Start me up

[j4]

Had trouble starting the car this morning. I've noticed it's done the same thing a few times now, and I don't entirely understand why. What happens is:

1. I try to start the car, get a whirring sound and then nothing. Nada. Nil. Starter does absolutely zilch from then on, until:

2. I try to start it with the handle, and the engine turns over but doesn't start. There's no kickback from the starting-handle (which there sometimes is); just nothing happens.

3. I try to start it again properly, and this time it fires up perfectly.

I'm wondering if something is out of line, out of sync, or something (okay, so I have no idea, I'm guessing wildly with very little supporting knowledge) and turning the engine over is just lining it up? It's very annoying, anyway, although it makes a good spectator sport, particularly when it happens at work.

* * *

In other news: Had a lovely evening with lnr last night. Sin-free lasagne with weird not-really-white-sauce topping came out much better than I expected; dessert was wonderful. (;-)

Absolutely shattered this morning, mind, but still managed to get up, phone people about job application forms etc., and get into work only 10 minutes late. Go me.

I have a counselling appointment in about an hour's time. Ironically, that's about the only thing I'm feeling really miserable and stressy about at this precise moment... Hey ho.

Comments

[hoiho.livejournal.com]

When did you last run her? Could it just have needed the fuel line/pump priming, which yuo did by turning the starter handle? It's the simplest thing I can think of.

[j4.livejournal.com]

I last ran her on Monday. Not exactly a long idle period!

So what does "priming" actually mean in this context? And how does turning the starter handle do that? (Spot the clueless newbie. Hey, I'm doing my best.)

[crazyscot.livejournal.com]

Priming squirts a little fuel into the carb so there's something there to go bang when you turn her over. This is generally a good idea when cold-starting such an engine; in a carb engine, any petrol left in the cylinders tends to evaporate. (I don't know about old motors, but having an explicit primer is very common on petrol lawnmowers and piston engined aircraft.) hoiho is probably right; it seems plausible that the starter handle maybe mechanically tickles a primer, and that the electric start doesn't; it's also plausible that turning her over with the handle maybe sucked a little gas in from the carb, giving the same effect.

If there's no explicit engine primer, but there is an accelerator pump hooked up to the gas pedal (and I'd be very surprised if there wasn't), you can usually achieve the same effect by squeezing the gas pedal once or twice before starting. (Not too much, or you'll flood her.) Do be sure to get a second opinion, though; I'm fairly new to this too :-)

[j4.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the explanation! Being able to just squeeze the gas a bit would be a lot more convenient than having to get out and use the starter-handle...

Seem to be getting lots of opinions... will have to work out which solutions I can try without risking making things worse. Ah well, it's all a learning process!