Bigbird

I was wondering if this was the case with alot of other 1st gen owners.

It's currenly winter, snow and ice everywhere, when I start the car it takes about 5-10 good seconds of cranking just to fire it up, however, once it fires up I have to keep on revving the engine for about 2-5 minutes so the idle stablizes, if I let go off the gas the engine will die. Also possible that once the car is idling and I press the brakes it will die as well, so basically, I gotta do alot of revving until it COMPLETELY warms up and has been driven a good amount.

If I don't rev the engine in the up and down motion and just try and hold specific RPM, say 2,000 it will sound like its misfiring under gas and it will once again die, unless I rev up and down again.

It's kind of a pain in the ***, but its my daily beater so I don't really mind, it be nice if it actually started normal.

BTW, This wasnt happening in the summer, at least not to such extreme extent.

Any suggestions?

WackyRotary

You may have vacuum leaks, not using the choke, engine is not making good compression, idle and idle mix not properily set? Lots of info to confirm with more info needed ofcourse.

Bigbird

Choke? No I dont use that. I dont think is functioning. It does not affect anything when I pull it out or in, I am pretty sure its broken.

WackyRotary

Theres your problem. Its there for a reason. It turns off automatically when its warm enough when you manually pull it when the engine is cold.

Everything you discribed is a carb that should be choked when its cold otherwise it will stall easy and die when coming to a stop hitting the brake. Very common with the folks using carbs with no choke ...like my weber carb.

Check to see if the choke plates are moving with the air cleaner off, and pull the choke and push it in a few times to see if it moves, otherwise you have problem.

zookeeper

Cracked me up for crying out loud! Then it dawned on me - I grew up using chokes! Most people today don't know what the hell a choke is for; it's all automatic! I dunno, do they even make a car anymore with a manual choke?

Anyway - that's mostly what chokes are all about: cold weather starting. Pulling (or closing) a choke causes the fuel/air mix to be extremely rich facilitating starts in cold weather. Once the engine's warm, the rich mixture's no longer needed and you would push the choke back in (or, as in the 1st gen RX's, it "pops" back in by itself). And, it could take 10-20 minutes for that to happen. In modern cars, of course, this is all automatic and is why a car idles fast when first started and then slower after it warms up.

So... ALL of the cold weather starting and stalling symptoms you describe can be directly linked to not using the choke (or using an inoperative choke).

Do like WackeyRotary sez and check that choke out.

Bigbird

Well - I will take a look at that choke. I am pretty sure its just not working.

85RX7GS

iTrader: (1)

It'll be a whole new experience starting your car up WITH a choke.

Bigbird

Yeah, the choke is broken, I pull it in pull it out, nothing happens, nothing moves inside the carb. What should I inpect or look for? Thank you guys.

RotorMotorDriver

iTrader: (1)

There a plate on the top of the carb that opens and closes. When the choke is on, it covers the primaries (the two smaller holes) on the carb that go into the engine, and then when off, it uncovers them. You would need to take the top of the air filter housing off to see in there though.

~T.J.

RotorMotorDriver

iTrader: (1)

BTW - The choke is electric. When the key is in the "On" position, when you pull it out, it will stay out automatically until you turn the key off, or until the engine is warm enough.

~T.J.

neoboi

can you manually push the choke back in position before the car is warmed up or semi-warmed up? I do that often and now I'm starting to stall when pressing the brakes in the cold weather but it is almost warmed up though but it stalls a couple of time though.

-Brian

Vubonic

Bigbird- USE THE CHOKE.

It is not broken, when you pull the choke, it may seem like nothing is happening but you will see a big difference when you use choke during cold weather. Just pull the choke before you start up the car, leave the choke on and let your car warm up for 5mins or so and push it back in, it takes forever for it to go in automatically. Problem solved!

85RX7GS

iTrader: (1)

I've found that not using the choke in the winter time is like fighting a loosing battle. Try to fix it or get a new one.

racermike

So bigbird,,,,all ok yet?? Just wanted to add, because you mentioned the brakes, you may have a vacumn leak in the power brake booster. That could be responsible for your "missing at steady throttle", and dieing when you step on the brake. But you do still need to make sure your choke is good too!

80 project

I have the same problem with my 85 GSL, carb. But my choke works. It's the same way when I start it. I have to feather the throttle for 3-5 minutes before it idles. After it warms up and I pull the choke, the rpm's will climb to 3k, then it will drop and stall. I cannot sustain an idle with the choke on. I can only idle after I have warmed up the motor with the choke off. Also, If i give a quick stab to the throttle from idle, it stalls. Even when it's warmed up. I did: wires, rotor, cap, fuel filter. ANY ADVICE? Plugs look fine.

xman

Bigbird, getting that choke operational will save you a lot of time/headaches getting your car to run in the winter!
Take the lid off your air filter assembly and have someone pull the choke all the way out you should see the butterflies in the carb close. If this happens your choke cable is alright.
The choke is controlled by a magnet which, when the engine is cold and the key is turned to the on position, should keep the choke **** in the "out" position. If this doesn't happen check under the driver's side of the dash. Depending on what year your vehicle is there will be an Emissions Control Box with a fuse attatched to it (the fuse is a 5amp/32V glass cylinder type in my 82). Check to see if it's blown. That was the problem with my the choke **** on my vehicle when it wasn't. If it isn't then your choke magnet is probably no good. That's not much of a problem, cause you can just wedge a quarter or a nickle between the choke **** and the dash until the car warms up.

80 project, sounds like your mixture might be a little too rich. Not an easy fix (Still working on getting mine exactly right).

85RX7GS

iTrader: (1)

Bigbird got attacked by a raging mountain lion.