Cold start issues...

[petroscf]

Well, many of you may laugh with what I am now going to call COLD MORNING!! But in Greece it really is...
Recently, SOME cold reached us down here...7.00 in the morning it was about 4~6 celsius. Today it was higher (8 degrees) but for the weekend a significant-even 10 degrees less!!-fall is awaited...
These mornings I had problems starting the car with the choke on: (solex carb-from factory, but very well cared after, really!!!) I did the process all right, and, when the car started and it started increasing rpm, at about 1500 rpm I could hear a weird "bofff" noise-from the exhaust I think, and the rpm would fall again, giving an idea that the engine would turn off, so I pressed the accelerator to give it some rpm: Then rpm increased but not easily, and after I heard another two of these sounds...
After I managed to give (by pressing the pedal) around 2000 rpm, then everything was normal (although the car was still cold)

I think this has something to do with humidity-or water-in exhaust???

Can anyone help?

[e21-Mark]

Fit that nice Weber you've got sat waiting!

[petroscf]

You think that it's a Solex problem?

[petroscf]

Mark, if you really think that, then I am going to fit the weber as soon as possible..

[e21-Mark]

I just think that it's pointless spending money on getting the Solex sorted when you have a Weber & manifold waiting to go on anyway.

I had the same thing with my 2000 touring a couple of weeks ago. I just paid £120 and bought a single choke replacement carb and now it runs like clockwork.

[petroscf]

well, my mechanic seems to have so much fallen in love with my car, that he has personal opinions on what to do with it...

[petroscf]

Today (11 degrees at 7 in the morning, so not that cold) I had similar (1 1/2 first minutes) problems, only I was "prepared" and was pressing down the accelerator-to the floor- while turning the key and until the car reached 2000 rpm, so the car, after starting, had the known difficulty in increasing rpm, I heard about 2 or 3 times that sound (something like "boff") from the exhaust, and then, as if everything was cleared out when the engine reached 2000+(or as if water in the exhaust was thrown away??that was the feeling) I left the accelerator and the car was idling nice and smooth, and no problems in reving-althought it was still cold!!!

Could this problem be just a humid distributor (sorry, I am not sure if this is the right term, I mean the electrical part where 5 cables start from), and not the carburettor???...I 'll try to use a contact spray on it tomorrow morning before starting the car and see if I have the same results...

[Thegs]

Sounds like typical choke problems of a Solex carb. Do you have an automatic choke? I have a 320/6 which had a Solex carb as well. Had kind of the same problems with cold start, not picking up revs, had to keep te car running with the pedal.

With this I had the common Solex 4a1 problems with accelerating and everething so I changed it recently with a Weber 38 DGAS carb and a manual choke.

My expirience is that is was money well spend! Cold starts are working as normal, acceleration is great, it just made my car much more fun!

[petroscf]

Yes I have the factory fitted SOLEX DIDTA 32/32 with automatic choke (engine is M10 1.6)
And Mark can ensure you I also have (sitting in my house) a WEBER 28/36 (manual choke) and a manifold from a 316 1.8 (as the weber couldn't fit on my car's factory manifold-there was a difference in mounting screws distances)...

My mechanic insists this is an electrical problem due to humidity so I'll try tomorrow with WD40 on the distributor (right term???)
and then I'll tell him to replace the carb...Tomorrow morning I believe it will be a fine example, as the weather is expected to get much colder tonight...

[petroscf]

14 this morning!!!Everything perfect with the auto choke...(all electric parts been lubricated with wd40 and nigrin contact spray last evening, but I guess this was not needed, I didn't know the temp would be so high..)
I'll have to wait until it gets colder...(and watch more accurate forecasts in the future)

[pistonheader]

just change the carb already. from those symptoms, could easily have been carburettor or distributor. seriously though, the weber conversion is well worth it. transformed my little 1.8.

[petroscf]

I am eventually being convinced...!
I will give it a try one of these days again, as the cold and some snow has just reached us here...
and then I 'll have the solex replaced...

[Thegs]

Last saterday it was around 0 degrees early in the morning, car had not run in 5 or 6 weeks, pulled out the choke, turned the key and it fired up right away. Weber rulez

[petroscf]

Next service (probably right after christmas) I 'm replacing the solex.
I'll post news soon after...

[Smartie]

Here the same -10 degrees.

And the Solex 4A1, yes the wrong one, started en kept running.

A good one whit proper service, stays a good one.