting this to illicit some comments. Those of you with long memories will remember that for the first two winters after I bought my Jazz my car had an issue with morning starts (despite being garaged overnight) whereby the initial turn over RPM was very low for a half a second or so before picking up to a more sensible cold idle. On a few occasions the engine failed to ignite at all or cut out.
It always started just fine on the second attempt and almost never caused a problem in the evening (despite being parked outside all day).
But this last winter it has been absolutely fine. Started first time and went straight to a sensible RPM. I'm not aware of anything the dealer might have done to it and they always failed to provide an explanation or advice about it. However there is one thing that has changed that might (big '?' about that) be relevant.
It was suggested that relative humidity might be a problem and that I should try running a dehumidifier in my garage. Well..I did almost do that
I already had a dehumidifier that I used when drying clothes indoors. I also occasionally used it in winter to reduce condensation on downstairs windows. I wouldn't say that I had a damp house but when you have double glazing a little condensation is normal I'd say. So this year I decided to run the dehumidifier for the entire winter. It certainly had an effect inside the house because I never had any condensation on internal windows - not even in the corners.
What I'm wondering is if it could actually have dried out the garage as well. I'm sceptical because although the garage is integral to the house there's no access other than the main door. So for the dehumidifier to be the solution to my engine woes it would mean the dehumidifier must have been able to pull moisture through brick walls. I'm sure that's possible with the right equipment because water does move around but this is only a portable dehumidifier.
Thoughts anyone?