Starting process

Garybreadner · Post by **Garybreadner** » Sat Aug 09, 2014 8:47 am

I'm a very new Series 1 owner and would appreciate any advise on starting process both cold and hot. Do I use choke on and for how long and are they difficult to start easy to flood when hot.
Bit of a basic question , but I also own an Esprit and on that this is a really important learning point!
Thanks for any advise.
Rgds Gary

malcolm · Post by **malcolm** » Sat Aug 09, 2014 9:14 am

I have a series 2, but I think the process is the same! PROVIDING your carbs are in a good state of tune, it's a matter of full choke from cold. With mine, I then go to half choke pretty much straight away, and then to fast tickover (about quarter choke) a few minutes after driving. Choke then off as soon as it runs smothly without it - 5 mins maybe?
From hot, no choke and it starts first time with no throttle or just a little throttle. Being big engines, once hot they take ages to col down, so don't use choke again after driving unless many hours have passed.
I'm no expert, so this is just how my car behaves. I think it's pretty similar to most though
All this depends, of course, on your car being set up properly (carbs, timing etc)

kingzetts · Post by **kingzetts** » Sat Aug 09, 2014 9:14 am

Hi Gary,
I find my 3.8 starts first time when hot with no special measures. When cold it usually starts first time on full choke, unless it has stood for 2 days or longer when it can take a lot of cranking to get it to catch - this is simply due to the inlet tract being completely dry and cold and there being no residual fuel vapour. Perseverance always gets it to start.

When in between hot and cold I start with no choke and then give it a touch if it needs it to idle well.

All this assumes ignition and fuel systems in good condition.

If flooded (which in my experience is hard to do) then cranking on full throttle,no choke will clear it.

Mark Gordon · Post by **Mark Gordon** » Sat Aug 09, 2014 5:54 pm

As the others have said, you will need full choke to start from cold then once warmed up, no choke needed to start. Once the car starts with the choke on, turn down to one half to one third choke until the temp needle starts to move then you should be able to go to full off unless the ambient temperature is cold (around 0 C.). If the ignition is in good shape and the carbs properly tuned, it should fire up immediately whether hot or cold. After sitting for two weeks, mine started up this morning after MAYBE 1/2 second of turning. That's been pretty normal for me.

ALAN COCHRANE · Post by **ALAN COCHRANE** » Sat Aug 09, 2014 6:48 pm

Gary

I'd agree with the previous posts. In addition you will find that if the engine hasn't been started for a lengthy period it's an absolute pig to fire up, often flattening the battery in the process.
I've found that turning it over with no choke and flooring the throttle for say 20 seconds, then using full choke and again flooring the throttle works every time- without flattening the battery.
I can't claim to have discovered this method myself but read it somewhere in this very Forum! Although it seems to run counter to logic, it works!

Cheers

Alan

Garybreadner · Post by **Garybreadner** » Sun Aug 10, 2014 9:03 pm

Guys, thank you all very much for taking time to help me on this. Your advise is much appreciated !

Malc · Post by **Malc** » Tue Aug 12, 2014 8:33 am

Alan - my car has been laid up for about ten weeks due to my garage being extended but I'm going to get it back tomorrow. Which do you think would be the best way of starting it - the full choke or the no choke and flooring the throttle method? I was advised when I bough the car not to floor or pump the throttle when starting from cold - the battery is fully charged and I have a high-torque starter motor fitted. Be nice to get it started so it does spend another ten weeks away from its 'home'!

christopher storey · Post by **christopher storey** » Tue Aug 12, 2014 11:11 am

Pumping the throttle makes not the slightest difference either way, as there are no accelerator pumps on SUs. CMC are great proponents of the full throttle method Alan cites, but I have not found it to work myself on my cars . After a long layoff I spin them over on full choke for 15 second bursts, with 30 second intervals and after perhaps 6 of these I usually get a start

spanish 2+2 · Post by **spanish 2+2** » Tue Aug 12, 2014 12:12 pm

I have always had to start mine on full choke, no matter if the temperatures hot or cold, after about 30 seconds I push it in half way, then after travelling a few miles I gradually push it all the way in.

Moeregaard · Post by **Moeregaard** » Tue Aug 12, 2014 1:16 pm

On any car with SUs, I prefer to use full choke to get the fire started, then reduce it as much as possible while maintaining a fast idle (~1,000 RPM)with my foot until the temperature needle comes off the peg. Getting off the choke as soon as possible leads to far less air pollution and fuel dilution of the engine oil.

Malc · Post by **Malc** » Tue Aug 12, 2014 2:30 pm

I reckon every car has its own preferred way of starting and every owner has as well. I will do my usual of full choke, no throttle and hope!

Malc · Post by **Malc** » Thu Aug 14, 2014 9:10 am

Oh ye of little faith - after 10 - 12 weeks, let electric pump settle, full choke, no throttle, started first go within five seconds! Believe it or not, not even an oil leak.

pmansson · Post by **pmansson** » Fri Sep 05, 2014 11:02 pm

My 3.8 behaves exactly as Christopher says. "long layoff" on my car is >1 week. Not very long at all. My other S1 cars are much easier to start. The 3.8 has been to CMC and they claimed to have sorted this issue. Well, they didn?t.

Post by **1954Etype** » Sat Sep 06, 2014 9:04 am

E types require a lot of choke and no throttle for starting and then, when running, very little until hot. Thats always been my experience.

paydase · Post by **paydase** » Sat Sep 06, 2014 9:49 am

Moeregaard wrote:On any car with SUs, I prefer to use full choke to get the fire started, then reduce it as much as possible while maintaining a fast idle (~1,000 RPM)with my foot until the temperature needle comes off the peg. Getting off the choke as soon as possible leads to far less air pollution and fuel dilution of the engine oil.

Mark,

Do you remove off completely the choke once it is started by compensating with the throttle or do you still have to keep some choke (say one third) for some time before being able to remove it off completely?

On my 3.8, if cold, I can't remove off completely the choke if I try to compensate by maintaining fast idle through the throttle, as the engine becomes unstable.

Also isn't the half (or one third) choke perfectly adapted to run the engine in a cold cylinders head while warming instead of forcing higher revs with a leaner mixture?

Now, everybody, any thoughts on the benefit for the engine to warm-up without any load (to reduce friction and wear) compared to immediately slowly drive the car (apart from pollution issues of course)?

Cheers,

Serge

Moeregaard · Post by **Moeregaard** » Sat Sep 06, 2014 1:31 pm

Serge, being in a warmer climate, I've always been able to get the car started and then keep things running by compensating with the throttle. If I put the car away late at night, there was often enough heat retention that I could light things off in the morning without using the choke. As I mentioned earlier, excessive choke use does contribute to cylinder bore wear, but my primary reason to avoid using it much is that the flexing of the jet diaphragms often lead to fuel leaks. We went through an awful period in the 1980s, when petrol sold in California had additives that dried out the diaphragms and caused premature failure. So, I got in the habit of not using the choke whenever possible.

Mark,

Do you remove off completely the choke once it is started by compensating with the throttle or do you still have to keep some choke (say one third) for some time before being able to remove it off completely?

On my 3.8, if cold, I can't remove off completely the choke if I try to compensate by maintaining fast idle through the throttle, as the engine becomes unstable.

Also isn't the half (or one third) choke perfectly adapted to run the engine in a cold cylinders head while warming instead of forcing higher revs with a leaner mixture?

Now, everybody, any thoughts on the benefit for the engine to warm-up without any load (to reduce friction and wear) compared to immediately slowly drive the car (apart from pollution issues of course)?

Cheers,

Serge[/quote]

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The 'E' Type Forum

Starting process

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