two problems with zx2

[thinksnow]

Hi all,
Im new to the site. My son just got his first car, a 99 ZX2 he bought off my uncle for $500. It has a few problem we are trying to solve. The car doesn't always like to start, especially in the cold. When its warm out it will start on the second or third try. The idol is a little rough. If it is cold out you have to work the pedal to keep in running until it warms up. From what I can figure it could be a dirty MAF sensor, a bad TPS, a clogged EGR. I guess I will check all three and see where that gets me. Does anyone else have any othere ideas?

The other problem is this high pitched sqealing noise that is coming from the engine, almost like a chirping belt sound but its not the belts. This started about a week ago. It comes and goes for a second or two every 5 to 10 seconds until the engine gets hot then it stops. I'm starting to think it might be a bearing starting to go bad. It seems to be coming from the driver side of the motor, opposite the belt. There is a black plastic housing in the side of the block with a sensor on top, the upper radiator hose also goes into this housing. The sounds seems to be coming from this area but I can't seem to pin point it. Any ideas?

Thanks for your help.

[savo]

I bet $1 that it is the Cam Synchronize.

[ZX2Fast]

How old are the spark plugs? What type of spark plugs does it have? How old is the fuel filter? That 'black thing' with the sensor on top is the thermostat housing. Does the squeal go away if you give it a little gas? When the squeal starts, remove the oil filler cap. If air rushes in then you need to replace the PCV inlet filter on top of the valve cover, opposite of the filler cap. Check the elbows on both ends of the PCV line for damage. This is also a common cause of stalling, high idles, rough running, etc.

[Joe01ZX2]

I had a high pitched noise that I couldn't figure out for a long time and if you take off the oil filler cap, it releases pressure and the squealing stops, you need to replace the crankcase breather filter. It's the black circle thing on the valve cover that has a hose that runs into the air intake housing. The factory filter can't be bought at Advanced or Autozone. You can buy the universal breather at Advanced for $10. You can just remove the other parts and mount the filter right on the valve cover opening. If you want to keep it stock, you will have to go the dealer..

[Ford Man 59]

Do you have a check engine light? If you do have the codes checked, that should help you find your idling problem. Have you tested the idle air control valve? It may be bad or need cleaning.