Got me a little bit stuck this one.
It came to me with a suspicion that the immobiliser was giving trouble. There were P1614 codes stored so I checked the reader coil for dryjoints and cleaned the connector. The codes cleared and have not returned, likewise no immobiliser faults showing on the warning lamp.
This made no difference to the symptoms.
There are no fault codes stored.
When I got the car, idle was about 1200rpm. I cleaned the throttle body and performed a re-teach, idle is now correct.
When cold the car fires briefly and then just cranks thereafter. The injectors fire briefly and then they are not driven. The number 1 plug sparks then nothing for a second or two then they all fire in sequence as they should.
On live data, cranking rpm is about 225, coolant and inlet air temperatures are as expected, airflow meter is responding.
Once I can get it going and warmed up it's fine, drives well and will restart promptly.
Now I now these are prone to timing chain problems but if that was the case surely I should expect P0335 or P0340 codes? Is it possible to have poor starting due to timing chain issues before the problem is bad enough to store codes? I will scope cam/crank later but of course once I've got it to start then it will go for the rest of the day. I'll smoke the inlet manifold as well I think.
Any ideas? what am I missing?