Have you ever driven cars with a manual "choke"? Advices needed!

[SarahL]

Hi girls,

I'm a young single mom, and recently I had to buy my first car. I had to settle for a used 1985 Ford Fiesta Mk2, I needed it mostly to drive my son to school.

On the mornings, with the cold engine, it takes several attempts to start up. Then, the engine is very sputtery when it's still cold. I have to nurse it by giving it gas, but usually it stalls on me several times, until it's warmed up. How unnerving! Yesterday it stalled on me several times in traffic, fortunately it always started right up again.

Actually, it used to work better this summer. Looks like it's specifically suffering the colder weather, so I suspect the problem is not the car itself, but rather my lack of experience with it... I heard there's a manual "choke" to use when the engine's cold, but I don't know how to correctly use it. So far, I haven't used it at all.

Is there any of you who has experience with these old cars with the manual choke? Did your car behaved the same? I'd be interested to hear about your experiences, so that I know what I can possibly expect this winter!

 

[madsticks]

Awww I love mk 2 fiestas! They're like little rockets! How on earth did you find one??

The manual choke is next to the steering wheel. Should be on the left hand side, down from the indicator but on the dash. It's a little round button that you pull out towards you when you want to open up to let more fuel in (when the car is starting on cold days, or in cars that old sometimes when you're pulling away if the car isn't warm enough yet)

You push it in after a short time otherwise you will flood the engine. You should be able to feel / hear when you need to put it in as he car will be running smoothly.

What carb is in it? My mk2 golf sometimes does what yours is doing, and sometimes it just requires an adjustment on the carburettor depending on if it's summer or winter.

Get yourself a Haynes manual, it will explain it a lot better than I will

 

[SarahL]

The manual choke is next to the steering wheel. Should be on the left hand side, down from the indicator but on the dash. It's a little round button that you pull out towards you when you want to open up to let more fuel in (when the car is starting on cold days, or in cars that old sometimes when you're pulling away if the car isn't warm enough yet)

You push it in after a short time otherwise you will flood the engine. You should be able to feel / hear when you need to put it in as he car will be running smoothly.

What carb is in it? My mk2 golf sometimes does what yours is doing, and sometimes it just requires an adjustment on the carburettor depending on if it's summer or winter.

Get yourself a Haynes manual, it will explain it a lot better than I will

Thank you madsticks! Sorry for the late reply, I've been away for a couple of days! Well, you saved me, now it's much better thanks to your advices. I know nothing about carburetors and the likes, looks like you are more helpful than a user's manual.

Now that you mention the flood thing, I recall an episode that happened a couple of days ago when I was still clueless. I had left the choke pulled out after having returned home from the morning drive, and I remember that the car was running rough when I parked it in my driveway. Then after 30 minutes or so, I could not get the car started again. From your description, sounds like I might have flooded the engine? Did it ever happen to you?

 

[madsticks]

Yes if you pull the choke out and it isn't needed it will flood the engine, you will then struggle to start the car, the engine probably won't turn over at all.
Normally, if you leave it for around 10 a 20 mins and go back, then start the car without the choke on it should have cleared.

MK 2 fiestas are a bit of a cult classic in the car world, I know more about Volkswagens, though have had fords before and most small cars of the 80s are fairly similar. If you have a look I'm sure there will be a forum or website dedicated to your car where they can give you advice much more specific to the car you are driving, if you think that might be helpful.

Very jealous you have such a cool little rocket! X