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Sat Nov 08, 2008 2:50 pm

I have a 1956 beetle but with a later model 1600cc twin port motor.

I find it hard to start the motor when is cold but once its warm it would start straight away and I never have any problems with it.

-The way I start my engine when is cold-
If I turn the key, the car would just turnover but it won't fire. So I usually pump the throttle 5-6times before turning the key, it would start but stop a sec later or straight away. I repeat this process a few more times, every time the car would last a bit longer than the previous attempt before it stalls again. While doing this process I usually have my foot lightly on the accelerator to keep the revs up to avoid stalling the car.

Any tips or advice on how to fix this problem? Is this normal? or any other ways to start the car without that much hassle. :roll:

I'm guessing it won't be good to the starter motor in a long term?!

Sat Nov 08, 2008 3:06 pm

Do you have the choke hooked up and is it functioning correctly? Normal procedure is foot to floor once, let it up and then hit the key. Also, how cold is cold there since you are coming into summer....

Sat Nov 08, 2008 3:20 pm

The choke is hooked up, how can I tell if the choke is working properly? any way to test it or what to look for?

The car is always parked in the garage. I'm guessing the temperature would be around 7-14 degrees?!

Cheers

Sat Nov 08, 2008 5:38 pm

Pull off the air cleaner. Look down the carb. The choke (butterfly at top of carb) should be open completely. Now give it full throttle for a second and release the throttle and look down the carb now. The choke should be completely or almost completely closed. Now start the car. After a couple minutes the choke should start to open back up and the idle should start to slow a little.

Let us know what you see after the above test and then we can go fromn there. For me 7-14 degrees is damn cold, but of course C is a little different LOL.

Oh - what model carb do you have?

Sat Nov 08, 2008 10:42 pm

30PICT-1

The butterfly wasn't doing anything at all. So I pulled the choke apart and play around with it.

There is a little hook in the end of the spring that coils around and around inside the choke. When I rotate the ceramic thingee to anti-clockwise, that causes the butterfly to close. So to adjust the choke properly do I just turn that cemamic thingee to anti-clockwise completely or just enough to move the butterfly and then tighten the 3screws?

Sat Nov 08, 2008 11:45 pm

Loosen the 3 screws on the side of the choke and rotate enough to just close the choke butterfly valve. Tighten the screws and run the car for 5 or so minutes and be sure to operate the accelerator. Then stop the engine and check to make sure that the choke valve is all the way open. If not you will have to loosen the 3 screws again and reduce the spring pressure on the choke valve.If the choke does not open all the way again then your choke coil could be ruined.

Sun Nov 09, 2008 5:11 am

Something else to look at - ONce you have it adjusted close, make sure that you have power to the choke element. If you have a voltmeter or test light, see if you have 12V there with the car on. I would also suggest taking a little wire brush to the connections to clean them up. I have abunch of those little brass toothbrush sized ones that are great for this kind of thing.

Once you get it working, then by small adjustments in the rotation, you can adjust how far closed the choke is and how soon it opens up. Depending on the time of year, you may need to readjust it a little (in summer you don't need to choke it so much relative to colder weather).