When cold starting (cold weather) I noticed when my choke is pulled, car sputters & wants to die, the more I ease off the choke, the better it runs. Obviously, easing off the choke all the way when cold=dies. All is fine when fully warm.
My understanding was the choke brings up the idle until it warms up. Must have something to do with mixture, too. Any adjustment or anything else I can do to make it run better when the choke is on?

 

pretty much the same here, i set the choke at 1500-1800 rpms and most times it wont die, just takes a bit longer to warm up, its just a cold weather thing, dont know of an adjustmet to fix it, maybe someone else will know,,,

 

RX7's overhere have a sort of halfautomatic choke. That's a fine thing, but after all those years, the relais and controls might be a little used... That can cause these problems. What happened with mine is that it would start ok, then run a bit, and after warming up slightly, it'd basicly flood itself. Jaguars had a simular device, and I know most people by now have replaced that with a simple cable choke. However on the rotary that might not work...
You'll need to have that checked by someone who knows, but if it's that device: it's not too expensive, but it's a pain to replace, under the dash...

 

actually the user guide says to push it back in after starting to idle at around 2k.

 

Wasn't it so that it pulls itself back in, gradually?
Well, that's for euro-spec cars, cause the US ones are different on many points, so might aswell be at this.

 

I pull mine out all the way and it sits at 1500 rpm and then as it gets warmer it creeps up to 3000 rpm and then once it gets a little above the first solid line it goes in.

 

Faye X7

Mine does the same at cold startup. Idles around 1400 - 1600 and as it gets warmer creeps up around 3K. Once past the first tick mark on the temp, she idles down smoothly.

Kevin
85 GS
99 10AE Miata

 

Pull it all the way out to start the engine. Once started, adjust it (push in, pull out = adjust) until you get the best idle you can. That point will be different for different temp conditions. The colder it is, the further out you'll need to leave it.

A manual choke is just that: manual, even if it does release itself automatically.

 

If it is operating properly, it should still run fully out, although much faster than it needs, (up to 3500 when warmed).... Engaging the choke SHOULD also open the throttle. The way to check is (cold) start it fully out to duplicate the bad running,,,then depress the accelerater some. If that also makes it run better, something is wrong with the choke / throttle linkage.
If there is no difference you probably need a carb adjustment. Once the temp is reached, the choke will disengage all at once (the **** goes in and engine idles down) , not a gradule change. Where ever you set it, as it warms up RPMs will increase, as stated.

 

I do pull it out all the way to start, but it begins to sputter after several seconds and really gassy smoke. I push in some to help, but it never really runs smooth till the choke is all the way pushed in. It really runs best if I push the choke in and just use the accelerator to keep it going until warm. If I pull out the choke, even a little, it runs like crapola!

 

see above, I was editing while you were posting.
You do have a good (clean) air filter, yes?
And NO other obvious problem?
Also check for proper fire and timming.

 

Hmm, that makes some sense, I'll try giving it some gas while the choke is out and it's cold & see if it runs better. Could be that linkage thing.
Once warm, the engine runs & idles at 700 RPM flawlessly, although I've never checked the timing.
Carb was rebuilt about 60K ago, according to my reciepts from previous owner.
It'll likely be a few days before I try it, it has become the garage 'catch all', and is full of the kids hidden Christmas presents! (Tinted windows! )
Thanks!
BTW, I hope all my rexer bud's out there have a fabulous Christmas!

 

how come mine idles just above 0?

i think my tachometre is stuffed up

everyones is 1k or 700.. or just below..

but never just above 0..

it sounds fine though..

hmm dunno

 

real men dont need chokes

 

Well, Do you think the tach is off at ALL rpms? (may have to put on an external one to check) If so, the tach itself may be bad. Does the needle bounce at all or waiver in its reading. If so you may have a bad ignitor, on the trailing side. The tach is registering activity at the coil so if the ignitor is intermittent, it will read a lower rpm. Usually though it will waiver or bounce some. (Not steady when engine is steady.)

 

When I put the mikuni carb and RB exhaust on the car, I didn't connect the choke the first 2 weeks (don't ask why, I don't know). It was pretty cool to start that car, and keep it running! Actually it served as a anti-theft,as no-one seemed to b able to keep it going, expect me.
Did connect the choke in the end...

 

I ran a 650 Holley for a couple of years and could start it even when below zero. I just sat there giving little throttle "blips" continuosly to richen the mixture for long enough for it to idle on its own. Then I turned on the heater and went back inside to warm myself up while it got up to temp and cleared the windows. Never did have a choke on it!

 

I can always tell when the choke comes off by the way the gas pedel feels. If your accerator linkage is working correctly,when the choke is fully on the gas pedel should go a little slack for the first inch or so of travel, and then start moving the linkage. Thats how it is on my car anyway, and the choke works great