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Hard to start

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ScotStern

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My 1975 MGB was always very easy to start cold (California). Now, all of the sudden, it is very difficult and you have to really work at it and then it runs rough until it warms up. After that it is fine and it starts easily the rest of the day.

Any thoughts as to where to start?

Thanks,

Scot
 
Scot, which end of California are you in, and how cold is cold?
Start with the basics.
Choke working OK? Good fuel delivery?
As Bruce mentions, check for good spark, and make sure all the vacuum connections are secure.
It sounds like it's a choke related problem, but it's hard to diagnose from here.
Jeff
 
I'm with Jeff: If it lights off easily and runs out well after it has been run to temp, and is hard to start when cold (overnught), the enrichment device for cold starting is the likely culprit. Good luck. If you do not have a manual covering your car, you should get that first... it will aid you ENORMOUSLY when attempting diagnosis and repairs.
 
I have several manuals so I'll consult them. I am in San Diego so "cold start" means 60 degrees at about the lowest.

I think that the fuel deliverly is OK as it seems to work once it is hot and that would probably not happen if it was the pump.

I suspect that it could be the choke system but I'll have to investigate. The car is difficlut to keep runing when it first starts. Once it warms up, it runs totally normally.

I thought someone might have had a similar experience and would tell me where to start.

Thanks,

Scot
 
on the other hand, I've had a bad coil (badly corroded terminal) give me the exact same symptoms. Very hard to start after an over night cool down but fired right up every time after the initial. The coil is an easy fix... if yours looks anything like the one in the attachment to this post... change it...
 

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I kinda think we have and we did: "Cold start" to an internal combustion engine is anything under about 100 degrees F. Your descriptions are reinforcing the choke as the MOST likely problem. Your: "...difficult to keep runing when it first starts. Once it warms up, it runs totally normally." is the CLASSIC choke malfunction symptom. Start there.
 
Well, it ~IS~ easier to pull a coil wire than to yank that choke apart. START with the coil, then /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
 
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