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| Cold Starting Secrets? https://www.ausmini.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=66224 |
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| Author: | Irish Yobbo [ Sun Oct 10, 2010 9:19 am ] |
| Post subject: | Cold Starting Secrets? |
Hey all, Just wondering if anyone out there has developed a way of getting a mini to start easily on a cold morning. My 998 takes ages to start when cold. It's great when it's a warm day - perhaps 2-3 cranks to get it going. Bu when it's cold, it's terrible! Yeah, I know, it's an old car, it will never be the same as a modern one etc. but just wondering if anyone has any ideas. I think the starter gets more use in one winter than most starters would for their entire life. I've also noticed that it doesn't like to start with the choke out, either partially or fully. To start cold I usually need to take the choke out perhaps 1/3, crank it while pumping the accelerator, and once it starts up pull the choke out to bring it to idle speed. A little strange... |
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| Author: | GT mowog [ Sun Oct 10, 2010 9:26 am ] |
| Post subject: | |
Hmmm......I'd be having a very good long look at the ignition system and do a compression test. |
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| Author: | Irish Yobbo [ Sun Oct 10, 2010 9:32 am ] |
| Post subject: | |
Did a compression test just last week :) The car runs great otherwise - I took it in to get tuned last week at Willsons Automotive, the mini specialists here in tassie. They commented on how good the condition of the motor was. Having said that, though, they did say something about further tuning the dizzy. I'll be in there some time to pick up some parts, but I suppose that could be something to look at. It's a '78 clubby, and there's no vac advance. Is this unusual? The advance opening is used for a valve-saver bottle. |
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| Author: | Morris 1100 [ Sun Oct 10, 2010 11:02 am ] |
| Post subject: | |
Pull the choke out. 
My car starts first go every morning. It is a worn out 1100 that has never been touched since it left the factory 44 years ago. I am running a Pulsar distributor and a Gemini starter and they do help but it used to start well with the Lucas distributor and starter. The main thing is to tune the car properly and keep it maintained. |
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| Author: | Irish Yobbo [ Sun Oct 10, 2010 11:39 am ] |
| Post subject: | |
Quote: Pull the choke out. :wink:
I knew someone would say that... I'm asking now because I just got it tuned, and I hoped that would solve the problem. But no. Being in Tassie the mornings are pretty cold, though. |
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| Author: | Morris 1100 [ Sun Oct 10, 2010 12:26 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
The mornings here are as cold as Tassie but with a wider spread. I get a range of -7° to +45° I would be looking at the distributor and the lack of vacuum advance. |
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| Author: | Lillee [ Sun Oct 10, 2010 1:45 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
Things to consider so you can start up first time everytime: 1) Electronic ignition to replace points, or replace old/worn points, gap properly etc 2) replace lucas starter with a gemini one 3) replace battery with a big CCA battery, as big as will fit into the box. I have a 550CCA |
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| Author: | Mick [ Sun Oct 10, 2010 1:49 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
I thought it was where you holding your tongue firmly in the cheek, and twisting the key really hard in the ignition? |
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| Author: | simon k [ Sun Oct 10, 2010 1:49 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
just check that the choke is actually pulling the jet down far enough - or at all there are 2 stages to the choke linkage, the first is a fast idle, the second is the richening by pushing the jet down. |
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| Author: | Irish Yobbo [ Sun Oct 10, 2010 2:22 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
I have electronic ignition, but I haven't tried with a big battery. As far as the choke is concerned, when it is pulled out all the way, it just won't start, it's too rich. On a normal day, about 1/2-1/3 choke usually works fine. On cold mornings, it doesn't appreciate the choke at all. I think I usually take the choke out enough for the fast idle to start it, but any jet lowering seems to just kill it. |
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| Author: | mickmini [ Sun Oct 10, 2010 6:43 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
I lived in Tassie for 2 years and never had a problem starting mine with choke on a few cranks and away she goes. I did make it harder on myself because the choke cable had snapped, but I just jammed it open with the cap off a pen and let it warm up before removing the cap and driving off. I was starting out at 5.30 am to get to work for 6am start in winter so it was "fresh" as the locals like to say 
sounds like you have a problem as others above have described. cheers michael |
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| Author: | drmini in aust [ Sun Oct 10, 2010 7:05 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
Which SU is it, if an HIF the problem may be internal. |
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| Author: | simon k [ Sun Oct 10, 2010 7:11 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
something's rooted - could be all sorts of things, but wilsons, or whoever tuned it should be able to work it out, they're not that complex |
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| Author: | Irish Yobbo [ Sun Oct 10, 2010 7:24 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
Yep, they mentioned something about the dizzy when I brought it there, but I picked it up late and didn't have a chance to talk to them about it. I'm picking up some parts soon, I'll talk to them later. Well, looks like it is a genuine problem - sometimes it's hard to tell... |
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| Author: | Drexxle [ Sun Oct 10, 2010 7:24 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
get BALLISTIC to pop over and have a look for you, tassie cant be that big, sure he will go for an Aspargas Targa Run. |
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