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Cranking and turning
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Posted by Ari [Email] (#2847) [Profile/Gallery] (more from Ari) on Tue, 3 Dec 2002 18:01:43 Share Post by Email
In Reply to: Slow cranking, VinceH, Tue, 3 Dec 2002 15:54:52
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I think there's a nomenclature problem here.
For most people, when the starter motor turns the engine, that's called cranking or turning over the engine. It goes back to the old days before electric starters, when you actually inserted a crank and turned the engine over by hand.

Once the engine 'fires' and turns by itself, without the starter, that's called 'firing', 'starting, or 'catching.' It sounds like your engine cranks fine, it just doesn't start or catch quickly.

First off, make sure your spark plugs are the right kind, and properly gapped. Use the exact plug as specified in the manual - NO SUBSTITUTIONS! No matter what the bozo behind the autoparts counter says, get the NGK's specified.

I would be concerned about the health of the DI (Direct Ignition) cassette. It definately sounds like an ignition problem.

As to the cranking voltage, that's a hard one. The cranking voltage is different on every car. You can use it as a trending indicator - if your car usually cranks at 10.2 volts, but it's been running in the high 9.8 range recently, then that's a sign the charging system (probably battery) is getting tired. But every car is different. I've got two 9000's - One displays mid 8.5 volts with a fresh battery, and only when it drops to 8.2 does it mean the battery is tired. I've got another 9000 where anything below 10.0 is a dead battery. So there is no absolute here - Yes, anything with a low 8 or a 7 is bad news - but otherwise, you've got to learn your car.

Here's a trick I use to start recalcitrant engines - Hold the throttle open about halfway when starting. Yes, I know the manual for every fuel-injected car for the past three decades says "Leave your foot off the throttle". So what. The engine is a pump. With the throttle closed, the engine is pumping against a closed plate - that takes a lot of energy. With a partially open throttle, the engine will crank faster and with less strain on the battery. The FI will adapt to the extra air by adding fuel. Don't hold the throttle wide open, and be prepared to take your foot off the throttle when the engine catches. But it works great for me.

Good luck!


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