Starting when cold
Turbo Mini Forums

For some reason the BOC is really struggling to start in the cold weather. It sounds like the starter is having problems turning the engine over (as if the battery was flat). Now I'm pretty sure it's not the battery as I've fully charged the battery over night and that's made F all difference, and I've tried jumping it of my house mates mondy and it still struggled to turn it over.

My best guesses are:

The oil is just too viscous for the cold weather (I've currently got Duckams 20/50 mineral oil) should I use something thinner in the winter?

The starter is shagged (that's a technical term by the way)

The cable from the battery to the starter is damaged (I'll check that in the morning)

I've got the wrong ingition timeing (I don't think it's this but as I converted to MJ earlier in the year it could be a possibility) should you advance or retard the ignition to help with the cold weather?

As an aside once it gets up to temperature it's fine, I can happilly turn it of and then restart it on the first try pretty much. Also I must have owned this car for the last five or six years and this is the first time I've had starting problems in the cold.

Megajolt uses the top left cell 0.0 as a "cranking value" it only uses that cell at cranking speed i.e below 457rpm. Did you set it to something appropriate (10 deg?) or is it high (20 odd). a high advance will resist the starter motor and when you add that to the cold oil, cold battery etc it may well be why you see this.

Edited by Turbo Tel on 17th Nov, 2007.

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Could it be your battery is jus goosed?
Battered earth strap?

Back once again like a renegade master

Mmmm, battered earth strap, dribble.
Check the cranking timing as above.
Try the jump leads straight to the starter, rules out wiring problems to narrow your search down :)

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my van used to be like this

Im on earth strap or timing

Had the same prob on mine in the last week, believe battery is fubar tho.
Shane

rally car does this, if i dont use it for a couple of days i have to jump start just to up the power with a running engine. also id have to fiddle with the carb by hand(easier) and block my huge ram pipes with my hand to choke it

David.

Thanks guys.

Well, I fitted a new starter today and it helped a bit, also had a look at the ignition map that I've got on my laptop and it's at 15 degree advance, unfortunately I left my USB to serial adaptor at my place in Bristol & the local computer shop doesn't sell them so I'll have to wait till get home tomorrow night before I can change the MAP.

Hi Rob,
5 degrees should be enough
Cheers,
Gavin :)

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also clean batt terminals with some wet and dry, check earth strap to body plus engine earth strap.

i bet its one of the above and 15 deg should be ok for starting but 10 will be better

always looking for them bigger bunches of bannanas

Been playing with the map over the last few days and currently cranking at 5 degrees and it starts alot easier. :)