All reply's are welcome but i know jug knows everything about bravo's so here goes.

Car - 99 1.6 16v bravo.

Problem 1 - It struggles starting from cold. After i turn the key the revs idle erratically for a couple of seconds and then rests at the normal idle. If i give it a few revs just as i turn the key everything is ok but i don't like doing this as the engine is still cold.
A few days ago i had it up on a hydraulic lift to check underneath the car and for a few start-ups afterwards it started up perfectly but now it's got worse than before, as if not enough fuel is flowing or the auto-choke is taking a few seconds to adjust. Could it be a sensor?

Problem 2 - Don't know if this is anything to do with problem 1 but the first few times i accelerate in 1st gear from start-up the car judders. Every other gear is ok and it's only the first couple of times i accelerate that it judders. Is it the clutch or some clutch components going?

Last but not least, is changing the sump on a bravo easy, and what's the best gasket/sealant to use?

As always any reply's are welcome, thanks.

lets not make my head swell, i'm only on here so much because i've got nothing better to do. i'm hardly the bravo king

what rpm does it settle at on a cold start? and a warm start?
does it start easier once warm? does it do the erratic idle thing for a couple of seconds on a warm start?

as its a 1.6 i'd guess its the idle speed control, which is very common. try cleaning the passageway out where the actuator sits, and clean the actuator pin, and also clean inside the throttle body.

removing the sump bolts should be easy enough, then it usually takes a lot of force to get the sump off. on some cars you need to loosen off the gearbox bolts to get the sump off, i'm not sure about the 1.6 bravo. when refitting use the correct sump gakset (cheap from motorfactor), apply a layer of oil to both sides of the gasket to make sure you get a good seal. iirc its a 1 piece gasket so you dont need any other sealants or adhesives.

out of curiosity, what happens if you turn the key to the on position, where you can hear the pump prime.... then turn back to off then turn to the on position again so it primes and then start. Does it start any better?

Thanks for the replies,

@ jug - the rpm settles at the correct idling rpm from cold (1150rpm) or warm starts, although it does start better when warm. I'll try cleaning the areas you listed at the weekend to see if it makes a difference.

@ bridges - i've just tried it this way and it starts up perfectly. Have you had this problem yourself?

No, was thinking the pump is low on pressure. Or a fuel filter is getting slightly blocked and thus causing low pressure at the rail. As you leave overnight most petrol drains back to tank. This means pump has to get it all the way back to the engine. Hence why I got you to prime the pump twice. When a pump pick up gets blocked often you hear the pump bieng more noisy, cheapest option might be to renew fuel filter as they are a service item anyway and take from there.

Well since my last post it's been starting up perfectly, so i've not done anything while it's like this, i just hope it stays this way.

I would've changed the fuel filter when i replace the sump and oil filter. I've bought it ready except later models do not have an in-line fuel filter, they have one fitted inside the fuel tank which does'nt really get replaced. So if anybody wants a very cheap fuel filter for earlier model 1.6's send me a PM.