For the past 6 months I've been haunted with this intermittent start issue. My mechanic has replaced quite a few parts, distributor, fuel pump and I read about the main relay, and replaced that. Lo and behold, it will start and run just fine, and suddenly won't start. I get spark. It seems to be fuel related.

Once it has started I can drive at around and it has always restarted when I come out from the store.

It seems to be...
When the car sits for awhile, especially over night
Humidity related. I think every time it has occurred it has been raining or about to rain, but then again, I do live in Florida where humidity is always high. But still...

I thought my mechanic had replaced the fuel filter. I checked my receipts and don't see one for the filter. The car has relatively low miles (105,000) and it sat for a long time before I purchased it. The previous owner was an elderly man who didn't drive it far or much. I have bought a new filter but haven't found anyone to install it yet because of it's horrible location (and probably why my mechanic didn't do it-guy doing side jobs at his house. I doubt that he had the tools required so he blew it off and ?
Any suggestions beyond the fuel filter? Could the fuel filter be causing the problem? Any help is appreciated.

 

I highly doubt it is the fuel filter......I ran a 5th gen to almost 300K and never even messed with it.

Can I ask about the health of the normal tune up items - cap, rotor, spark plugs?

 

They have all been replaced within the past two months...new distributor, rotor, spark plugs, wires, fuel pump, main relay and last week, unrelated, a new thermostat.

It really seems to be fuel related. There is spark. Yesterday, it wouldn't start. Today it did.

 

Intermittants are the worst to find/fix. I only say that, as you have to wait until it acts up before you can really diagnos it.
I'm guess that the engine turns over, but won't catch. So, the next time it acts up, you'll need to see if you can hear the fuel pump run, and check to see if you have power coming out of the main relay, and if you have power to the injectors. That should get you started.