Holts Cold Start spray

[Shambo18]

Hello, newbie here.

My Dads having bother with his Astra 1.6 Club 2006 Ecotec in that it's not starting up first time. Local mechanic had a look, replaced battery but still problems. Mechanic now saying might need to take it to Vauxhall....
No warning lights as such.
Anyways....got a can of Holts Cold Start spray...as issue with start is after particular cold days/nights.
My query is...do I spray it into the Air Intake...do I have to remove cover? TIA

[V8RX7]

Usually you pull the air filter and squirt it whilst cranking

You can get flames blown back

Ah the good old days... used loads in the late 70's - me squirting Dad's cars to get them going

[Cupramax]

Crank sensor is a common fault on them.

[rxe]

Probably a temperature sensor. Engine doesn't know it is cold, doesn't richen mixture to start, so hard to start from cold. Presumably it starts when warm? If so, definitely check the engine temp sensor and the air intake temp sensor.

Cold start - not the right solution, but if you want to use it, any way of getting to the air intake - this may be visible under the bonnet, or it may be in a wheel arch. Failing that, cracking off the intake hose, squirting some in and then resealing it will work. It's often used on slightly shagged agri diesels with low compression, and buggers the compression even more.

[gazza285]

rxe said:

Cold start - not the right solution, but if you want to use it, any way of getting to the air intake - this may be visible under the bonnet, or it may be in a wheel arch. Failing that, cracking off the intake hose, squirting some in and then resealing it will work. It's often used on slightly shagged agri diesels with low compression, and buggers the compression even more.

Smells nice though.

[S6PNJ]

rxe said:

...buggers the compression even more.

I've used it in the past (and still have a fairly new can!) on lawnmowers/rotavators etc to get them going and I've also heard that once used, the engine get a 'taste' for it and is hard to start without, which links into your comment about possibly buggering the compression. But why does it bugger the compression? Surely a bit of ethanol can't change piston rings but could 'clean' carbon from the bore - is that why?

[Shambo18]

Thanks for the suggestions to check temp...i was kinda hoping mechanic had done that as he had his diagnostic machine plugged in.

I've also read mixed reports on the engine becoming 'addicted' but guy was refuting that.

I'm really not sure now

[GreenV8S]

If it's a petrol engine check whether it has a hotwire mass air flow sensor - these are very sensitive to surface contamination.

[227bhp]

I wondered who would be the first to say an engine can become addicted to Easy Start, what a ridiculous notion.
Let it suck up some coke whilst its running or inject some smack into it and see what happens.

[alabbasi]

GreenV8S said:

If it's a petrol engine check whether it has a hotwire mass air flow sensor - these are very sensitive to surface contamination.

Yep, make sure that you spray upstream of the maf or use a vacuum line.

[Glasgowrob]

to be fair i think your Dad needs a more competent mechanic,


if hes struggling with a 13yr old Astra and suggesting taking it to the dealers i'd be looking for someone else

[magpie215]

227bhp said:

I wondered who would be the first to say an engine can become addicted to Easy Start, what a ridiculous notion.
Let it suck up some coke whilst its running or inject some smack into it and see what happens.

Lol...yes only addicted because the engines already knackered and wont start without it anyway... :-)

[227bhp]

It is good stuff for fault finding though, if you've got a normal healthy(ish) petrol engine that won't start unless that stuff is sprayed in then you've eradicated ignition issues straight away.

[rxe]

S6PNJ said:

I've used it in the past (and still have a fairly new can!) on lawnmowers/rotavators etc to get them going and I've also heard that once used, the engine get a 'taste' for it and is hard to start without, which links into your comment about possibly buggering the compression. But why does it bugger the compression? Surely a bit of ethanol can't change piston rings but could 'clean' carbon from the bore - is that why?

What tends to happen is this:

- someone uses easystart on a pretty shagged diesel with low compression - which is why the thing won't start in the first place when cold.

- ether (which is what this stuff is) is much more volatile than diesel and most people just squirt a good slug into the intake and then crank the engine.

- the ether pre-ignites, massively stressing the piston + rings, and blowing any carbon off the rings that is probably all that is providing compression

- thus the next time, with lower compression, you need more ether, bigger bang....

- and so on.

A petrol engine should not need ether at all. Unless it is -70C or something.

[rambo19]

Glasgowrob said:

to be fair i think your Dad needs a more competent mechanic,


if hes struggling with a 13yr old Astra and suggesting taking it to the dealers i'd be looking for someone else

This 100%