Trouble to start with 1988 Esprit NA

[bher]

Need your advices, please

On my 88 NA, carburators, I have trouble to start the engine. It start at first time (30% of time) or it is the hell. Full throttle (is still the best way) I need to try 15 to 20 times. Finally it works always (except one) It started after the big maintenance with changing the belt. However the Lotus dealer did a good job on the engine which is more powerfull in low rev and runing very well once started. I already change the battery. No improvement.
When the car is hot or soon after a smal trip it start perfectly (even if not at 82°c). I feel it as something to do with fuel amount. I checked the fuel filter which is not clean (mostly rust from the tankers) Is this the cause of my trouble? Is there other signs for rusty tankers??
Any idea or things to check
Thanks for your input

Ben

[autocross7]

I get this from time to time... (well, 5 or 6 hits on the starter as opposed to 20ish). My car is an 88 injected... do not know the cause and the shop has not been able to come to any conclusion. As this is rare for me (usually after it sits a while when I'm out of town), I just "let it go"... I am due for a fuel filter change however...
I am also planning to change out the Idle up valve.

Do you get any fuel smell at all if you run high revs with an open top? I get this sometimes and it is not the usual vent tubing as this is new. If the car is closed up, I do not get the smell at all, and then only when gear changing and running up to higher RPMs. Smell (whe it occurs) is coming up and in from the engine vent. I have noticed that this little issue seems to go hand N hand with the hard start...


Drive topless!!!
Cameron

[Esprit2]

bher said:

Need your advices, please On my 88 NA, carburators, I have trouble to start the engine. It start at first time (30% of time) or it is the hell. Full throttle (is still the best way) I need to try 15 to 20 times. (Snip)... I feel it as something to do with fuel amount. I checked the fuel filter which is not clean (mostly rust from the tankers)

Hi Ben,

Do you have general experience with carb cars, or do you mostly drive fuel injected cars and the Esprit is unique in your stable? What's your procedure for starting the engine?

What you describe sounds just like what happens if you try to start a carburetted car like you would a F.Inj car. With F.Inj, you don't touch the throttle, turn the key and it starts. Or not (but that's a different issue).

With a carb engine a different approach is required. Turn the ignition switch to "On" and listen for the fuel pump. Allow the pump to run until it's filled the carb's float bowls... you'll hear the pump slow down when it has pressurized the system. Don't try starting the engine until then.

On most "civilian" carb cars, depress the throttle pedal to the floor once and release it. That sets the automatic choke if the carbs are equipped with one (the Lotus isn't) and gives the throats one good shot of fuel from the accelerator pump.

In a 2 X 2 Dellorto carb car with manual chokes (enrichment device... not really a choke), the choke is rarely necessary. It's summer now, so let's not worry about that. But the Dellortos will need more than one full stroke of the throttle.

When starting the carb-Esprit for the first time that day, depress the throttle full to the floor twice on a warm summer day, three times normally, four times if it's cold (near freezing). Allow it to sit a little while to let the fuel the accelerator pump just squirted into the throats vaporize a bit. Spend the time getting comfortable, buckle your seat belt, adjust the mirror.

Depress the clutch, open the throttle a little... maybe 1/2 inch of pedal travel, and engage the starter. The engine should start immediately. If it doesn't start in the first few seconds, then keep cranking the starter and slowly depress the throttle about half way. Don't crank the engine more than 10 seconds at a time... it's hard on the starter.

As soon as the engine starts, goose it a bit (poke the throttle a little, reving the engine a bit to clear it's throat) and then keep it alive with the throttle. 1000-1500 rpm is good. If you want to get out of the car while the engine warms up, pull the choke on a bit to keep it alive.


When starting a warm to hot carb engine, don't pump the throttle. Doing so risks flooding it. On a hot day, or if the engine has only been off a short time and is still hot, don't pump the throttle at all. Just crack the throttle and key the starter while slowly depressing the throttle about half way. If the engine is luke-warm, but it's been hours since it was run, you can give it one full stroke of the throttle before starting it.


There's more to it, but that's the basics. F.Inj doesn't want any driver-interference while starting the engine... don't do anything. But carburettors depend upon user input... you are an active part of getting the engine going and you have to do your bit. If you just turn the key and wait for the engine to start, you could wait a long time... like 15-20 tries. ;-)

Give it a try and let us know how it goes.


A dirty fuel filter never helps anything. If you can see that it's dirty, replace it. However, a partially blocked filter will make itself known mostly at high-flow conditions... like large throttle openings going fast. But the filter is seldom the cause of hard starting on carb cars. If the engine runs fine when warm with that filter, then the filter isn't going to cause hard starting.

Still, a visibly dirty filter should be replaced... hard starting or not. That's just good maintenance.

Regards,
Tim Engel
Lotus Owners Oftha North
Minnesota, USA

[bher]

Thank you Tim and Cameron for your answers.

For Cameron I do have fuel smel when starting but as it is carburated it seems normal to me. Maybe is the mix too rich because when speeding on Lotus Days, the guy following me always mention a fuel smell... He may be jealous because I am in front of him

Thanks again Tim for your long post. In fact I was doing all of what you mention except depressing the clutch (was in neutral) and giving 1.5 inches of throttle directly. I got the car for 3 years now and this bad starts are new (2-3 months) for me.
I hear the pump noise (much quicker after changing the battery), do not use the "false" choke except to keep reving when closing the door or so...
I will let you know how it goes. I bring the car to the dealer yesterday because I really want to exclude a real problem and was more and more frustrated and anxiuous about how the car will start the next time...
I HATE intermittent problems
Lotusly yours
Ben