Cold weather hard-to-start problem...
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2000
Posts: 12,399
Likes: 247
From: San Jose CA
Cold weather hard-to-start problem...
The 78's been giving me grief starting in cold weather these last couple days. Once it started hitting the high 30's/low 40's at night I've had a real job starting it if it hadn't been started in 24 hours.
Need to hold the pedal wide open and turn the motor for way longer than it should be turned... eventually it'll catch and it needs to run for about 10-seconds at high throttle before it'll idle on its own. Electric choke, carb rebuilt last year.
This is really vexing me.
I don't smell any raw fuel...
-Steve
Need to hold the pedal wide open and turn the motor for way longer than it should be turned... eventually it'll catch and it needs to run for about 10-seconds at high throttle before it'll idle on its own. Electric choke, carb rebuilt last year.
This is really vexing me.
I don't smell any raw fuel...
-Steve
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 2,672
Likes: 1
From: New Cumberland PA
Have you tried to pump the pedal? That should give it a couple of squirts of gas from the accelerator pump.
I have a boat with a big block in it. I owned it for 12 years and have never been able to get it fired up without cranking the starter. I'm sure once I figure out what it needs, the issue will be over.
I have a boat with a big block in it. I owned it for 12 years and have never been able to get it fired up without cranking the starter. I'm sure once I figure out what it needs, the issue will be over.
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 17,102
Likes: 7
From: Fair Oaks, OK
Originally Posted by mandm1200
Have you tried to pump the pedal? That should give it a couple of squirts of gas from the accelerator pump.
Steve, I have a method to starting my car. It has always been cranky when starting, even when it was new and I was very young I can remember parents having a difficult time starting it.
My method works the same way on my car every time:
1) Jump in and floor it, listen for choke to slam closed.
2) Key in, turn on starter, pump pedal 3 times while cranking.
3) After 3rd pump, completely get off of gas pedal, but continue cranking.
4) Aha! She starts!
5) Fiddle with pedal a bit to get it to idling well and let it sit on high idle for a minute.
The whole scenario usually takes about 10 seconds total. I have to crank the car with the starter for about 5 seconds before it fires.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 1,028
Likes: 0
From: San Antonio Texas
yeah, pump the pedal while cranking. it'll catch faster. voice of experience here. 
also, had same problem with having to keep rpms up for a while after starting in cold weather before it would idle on its own. check timing and set to specs AND check to see if choke is CLOSING all the way when cold prior to starting AND check to see if choke unloader is operating. Lars has some good reads on these subjects if you don't know how to do it. send him a private message and he'll send them to you 
also, had same problem with having to keep rpms up for a while after starting in cold weather before it would idle on its own. check timing and set to specs AND check to see if choke is CLOSING all the way when cold prior to starting AND check to see if choke unloader is operating. Lars has some good reads on these subjects if you don't know how to do it. send him a private message and he'll send them to you
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)
Joe Kucinski
Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!
Brett Foote
Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!
Michael S. Palmer
10 Revolutionary 'Corvette Firsts' Most People Don't Know
Joe Kucinski
5 Reasons to Upgrade to an LS6-Powered Corvette; 5 Reasons to Stay LT2
Michael S. Palmer
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2000
Posts: 12,399
Likes: 247
From: San Jose CA
Originally Posted by wombvette
What kind of carb?
Up until the first super-cold night, I haven't had this problem. I used to open the door, tap the pedal lightly twice, crank the ignition for a second and it would fire right up and go to fast idle. Today it turned over, started, ran at a low RPM and then stalled. Shoulda jumped on the pedal to keep it alive then. After that it took forever to start. *sigh* I'll play around with the ideas suggested here. I'm afraid I might be pumping too much gas in and flooding it. Hate having to start it at WOT so often. Takes a couple miles of driving for the idle to smooth out after doing that.
-Steve
