Damp starts part 2 - Sprays any good?
Whizkid
question is a nissan bluebird. As I said it sometimes it takes
several attempts to start it when there is cold/damp weather. Usually
the car is fine if it is driven every day, but if it is not used for a
day, it often takes more than one attempt to start it. While not a
major problem I would like to know what I can do to try and eliminate
it from happening. In the shops I have seen several spray cans which
claim to aid in damp starting 'easy start' etc a couple of these
products I saw were made by Car Plan. There was one in particular
which said it gave a plastic coating to the relevant parts when
sprayed. Are these products worth buying/using or are they no
different to WD-40?
Peter Gilmartin
the usuals in the ignition circuit first - plugs, leads, coil, dist cap
and so on. WD 40 - despite what others have said about its general use
- is fine for starting when your engine has had a soaking for some
reason, but it is not going to cure whatever is causing your atarting
problems.
The fact that your car is a poor starter in damp weather is almost
certainly due to some kind of problem such as those mentioned above (or
others!). The problem is always there, but only really shows when, for
example, dampness on the engine allows current to escape along a damp
channel.
I wouldn't waste my money at this stage on "magic" sprays. Put it
instead towards a new set of ht leads, dist cap, etc. An engine which
is in good condition should start in all weather!
--
Peter Gilmartin
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.
Jethro
General hints :
Good plugs, clean porcelain, correct gap.
Points (if fitted) clean, correct gap. Condensor (if fitted) OK
Distributor cap. Clean. Contacts inside OK, carbon OK
Leads, clean, dry, fitted correctly. Remove & refit (breaks any "seal" that
can buld up")
Coil OK. Check HT connector as it can corrode quite quickly.
Choke (if fitted) OK
Notice recurring themes *clean* *dry*. Don't use WD40. Ever ! Yes, it will
dispel moisture. But then dust and crap will settle on WD40, which over time
will bake itself onto the HT leads. Then damp will permeate this crust and
you may never get it started.
I know a lot of otherwise good "mechanics" who will spray this stuff on with
nary a thought to what they are really doing. If WD40 was the correct and
proper way to solve damp start problems, then whay haven't Mercs and Rollers
got an under bonnet spray system ??????
Once you've got the leads etc clean, then it can be a good idea to seal them
with a plastic-waxy type spray, that sets hard. This causes any moisture to
form into little beads, rather than make a complete circuit which can cause
problems.
Incidentally does the bonnet have a fabric liner ? Make sure it's dry and in
good nick, as these play a surprising part in keeping the damp *off* the
engine.
Dave Plowman
Whizkid <spam@*spam*.com> wrote:
> There was one in particular which said it gave a plastic coating to the
> relevant parts when sprayed. Are these products worth buying/using or
> are they no different to WD-40?
Are you sure it's an ignition fault which is causing the poor starting?
Most modern cars have a very powerful system which will ignore a bit of
damp. Could be it has to replace evaporated petrol if it has a
carburettor, or build up the fuel pressure if injected.
It might be worth getting the spark checked under cold cranking
conditions before covering everything with gunge which may just mask a
simple problem.
--
Dave Plowman dave....@argonet.co.uk London SW 12
RIP Acorn
Chris Brandon
the possibility of sealing the moisture in rather than dispelling it ! This
kind of 'tool' does have it's uses,but better to follow the other advice
posted here and try to get to the cause of the problem,and once youve
replaced plugs,leads,distributor cap,rotor arm and possibly even coil,
etc... at least you be in the knowledge that these parts are nice and new...
Oh... try to make sure that you use seperators on the leads as sometimes
just moisture on a couple of leads that are too close to each other is
enough to cause problems
Good Luck
Chris
Whizkid wrote in message <3850db12....@news.cis.dfn.de>...
>Further to my previous about wanting tips on damp starts. The car in
>question is a nissan bluebird. As I said it sometimes it takes
>several attempts to start it when there is cold/damp weather. Usually
>the car is fine if it is driven every day, but if it is not used for a
>day, it often takes more than one attempt to start it. While not a
>major problem I would like to know what I can do to try and eliminate
>it from happening. In the shops I have seen several spray cans which
>claim to aid in damp starting 'easy start' etc a couple of these
>products I saw were made by Car Plan. There was one in particular