Club 80-90 Forums

Its happened twice now. In extreme cold the car will run for approx. 1 min then cuts out and refuses to start again, it is turning over but not firing.

Last time I got better results with air filter removed, was reluctant to restart but after leaving for the day as OK.

Used to get similar on Mk1 goof with the carb icing, but honestly don't know. Battery is losing some charge but not enough to cause this problem. But I tend to flatten battery before this problem reslves itself... about to strap in battery and see what happens this time.

Any ideas, I hear the choke pull down on this carb could lead to overfueling when cold...

Check the carb heater is working, and working for as long as it should.....

Have had similar problems with a pierburg 2e3. My difficulty was that it would start and run ok on a lot of occasions (the choke mechanism was not working so I had to keep a foot on the pedal during warm up) but then it would refuse to start at all from cold at other times. So it's not exactly like your problem but...

...there was a combination of problems aside from the choke not functioning. The fuel filter was overdue for replacement so it was struggling to draw fuel. On examining the carb, the float chamber was found to be full of muck. The power enrichment valve chamber was full of the same, and the gasket between the upper and lower carb bodies was pretty much shot. I realise that none of these (except possibly the fuel filter problem) accounts directly for your problem and your point re choke pull down might be relevant i.e. if there is insufficient vacuum to adequately open the choke flap whilst engine is idling from cold so it floods. It's taken me some time and serious reading to get mine sorted. I've currently got a Carb book out of the library which is very good so if yo want me to scan something and send it to you, let me know. Mocki's comment re the heater is relevant, (I know from previous posts that he is a carb guru so I bow to his advice) I didn't realise until I left the ignition on by accident whilst i was testing things just how much it heats up the throttle body and surround.

I note your point about the battery getting tired from trying to start it. I ran mine on a ridiculously underpowered battery for a year and have had to recognise the fact that a power pack that will really crank the engine over happily is much better able to create the vacuum needed in the carb especially on those cold mornings when chemical reactions just don't want to happen.

Good luck

I have carb gaskets and pull down units on the shelf if needed.
Sounds like normal Pierburg carbs done a zillion miles type problems, not too hard to sort out but I deal with them weekly.
Quite a simple carb if you know what your doing.

Last one I did like that however, like stated was a combination of poor maintainance, thats the trouble when "Sunday morning man" does his own as he misses things a mechanic will spot.
Check fuel line for being porous, not the long plastic one, they never go wrong so don't even think of replacing that, the other connecting pieces that go onto it.
Make sure lines aren't kinked anywhere.
Check the small guaze filter thats shoved up the carb fuel inlet pipe isn't blocked.
Check fuel tank and filler neck for corrosion and anywhere where water can get into the tank.
Replace fuel filter anyway, aforementioned water just bungs fuel filters up.
Check pulldown unit diaphragm isn't split.
Usually when they get a few miles on their back the fast idle needs adjusting up as they don't idle as fast as they should when the choke is on.

they are simple really aren't they, once you understand them. It's just the process of developing that understanding which takes time. If you're a churchgoer, you've clearly no chance!