Car takes long time to start up

[ahmad89]

I got my car running thx to new battery cables, now problem is it takes longer to start up and this video shows the start up issue but dont worry about the low idle i fixed that.
http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa156/ahmadr34/th_PICT4847.jpg (http://s202.photobucket.com/albums/aa156/ahmadr34/?action=view&current=PICT4847.flv)
Notice how the battery light flashed when i revved it high would that be because of the wire from the alternator or something? and why does my oil light turn off?

[Civic Accord Honda]

lol sounds like matts old car lol
is there a loose vac line?
did u try any carb cleener?

[Toneloc5145]

This may sound very simple, but do you pump the gas pedal, like suggested by honda, before you try to start it? Honda suggest that you push in the pedal and let out once before you try to start it if the temp is above freezing, and if its below, try 2 "steps". It's kind of like a primer on a lawn mower. You HAVE to prime the mower before you try to start it or it wont start.

[ahmad89]

I always prime it and thats what i do.

[LX-incredible]

Check to see if the choke plate is closing fully when the car is cold.
The alt light flashing is probably a loose belt. If not, the brushes are going out on it.

[ahmad89]

Check to see if the choke plate is closing fully when the car is cold.
The alt light flashing is probably a loose belt. If not, the brushes are going out on it.
This is gonna sound stupid is the choke the plate on the right side standing from the driver side fender. I think i fixed that by putting that thin metal piece into the slot, i'll take a pic to show you how my carb is tomorrow.

[LX-incredible]

http://img83.imageshack.us/img83/844/carbxy5.gif (http://imageshack.us) The choke plate is on the top of the carb. It is controlled by #4, an electronic choke. Inside there is a bimetal strip, wound in a coil, that when heated rotates, opening the choke. Over time the metals can fatigue or even separate, causing the choke to not open or close fully. On the older vehicles you could compensate for this by loosening the screws that hold the choke on and rotating it. On our cars they are held on by rivets, that need to be drilled out, and replaced with screws. If you do this, the travel will still be limited, you can only make it open more or close more, and it can't be both. Best way to do this is to go with a new choke, which honda wants like 90 bucks for. If it was me, I would just buy a choke cable and make it manual.

[ahmad89]

Ok thx for that info, i know what your talking about now. I see it closed sometimes and when its warmed up i see it open so it seems to be fine. I will take pics of the thing i was talking about in my other post before this one and pics of my carb when its cold or just started and when its warmed up.

[frantik]

how old are your spark plugs and wires? when i replaced mine i noticed my car would start up a lot easier

[ahmad89]

how old are your spark plugs and wires? when i replaced mine i noticed my car would start up a lot easier
my wires are about 4-5 months old i think, i know i changed them early this year if not then towards the end of december last year. I'll check out my plugs and wires and take pics to see if theres something wrong that i dont know of. Also i havnt driven my car for about a month or month and a half all together.

[ahmad89]

Here are the pics of the spark plugs, sorry that they are blurry, camera sucks. The prongs are kind of a rusted color and seems to be peeling or missing chips.
Lots of pics
http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa156/ahmadr34/PICT4850.jpg
http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa156/ahmadr34/PICT4861.jpg
http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa156/ahmadr34/PICT4862.jpg
http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa156/ahmadr34/PICT4863.jpg
http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa156/ahmadr34/PICT4864.jpg
http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa156/ahmadr34/PICT4865.jpg
http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa156/ahmadr34/PICT4866.jpg
http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa156/ahmadr34/PICT4868.jpg
http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa156/ahmadr34/PICT4871.jpg
I know they are terrible but if you can help from these pics i would greatly appreciate it. From what i see i think i need to change them.
The gap is in between 1.0 and 1.2

[ahmad89]

Would it be ok to put in Bosch platinum +2 plugs? they have 2 prongs. Im looking at them right now and on the top part right before it turns into the prongs theres a layer of black stuff.

[LX-incredible]

Would it be ok to put in Bosch platinum +2 plugs? they have 2 prongs. Im looking at them right now and on the top part right before it turns into the prongs theres a layer of black stuff.
Those don't work very well in our cars. Best to stick with a standard copper core. NGK V-Powers are good.

[ahmad89]

Those don't work very well in our cars. Best to stick with a standard copper core. NGK V-Powers are good.
I have ngk v-power in my car right now but they look bad.

[LX-incredible]

The gap is in between 1.0 and 1.2 What is the gap in thousanths (on the other side)?

[Oldblueaccord]

1.1 mm is about right i think for the gap. Now that you have them out I would just change them there cheap. NGK's .looks like there burning pretty good.

Like someone else said you need to "set the choke" on a carb car before you start it. I would follow the Honda directions. You might be pushing the gas to fast or to far down and the choke is going all the way open. It the choke is open on a cold motor it wont start well nor run well until it is fully warmed up. Take the air cleaner off and watch what happens when you push the gas cold. It will make more sense when you see it done. In general if you push the throttle to the floor the choke pops open. Usually you have to shut the key off and restart the process again.

You also want to set the idle with the car fully warmed up and the choke all the way open.

If the oil light is on at low idle your oil pressure is low. If the battery light is on the alt. is not charging or there is a wire on carbs that messes up and shows that light as well.


wp

[ahmad89]

Well after i put the plugs back in the car started right up, so i drove it around then stopped and checked out the engine for anything. Started it again and it started right up, usually it would take longer. I drove it around the entire neighborhood and then stopped and turned it on and it started right up again. I will buy new plugs and wires. The car seems to run fine and now i just need to change 2 sensors and figure out why my idle drops with the a/c on, i messed with the adjusting screw on the diaphram and sometimes the idle would raise like it should then it would drop again. I been told that its from the compressor but is that normal for the idle to go so low that the car almost dies?

[ahmad89]

What is the gap in thousanths (on the other side)?
in between .040 and .050, thats in inches

[ahmad89]

im going to take a pic of my carb and choke then clean the window and check my float level after i finish watching ghost rider. So stayed tuned :)

[ahmad89]

Heres pics of my carb with the engine off, when the car warmed up the choke was open.
http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa156/ahmadr34/PICT4876.jpg
http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa156/ahmadr34/PICT4875.jpg
http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa156/ahmadr34/PICT4874.jpg
http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa156/ahmadr34/PICT4873.jpg
http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa156/ahmadr34/PICT4872.jpg
Tell me whats wrong.

[ahmad89]

Ya know im not asking these questions for fun....:)

[LX-incredible]

Is that with the engine cold? If so, the choke is supposed to be closed further. If you don't push the pedal in once before starting, the choke will remain open. So do that when it's cold, it should be almost (if not) completely closed.

[ahmad89]

Yea when im about to start my car i turn it to on when all the lights are on, wait awhile, then pump the gas twice slowly, then turn it on. It starts up just fine and i know a trick for it to start right up for a quick stop like driving for 10min then stopping at a gas station and leaving, just prime it, pump pedal, then start, if it doesnt start up right away just press the gas pedal a lil bit and it should start right up.

[frantik]

try turning the engine over once or twice, turning the key to the off positition, then pressing down on the gas once quickly, then starting again.

usually i can always get it to start right up like that no matter what..

[ahmad89]

try turning the engine over once or twice, turning the key to the off positition, then pressing down on the gas once quickly, then starting again.

usually i can always get it to start right up like that no matter what..
I fixed my long start issue, just needed to know if my choke is alright but if any other problems arise, i will be back. Until then cheerio.:bong:

[LX-incredible]

Okay, but when the car is cold and after you pump the pedal, what position is the choke plate in? It should be closed. When the car is warmed up, the choke plate should be fully open.

[ahmad89]

When its cold its closed and warmed up its open. So that means its fine then?

[LX-incredible]

When warm, open all the way, when cold, closed completely.

[Oldblueaccord]

That to me seems right for the choke for summer. Im sure there is a setting you can look up. During the winter you might want to tighten it up some for better cold starts. Its prolly more important that its 100% when the car is warmed up then anything.

All the choke is doing is cutting off air and making the mixture richer(more fuel ) until the car is warmed up fully.


wp

[A20A1]

Would it be ok to put in Bosch platinum +2 plugs? they have 2 prongs. Im looking at them right now and on the top part right before it turns into the prongs theres a layer of black stuff.

Not really, I don't think BOSCH is the right heat range, more so for the carbed motor, it seems to work really nice though when the motor is nice and hot, but unless you're doing hard driving don't bother.


Also look at this thread for an update on gaping spark plugs, it concerns the addition of Ethanol in the gas.
http://www.3geez.com/forum/showthread.php?t=60398

[2oodoor]

Platinum plugs are a waste of money on a carbed car. When those first came out I used them on some fleet cars and really they did not perform all that well compared to NGK standard v groove plugs. Platinum plugs are really best used on newer cars with ported fuel inj and such, the point being 100,000 mile tune ups.
NGK rocks on our carbed Hondas, match made in heavan

It almost seems like these factory carbs do better without choke depending on just how cold it gets where you live.
Another thing the choke does beside richen the mix is, when they are fully closed at the first stage, they let the engine vacuum pull the fuel up to the venturi area from the ( storage) float bowl.

pardon spelling, I am looking at monitor sevan feet away

[ahmad89]

Thanks for the choke and spark plug info really helpful, i live in houston and its mostly hot here especially now in the summer time, its only cold for a few months and lowest it gets is about 30-40 degrees F. I will use NGKs i just wanted to know if i can use the bosch until i get new NGKs but since the car is running fine i wont change the spark plugs to bosch. I will buy NGKs asap and maybe some wires but my wires seem fine. I really need to test my thermo sensor cause yesterday after i drove my car for 20 min or so, it started overheating and when i parked at my house i heard the coolant boiling in the reservoir tank due to the fans not working cause of the sensor i think. I will test the sensor today since i have someone to help me.
One more thing is it bad if my float level is full? I looked through the window and i could tell it was full but when i made it lower the car died on me.

[MessyHonda]

Not really, I don't think BOSCH is the right heat range, more so for the carbed motor, it seems to work really nice though when the motor is nice and hot, but unless you're doing hard driving don't bother.


Also look at this thread for an update on gaping spark plugs, it concerns the addition of Ethanol in the gas.
http://www.3geez.com/forum/showthread.php?t=60398


i have the plat 4+ on my carb...and i didnt notice crap...i also put accel 8mm wires.....next time just save up and get stock stuff and get an MSD coil...for better spark and nice idle

[ahmad89]

i have the plat 4+ on my carb...and i didnt notice crap...i also put accel 8mm wires.....next time just save up and get stock stuff and get an MSD coil...for better spark and nice idle
I need to get a new coil too.

[LXlimited]

I need to get a new coil too.

I think I'm in the same situation as you. My car(87 lx) would vibrate, sputter & die at startup but it runs fine when fully warm up. I'm also thinking that it could be the choke opener or heater. One thing I replaced though is the PCV valve and the PCV Valve tube. Replacing my cracked and bristled PCV tube helped a bit to maintain the idle. It looks like it wasn't replace since 1987! I'm still having the startup problem so please let me know how you solve your problem. thx!

[ahmad89]

well i sprayed carb cleaner on the carb, adjusted the idle speed, adjusted the float level a lil bit. My real start up issue is when i would drive it for awhile then stop for a short time then try to start it again, thats when it would take a long time but i found that if you press the gas pedal, not all the way to the floor, while your cranking it would start up.