Can’t get my daughters car to start

[Elainesminor]

Hello Elaine,
Consider this as an example of choke use. I needed full choke to start this morning but almost immediately set to half-choke when the car was out on the drive. After half a mile, or so, I put the choke back fully and everything was fine. I drove for about 15 miles, by which time, of course, the engine was fully warmed up, and had been for some time. I then parked up for about 2 1/2 hours. When I returned, the car started up OK without choke, but I could tell from the hesitant throttle response that she would stall if I tried to pull away. So I set the choke to about 1/2 way, drove off and pushed the choke back fully after about 1/4 mile. The point of this story is to clarify that even if the car will start from cold without use of the choke, the engine may still be too cold to drive successfully without a little choke until the engine is warmed up enough not to need it any more.

Hi and thx for this very useful tip, I’ll talk it through with Chloe when she gets home about your experience and if either of us use her and park her up for between 90 minutes and 4 hours when we return to her we’ll try and start her without choke and if she starts but sounds hesitant or spluttery when revved we’ll give her half choke to stop her stalling so we can drive , sounds a better way than automatically using the choke and possibly flooding her , she’s not a choke needy car once started 1st thing but Chloe ends up with the choke out fully before she starts in the morning but once out onto the drive you can actually get the choke fully in but we will try your tip

Thx so much

Elaine x

[philthehill]

Use the cloths peg method for warming up the engine i.e, pull out the choke put a clothes peg between the knob and the facia and push the choke in against the clothes peg. When the engine is warm remove the clothes peg. Works every time.

[myoldjalopy]

A way to tell if the engine has warmed up enough to return the choke - if you don't know from experience - is to turn the heater fan on. When warm air starts blowing from the heater the engine is warmed up so that the choke is no longer needed.

[Elainesminor]

Hello guys

Chloe and myself have mastered the choke without using the 2 handed method , we’re pulling it out fully then pushing it back in slightly so maybe 80% - 90% choke and she’s starting 1st try , if standing for up to 3 hours both of us are starting her without the choke and if she sounds like she needs a bit choke then giving her half so she’s happy so no more 5 or 6 stalls when she’s cold

Do I need to start a new thread to enquire about the heaters ?

[myoldjalopy]

Excellent! Use of the choke merely entails an understanding of what it does and why, and a bit of practice/experience.
Yes, best start a new thread about the heater

[Exasperant]

Use the cloths peg method for warming up the engine i.e, pull out the choke put a clothes peg between the knob and the facia and push the choke in against the clothes peg. When the engine is warm remove the clothes peg. Works every time.

A method made easier when your ratcheting choke cable (A series engine, not a Minor) stopped ratcheting several years ago so you have to use a peg anyway.

[Elainesminor]

Hiya

Can I just ask a quick question, does the carb have a winter and summer setting by any chance ?

[myoldjalopy]

No. The choke is what allows for temperature variations from summer to winter - if its cold, you will need the choke, or more choke. Once the engine warms up its warmed up, winter or summer, and the fuel mixture should be consistent. It will just take longer to warm up in winter.

[Elainesminor]

No. The choke is what allows for temperature variations from summer to winter - if its cold, you will need the choke, or more choke. Once the engine warms up its warmed up, winter or summer, and the fuel mixture should be consistent. It will just take longer to warm up in winter.

Thx hun

Just somebody at work mentioned it might have a winter/ summer setting but that’s fine if everything is managed by the choke , both of us have noticed we have to leave the choke out ages when it’s freezing cold, this morning I’d driven about 1 mile and I’d pushed the choke in and came to a T junction and she cut out just as I’d come to a stop, she did start up no problem but just as I was about to pull out a car came round the corner so had to apply the brakes and she conked out again so restarted her then pulled the choke out to 1/4 to keep her running, some idiot behind decided to start with the horn so I couldn’t resist, I wound the window down and gave him my middle finger , certainly different from a modern car

[les]

Your colleague may have been thinking of the water thermostat which can be of different temperature values.

[Exasperant]

Your colleague may have been thinking of the water thermostat which can be of different temperature values.

I think I read, in an ancient owners handbook for some car or other (probably not a Minor), of a "winter setting" that simply meant turning the air filter around to suck across the exhaust.

[simmitc]

YES, there is a winter/summer setting: The air filter casing can be rotated so that in the summer the intake tube is pointing away from the exhaust whilst in the winter it is rotated so that it draw warm air from immediately above the exhaust. To make the rotation, simply loosen the wing nut on top of the casing, rotate the casing and tighten the nut again; there is no need to dismantle the whole thing.

This setting will NOT affect starting from cold as the exhaust is also cold and not providing warm air.

[myoldjalopy]

YES, there is a winter/summer setting: The air filter casing can be rotated so that in the summer the intake tube is pointing away from the exhaust whilst in the winter it is rotated so that it draw warm air from immediately above the exhaust. To make the rotation, simply loosen the wing nut on top of the casing, rotate the casing and tighten the nut again; there is no need to dismantle the whole thing.

This setting will NOT affect starting from cold as the exhaust is also cold and not providing warm air.

But this is not a 'carb setting', it is just a method of warming up the engine quicker. The carb adjustment is not altered at all. Don't touch the carb fuel/air mixture!

[liammonty]

YES, there is a winter/summer setting: The air filter casing can be rotated so that in the summer the intake tube is pointing away from the exhaust whilst in the winter it is rotated so that it draw warm air from immediately above the exhaust. To make the rotation, simply loosen the wing nut on top of the casing, rotate the casing and tighten the nut again; there is no need to dismantle the whole thing.

This setting will NOT affect starting from cold as the exhaust is also cold and not providing warm air.

But this is not a 'carb setting', it is just a method of warming up the engine quicker. The carb adjustment is not altered at all. Don't touch the carb fuel/air mixture!

It doesn't really warm the engine up any faster. The reason for it is to prevent the carb icing - if you've ever experienced that you'll know what an absolute pain it is. You can only adjust the setting on the 1098 cars though as the filter housing on earlier models doesn't allow for positioning close to the exhaust.

[myoldjalopy]

Thank you for the clarification, Liam. I have to say that in 40 years of consistently driving Morris Minors I have never experienced carb icing. But then it doesn't usually get that cold down here (Cornwall). My point was that Elaine does not need to adjust the mixture setting on the carb from winter to summer.

[MikeNash]

If you're interested in carburettor icing see here https://alaskafloatratings.com/float-fl ... tor-icing/
It mostly occurs above freezing in high humidity; I've only had it on the 803cc engine on cold foggy mornings when the humidity was high (hence the fog) and with the temp 5-10C. Really cold temperatures aren't essential.
MikEN.

[philthehill]

To overcome icing of the SU carb special SU heating coils were fitted around the dashpots.
Also heating coils fitted to the insulation block between carb and manifold.
https://www.theminiforum.co.uk/forums/t ... rb-heater/

[svenedin]

In this drawing there are 2 heaters. An induction heater (part 5) and a dashpot heater (part 12). Both are still available.

https://www.somerfordmini.co.uk/catalog ... 774_100815

Stephen

[philipkearney]

Not that they are particularly required in this country, if anyone is interested, there are some NOS dashpot heating elements for sale on eBay.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/143609797518 ... R_rTlYGKYw

[Elainesminor]

Good afternoon guys and a happy new year to you all

I’ve just had a phone call from Chloe at work , she left for work this morning at 05.45 and finished at 12.30 , she came out of work to find a male work colleague looking around her car , he said his daughter wanted 1 for Xmas and asked if Chloe would take him for a quick drive , they got in and he was asking Chloe to explain things so Chloe said I’ll start her up first and show you , Chloe got as far as explaining the choke that different lengths of time left standing may require different amounts of use but did tell him stood over night and all day at work requires pretty much full but 2 or 3 hours or even longer may not require any , he explained to chloe his daughter is very forgetful and would it start if his daughter forgot to use it and would Chloe try it for him , Chloe checked the time and worked out she’d stood just over 6 hours so pushed the choke back in and turned the key but she didn’t even try , she tried again and said she spluttered and attempted to start , Chloe was surprised and tried again , she actually started but died immediately, Chloe said I don’t think she’ll start and stay running so now’s the time your daughter would need to use some choke and gave her half choke, Chloe’s work colleague pushed the choke in and asked her if she’d try again without it , Chloe being to nice for her own good said yes “ no problem I wouldn’t want her to be stranded if she forgets to use it “ , she said another 3 try’s and she spluttered and tried to start each time , she said after that he just kept saying “ try again “ until after about 11 or 12 try’s he turned round and said “ she’s not gonna start without choke is she “ , Chloe said not after 12 try’s , then he asked her to start it with choke so Chloe used half choke but she wouldn’t start and ended up with it fully out trying to get her to start and ran the battery flat , he pulled his car over and connected his jump leads up and asked Chloe to keep trying to start her and keep adjusting the choke , Chloe said she probably tried another 10 times with a jump start then he said he had to go so left Chloe waiting for the AA , does anybody know what this man was trying to achieve ?

Regards

Elaine x