Takes Ice Ages For It To Turn Over

[Mike_O]

Hi there.

I woke up to snow this morning (!!!!) and the temperature was about -7C, which is something like 24F.

It took about 10 seconds of running the starter before the engine finally caught. I was wondering what might be causing it to take so long?

It's a 351W 5.8L, 2 barrel carbeurator with a malfunctioning (so I'm told) electric choke. The battery has 540CCA, which is questionable I'm told.

Is it the battery or the choke causing it to take so long to turn over?

[Pesty351]

Is it turning over really slow or normal and just not firing?

[Mike_O]

Is it turning over really slow or normal and just not firing?

It turns over normal speed; it just takes a long time for it to catch.

[Brown_Muscle]

By catch i assume you mean fire? Or the starter motor to catch the flywheel to begin turning the engine over? A malfunctioning electric choke would definitely cause a hard cold start condition. That size battery you have now is around what the car came with stock, an upgrade when it dies wouldn't hurt of course.

[Mike_O]

Thanks for your reply, I figured that was the culprit but again I'm not certain.

I do know it still has 10W30 oil in the crankcase which might be causing the problem, but honestly it didn't even reach -10 overnight.

Do I need to start plugging it in already?

[86VickyLX]

Time to put your engine to bed with an electric blanket and an incandecent light.

It's cold out, the choke should be hooked up. Why was it deemed malfunctioning?

[Mike_O]

It has irregular/intermittent voltage or something crazy.

It definitely runs rough for the first few minutes after starting when it's been off for 8 or more hours. Then, when it heats up, it runs fine.

[Brown_Muscle]

What carb are we talking about here? Does it have a high idle then kicks down or no high idle when you first start it? do you pump the pedal a few times?

[johnunit]

it's a Variable Venturi carb.

Just pump the gas 2-3 times and it should go. If you can get it to fire at all without pumping the gas you're doing better than I am. Also expect to have to feather the throttle to keep it running for a bit (ie give it some throttle, maybe 1/4 to 1/3 throttle). I usually pump the gas twice, crank it with about half throttle, and then use as much throttle as is needed to keep it from stalling. After 10 seconds or so you get to the point where you can leave your foot at a certain throttle position and it will keep running, at which point you start slowly lifting off the throttle to see if it stalls. If it wants to stall, you just give it a bit more throttle again and wait.


That's my procedure, your results may vary. But for sure you'll want to pump the gas a minimum of two times to get it running in cold temps. Like I've said, I've never had to give up but it will be varying degrees of difficult.

I also 100% agree on giving it a block heater or storing it inside if at all possible.

[Brown_Muscle]

You pump it and still have to keep feathering the throttle? it doesn't rev to 1000-1500 rpm's for a few minutes (slowly increasing as it warms up) and then lets you kick it down to the proper idle once its warm? it has never stalled for me, once it has started running, save one time when i tried to take off real quick without warming it up (my bad haha)

Perhaps you high idle(cold start) mechanism is not functioning? The only time that it does not work on a cold start for me is if i fail to pump the pedal. Just a thought

[gadget73]

sounds like the high idle cam and/or choke mechanism is not operating.


Just a note with the chokes on these, unless its been wired open or physically removed, unhooking the electric wire will make the choke not open. That hockey puck is basically a spring with a heater in it. No heat makes the spring shut the choke. You have to add heat in order for the thing to open and run right. If the wire is unhooked and the puck has been spun around to hold the choke open all the time, you'll need to fix that. The choke heater runs off the alternator stator, so it doesn't get 12 volts, it runs about 8 volts or so and its not totally stable. It does this so the choke only gets heat when the engine is running. You can keep the key on until the battery goes dead and the choke won't heat up until the alternator spins. THats actually one thing you have to be aware of when doing a 3g alternator swap on these, the choke wiring. It can be tied in to a 3g though.

[Mike_O]

It already has a block heater, and I can't store it because it's the car I use to get around in!

I just step 1/3 of the way on the gas pedal when starting the car. Last time I tried "pumping" it, the electrical system failed completely.

No tachometer either, so I have no idea the idle speed.

[Mike_O]

I don't remember seeing a hockey puck under the hood at all.

[Brown_Muscle]

lol, it is part of the carb that looks vaguely like a hockey puck...

Your electrical system failed completely ? You definitely need to pump it at least once if it hasn't been run in the past 24 hours, or sooner even depending. Er, i'm at a loss for the electrical failure due to pumping the gas pedal....gadget, ideas?!

You will definitely be hear a difference between high idle and low, its like giving the car 1/8 to 1/4 throttle VS idle.

[Mike_O]

Well, plugging it in overnight and it started immediately. Like, it sensed I wanted it to start and it did so before I turned the key.

....


Well, no, I turned the key.


But yeah, I dunno. My car is silly/haunted/psychotic.