Manual choke

[Noxious89123]

Choke fully on, tiniest bit of pressure on the throttle. Will fire first time ;] Both my bikes were like this.

Leaving the choke fully open when the engine is warm will make it run like a dog too. You don't need the choke on to warm the engine up, merely to start it.

So once your started and moving, push it all the way in.

[minigirl]

So once your started and moving, push it all the way in.

[Guest]

Choke fully on, tiniest bit of pressure on the throttle. Will fire first time ;] Both my bikes were like this.

Leaving the choke fully open when the engine is warm will make it run like a dog too. quote]

Have you ever seen a greyhound run?
Smooth, fluid and very fast.

[sarahjane113]

Yes i suppose my mini does need a service. Took me ages to start this morning as Ive been on holiday for a week. I hope it starts after work.

[retrofiesta]

hiya, i have just bought a 1989 ford fiesta, only my 2nd car, been driving only for 2 months...anyway this car has a manual choke which im strugging with.
i have read all the threads i can find, and they're all saying that with the choke pulled out fully, it should start...
my car wont start properly with the manual choke, it turns over, but struggles to 'catch' and when it does, its a real job keeping it going!
i takes about half an hour to start first thing in the morning!
all i want to do is to be able to start and drive when i need to!

ANY HELP APPRECIATED!!

[Guest]

try just a little choke - i.e. pulled out only slightly. in warm weather u may not need it at all.

[sarahjane113]

Oh dear poor you yes I know the feeling. I was sat for ages trying to start my mini this morning too. I had the choke right out but it took aobut 8 tries this morning to start then i had quite a job to keep it going and stalled a few times. Once its warmed up its ok just cant get it going when its cold.

[machanic]

I don't understand the problems with the chokes. A full choke (pulled out all the way) should keep a car running until it warms.

[Guest]

hiya, i have just bought a 1989 ford fiesta, only my 2nd car, been driving only for 2 months...anyway this car has a manual choke which im strugging with.
i have read all the threads i can find, and they're all saying that with the choke pulled out fully, it should start...
my car wont start properly with the manual choke, it turns over, but struggles to 'catch' and when it does, its a real job keeping it going!
i takes about half an hour to start first thing in the morning!
all i want to do is to be able to start and drive when i need to!

ANY HELP APPRECIATED!!

I think it must be a female thing, I got a 1988 fiesta and its giving me major headaches in the mornings too. I flooded mines this morning at a roundabout and struggled like hell to get it going again,what an embarrassment!! A lottery win would help!!!

[sarahjane113]

Maybe, but I do pull the choke out and it still takes ages to start. Stalling at a junction is always a headache for me, happened the other night just near work and took ages to start again so I got a lot of cross people beeping at me as the traffic lights went back to red. Did feel really silly and embarassed

[Minifan]

Don't fall into the trap of thinking that just because your car won't start, you always need to pull the choke out. If it stalls at a red light once it has warmed up a bit, it might be because you are giving it too much choke and flooding it.


The point is that the engine runs on a mixture of petrol and air, which the spark plugs ignite and make it explode, which is how the engine runs. When the engine is cold it needs more petrol in the mixture, which is what pulling out the choke does.

The same problem can occur even when the engine is cold, if you keep trying to start it repeatedly with the choke out, because more and more petrol is pumped into the engine every time you try, and wet unburnt fuel gets all over the spark plugs.

The solution is to leave it for a minute or two (difficult I know if you are late for work, or stalled and holding up traffic) then try to start it with the choke in and your foot right down on the accelerator.

A useful thing to know is that if the choke is only a little way out, it doesn't increase the fuel in the mixture but just makes the engine run a bit faster. So as the engine begins to warm up, gradually push the choke in, and you should find the right amount to stop the engine stalling and also avoid flooding it when you stop at a red light.

Hope that helps with the stalling thing, although I can't explain why sarahjane's mini takes eight tries to start, and retrofiesta's car takes half an hour

By the way sarahjane, how old is your mini - I know they haven't made the proper ones for some time and it can't be one of the flash bmw ones as they don't have a manual choke - so it must be on its way to becoming a classic car!

[sarahjane113]

Hi Mini Fan, Thanks for your help. My mini isnt always that bad altho it hates wet mornings. Its a 1967 mini cooper which I love to bits other than when it doesnt start in the mornings lol.

[Greg39]

Hi Mini Fan, Thanks for your help. My mini isnt always that bad altho it hates wet mornings. Its a 1967 mini cooper which I love to bits other than when it doesnt start in the mornings lol.

If it hates wet mornings try cleaning the HT leads from the spark plugs to the distributor cap...I think you can even buy a spray to inhibit damp on these (once they've been cleaned)...not sure how effective the spray is, best to ensure leads are clean and dry to ensure best chance of starting and smooth running especially when the engine is cold.

[minigirl]

Hi Mini Fan, Thanks for your help. My mini isnt always that bad altho it hates wet mornings. Its a 1967 mini cooper which I love to bits other than when it doesnt start in the mornings lol.

If it hates wet mornings try cleaning the HT leads from the spark plugs to the distributor cap...I think you can even buy a spray to inhibit damp on these (once they've been cleaned)...not sure how effective the spray is, best to ensure leads are clean and dry to ensure best chance of starting and smooth running especially when the engine is cold.

i hadn't thought of asking how old the car was - i had just assumed that it was a "real" mini.....

if it's only problem in wet weather, then probably using that water dispersant spray would work. i remember using it quite often in wet weather when i had an old mini a fair few years ago. i just sprayed a little wd40 on the distributor and a quick squirt inside the distributor cap and it seemed to work pretty well.

if it happens in all sorts of weather, maybe the leads need replaced (they don't last forever), the cap might need replaced (it could be cracked) or the points might need replaced (and if there's evidence of arcing at the points - pitting on one face and a build up of metal on the other - the capacitor is probably on the way out too). then on the other hand maybe the carburettor is out of adjustment.

whatever it is, it's not going to get better by itself, it's probably going to get worse, so it would be better to get it fixed now.

[sarahjane113]

Thanks for all the advice. I have booked it in for a service in a couple of weeks time so maybe that will help. It was a bit better this morning, started after 4 tries so I dont mind too much.