Average cranking time before start?
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 14,165
Likes: 9
Average cranking time before start?
Every now and then somebody posts a thread about abnormally long cranking times as they have a problem. I've seen one or two people though make mention of what I thought were insanely long cranking times, especially for stock cars, but they didn't have a problem. They acted like this was perfectly normal.
With a heavily modified car conventional wisdom states that the tune might not be completely perfect and might lead to a longer cranking time as well. I was just thinking about it on my car though and I realize that it always starts in >1 second. I haven't actually measured it but it SOUNDS like the engine just hits the second compression stroke from a dead stop before it fires. For all my modifications the car starts just as well if not better than it did when I bought it, just kinda strikes me as odd.
How long do you have to crank on your car before it starts?
With a heavily modified car conventional wisdom states that the tune might not be completely perfect and might lead to a longer cranking time as well. I was just thinking about it on my car though and I realize that it always starts in >1 second. I haven't actually measured it but it SOUNDS like the engine just hits the second compression stroke from a dead stop before it fires. For all my modifications the car starts just as well if not better than it did when I bought it, just kinda strikes me as odd.
How long do you have to crank on your car before it starts?
Team Owner
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 27,818
Likes: 8
From: CT
My car had this, didn't have it, had it, and didn't have it.
BONE stock, it took an ETERNITY for it to fire. Then the 383 from Lingenfelter went in, and it was like my mothers honda...two rotations and it fired right up.
Several tuning issues put my patience and sanity out the window...so I had a DFI 7 SEFI box installed. It never fired as easily as the stock ecm done by LPE. Sometimes it'd take ridiculously long cranking time to fire. The shop that installed it blamed it on the super ram being a large "combustion chamber"
YEUH....I know of four of five super ram'd big cube engines(stock ecm mind you) that fire quickly.
This will be a tough one to figure out. It could be fuel pressure, the pump, dirty injectors etc, etc. LOL I get the shivers thinking about what COULD be.....as good as these cars are, it is one MO FO of a time figuring the problems out at times.
GOOD LUCK
BONE stock, it took an ETERNITY for it to fire. Then the 383 from Lingenfelter went in, and it was like my mothers honda...two rotations and it fired right up.
Several tuning issues put my patience and sanity out the window...so I had a DFI 7 SEFI box installed. It never fired as easily as the stock ecm done by LPE. Sometimes it'd take ridiculously long cranking time to fire. The shop that installed it blamed it on the super ram being a large "combustion chamber"
YEUH....I know of four of five super ram'd big cube engines(stock ecm mind you) that fire quickly.This will be a tough one to figure out. It could be fuel pressure, the pump, dirty injectors etc, etc. LOL I get the shivers thinking about what COULD be.....as good as these cars are, it is one MO FO of a time figuring the problems out at times.
GOOD LUCK
Racer
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 434
Likes: 0
From: Santa Barbara Minnesota
Originally Posted by C4Crazy787
My Vette starts the same way, hit the starter and bam!! is running. The Jeep... well thats a different story.
Race Director
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 13,298
Likes: 14
From: Somers NY
Mine starts up same as yours 1 sec .. even if its been sitting for 2 weeks.. however its STOCK except for the 1.6RR
Now take Ralphs 406 single plane intake, solid roller cam.. etc.. & its takes a 1 or 2 hits before it gets running..but thats when its dead cold.. after its warm it starts instant..
Now take Ralphs 406 single plane intake, solid roller cam.. etc.. & its takes a 1 or 2 hits before it gets running..but thats when its dead cold.. after its warm it starts instant..
Safety Car
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 3,655
Likes: 24
From: Charleston SC
All three of my motors have started with in 2 sec. The first (Bone stock 120K) had a problem when I first got it (bad FP) but after repalcingit the car started like a champ, same with the 2nd motor (rebuilt 350 ported heads LT4 HC while the 383 was being built), and the Stroker both fire right away.
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Instructor
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 139
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From: South Cave, Brough East Yorkshire
re: crank times
Hi there.
Stock 86 Auto, 150k - no major mods except no egr or cats.
Used to start up instantly cold but took a few secs if warm, if it had been left a while (like 1/2 hr upwards).
Did an intake job on it to cure some leaks and put in new injectors - and it started 1st go, 2nd crank everytime hot or cold.
Now about 2k l8r, its taking a good second b4 it fires cold - and hot it splutters into life after about 5 secs if i`m lucky - dunno wot`s up...
Gonna have to look into it b4 it lets me down....
l8rz,
Dom
Stock 86 Auto, 150k - no major mods except no egr or cats.
Used to start up instantly cold but took a few secs if warm, if it had been left a while (like 1/2 hr upwards).
Did an intake job on it to cure some leaks and put in new injectors - and it started 1st go, 2nd crank everytime hot or cold.
Now about 2k l8r, its taking a good second b4 it fires cold - and hot it splutters into life after about 5 secs if i`m lucky - dunno wot`s up...
Gonna have to look into it b4 it lets me down....
l8rz,
Dom
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 17,298
Likes: 33
From: The Top of Utah
Originally Posted by Total Recall
Now about 2k l8r, its taking a good second b4 it fires cold - and hot it splutters into life after about 5 secs if i`m lucky - dunno wot`s up...
RACE ON!!!
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 6,341
Likes: 1
From: Shelton CT
Mine takes about 2-3 seconds of cranking to start if the car is cold, but this only started once I physically cut out the 9nth injector wiring out of the harness.
When she is warm, it takes under a second. Almost instantly.
When she is warm, it takes under a second. Almost instantly.
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 35,065
Likes: 0
From: Bergen County, NJ Democrats, doing for the country what they did for Michigan
When the car sits for a couple weeks, it may take 2 or 3 seconds, otherwise, it's bump the key starting. I keep all my motors that way.
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 40,156
Likes: 45
From: San Pedro CA
Since I installed the LTCC, start time has increased a touch, but no more than 2~3 seconds... max.
A good friend of mine was at Dodge School (he works as an A-line tech at a Dodge dealer). They were learning about the new HEMI. However, the instructor said that Ford is working on a motor without a starter and without camshafts.
Using some form of servo to activate the valves, the starting process would be dependant on very sophisticated crank sensors so the engine computer could find which cylinder is nearest to TDC, fire it, and BAM! Engine started.
A good friend of mine was at Dodge School (he works as an A-line tech at a Dodge dealer). They were learning about the new HEMI. However, the instructor said that Ford is working on a motor without a starter and without camshafts.
Using some form of servo to activate the valves, the starting process would be dependant on very sophisticated crank sensors so the engine computer could find which cylinder is nearest to TDC, fire it, and BAM! Engine started.
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 17,298
Likes: 33
From: The Top of Utah
Originally Posted by bogus
Using some form of servo to activate the valves, the starting process would be dependant on very sophisticated crank sensors so the engine computer could find which cylinder is nearest to TDC, fire it, and BAM! Engine started.
RACE ON!!!
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 2,784
Likes: 3
From: Atlanta GA
Originally Posted by Perfusion
My L98 took a couple turns to start, but my LT4 explodes to life the second the key is turned! 
The second the key hits ignition the LT4 is running like a champ. Cant even hear the motor rotate once without it turning over. Its instant, I love it.