Manual choke

[Pamb]

Hi, just reading some of these and sympathising, I have a classic Mini mayfair which my husband bought me 2 years ago (sadly I lost him to liver cancer in March and am missing him terribly) and I love it to bits,
It went all through the wet summer starting fine every morning until last week, when it started playing up a bit. I think maybe it is something to do with the choke as it is getting worse as the mornings get colder, and even once it's started it keeps stalling, which it doesn't normally do. I am really getting in a state with it!. Once it warms up it's fine. Each day last week it took longer and longer to start until Friday I flattened the battery and had to call the AA. I was so embarassed because he turned up and jump started it with no trouble at all and could find nothing wrong. He suggested I should get it serviced, and my neighbours son who is a trainee mechanic very kindly did it for me yesterday, this morning it started on the 3rd try which is much better, so hopefully it will be ok now.

[sarahjane113]

Hi Pam

Yes I know what you mean, mine is the same. Its absolutely fine when its warmed up its just getting it to start in the morning. Ive had it serviced and Im told its just the way minis are sometimes. Usually takes me anything from 3 to 6 tries in the morning and it does stall a few times too.

Do you always need the choke right out in the morning?

[daverover]

Wow all these peeps with Minis

I have been driving one the last couple of days and can't understand how we all used to put up with being so cramped and bouncing all over the road!!

[Trex 800]

Sarah Jane,

Where some pictures or vids of this famous mini ?

Come on show us,

P.S : Cool little car by the way

[Pamb]

Hi Sarahjane, thanks for the reply and the friend request, I'd love to accept but for some reason when I try it says I have no friends pending (or something like that)
My mini always needs full choke to start in the morning, if I don't pull it right out it won't start - just whirrs and growls! with full choke it has always started second try. Yesterday it started 4 th go but just kept stalling unless I kept revving it - I have to go up a steep hill once I am out of my drive and into the road and yesterday it stalled half way up and wouldn't start. I have to say I panicked and probably flooded it by pulling the choke right out again, but you know what it's like when you're panicking and running late.... and it stalled three more times on the way to work. Strangely it's not as bad on the way home.
Today it took 6 goes to start and I went up the hill in first gear revving like mad so it wouldn't stall, and it wasn't too bad. My friendly mechanic is going to change some more bits tomorrow after work so maybe that will help. What sort of Mini do you have? mine's a cute little blue 1985 mayfair.

[sarahjane113]

Hi Pam
Im not sure how the friend request works! Ive tried it again see how that is.
Your mini sounds a bit like mine in the mornings! Mine is from 1967 so a little older. Once its warm it runs really nicely the only tricky bit is sometimes getting it to start in the mornings or after work. I always need the choke right out in the mornings and usually takes 3 or 4 tries to start. Sometimes it will stall when Im trying to get out the drive or at the end of the road but its not too bad at starting again. I know what you mean tho, if it stalls and Im on the road somewhere I tend to grab the choke. Mine has been serviced pretty regularly and Im always told its in pretty good condition just that sometimes they can be a bit tricky to start especially if its raining or a bit damp.
I dont mind too much its something Im used to and so long as it starts in the end thats ok.
How did you get on this morning?

[Pamb]

Hi sarahjane, I still cannot accept your friend request, I have emailed F.first to see what the problem is, I'd love to talk about Mini's with you, yours sounds just like mine! I'm not very good with cars when they play up, I hate it when it stalls and holds up the traffic! Mine is always difficult in the rain, it always goes but seems to stall more, which makes me a bit panicky, is yours like that? My heater is not brilliant either it steams up badly in winter, but I love it to bits.

[sarahjane113]

Hi Pam,
Yes mine is always much more difficult to start if its been raining which can be a bit embarassing after work on a wet day. The heater isnt too bad at blowing warm air but it doesnt do a lot to stop it steaming up if anything it steams up even more!
I do panic a bit if it stalls in the road somewhere yes. Lets chat on msn maybe x
janeysmini at hotmail.co.uk

[Minifan]

Hi SarahJane,

Heres another Mini Cooper driver.
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=NtR0EBpasVM
Wonder if she needs to use the choke on cold mornings!

[sarahjane113]

Thats very cool!

[daverover]

Sarah, if thats what you look like when you are driving your Mini then I am on my way for a lift!!!

[ANITA ANDERSON]

Hi Sarahjane, thanks for the reply and the friend request, I'd love to accept but for some reason when I try it says I have no friends pending (or something like that)
My mini always needs full choke to start in the morning, if I don't pull it right out it won't start - just whirrs and growls! with full choke it has always started second try. Yesterday it started 4 th go but just kept stalling unless I kept revving it - I have to go up a steep hill once I am out of my drive and into the road and yesterday it stalled half way up and wouldn't start. I have to say I panicked and probably flooded it by pulling the choke right out again, but you know what it's like when you're panicking and running late.... and it stalled three more times on the way to work. Strangely it's not as bad on the way home.


Today it took 6 goes to start and I went up the hill in first gear revving like mad so it wouldn't stall, and it wasn't too bad. My friendly mechanic is going to change some more bits tomorrow after work so maybe that will help. What sort of Mini do you have? mine's a cute little blue 1985 mayfair.

Hi Pam , I've only been passed my driving test for about 1 year and my ex boyfriend began to teach me in his old mini , at first he would start it up and drive it round the block a couple of times so it was warmed up for me , then after a couple of weeks of driving it he thought it was time i learned how to start it from cold so the first time i tried to start it from cold i didnt realise it had a manual choke that i needed to pull out , we got into the car and he told me to start it , so i began trying , he let me try about 4 or 5 times but it wouldnt start and i looked at him and said " whats the matter with it" , then he explained what i needed to do with the choke so it would start from cold and told me if i wasnt sure if it needed the choke or not to start it , try it 2 or 3 times without it before pulling it out cause he said if it didnt need it and i decided to pull it out to start it i would flood it so the next day he took me out in it again and he wanted me to start it from cold so i remembered what he'd told me so i tried to start it 3 times without the choke but it wouldnt start , then i pulled the choke out all the way and it started 1st time but when it was running i reached over and pushed it back in and it conked out , it took me nearly 2 weeks to get the hang of it so i could get it started without conking out as i was driving it , now i own a 1967 morris minor and that has a manual choke to which i have to pull all the way out or it wont start. I've just been to spain for 4 days with my friend and when i tried to start it on saturday lunch time it wouldnt start at all , even with full choke , i ended up flooding it and flattened the battery trying so i've put the battery back on charge and gonna try again on sunday. my morris minor doesnt mind the rain but it hates being left standing without being used. The manual choke does take quite a bit getting used to so that it will start , stay running while your driving it and not conk out when you stop. As its the car that your late husband bought you i presume you want to keep it for sentimental reasons , my advise would be to take it to a mini specialist and get them to set the choke up properly and you should'nt have to much bother once its done. Hope this helps. Anita..xx

[zebra Lynn]

No more post I assume all these problems are sorted out on how to use a manual choke. A friend of mine said she has masted the use of the manual choke and the key is keeping it out for at least half to 3/4 until her engine is warm.

[TracyL]

Hi all,
I live in the US and have just acqured a Morris, I think 1960's vintage, from the estate of my late father. He had this old Morris for ever and just loved this car. I would like to drive his collector car more often but have trouble choking the car properly. I live in North Dakota when the weather is simple brutal. I got it started last week by pulling the choke out as far as possible and then pumping the peddle like mad. It still conked out with the choke out all the way. of course the weather was -20F pretty darn cold. After a few time of pumping and choke out all the way I managed to keep it running and drove to the shopping center. After a couple hours inside when I returned it required the same amount of choking and pumping to get it going again. And, I might add, I have to keep the choke out all the way for several minutes before beginning to take some of the choke off this car. The question for someone in UK who knows about these cars, is this normal to have to choke the car to such an extent. Any help or advice will be appreciated.
Tracy
PS. I just happened to stumble into all these posts on the subject on google.

[TracyL]

Bee,

I appreciate your lengthy discourse on starting a car with a manual choke and the proper use. However, this in no way addressed my question. I have no problem starting my car or using the choke as I drive. My question was, "is it normal to have to choke the car to such an extent as I must to start and keep my car running."

Keep in mine that in North Dakota the temperature is around -20F or lower which is equal to -30C your temperature. This is brutal cold weather. To start my Morris I have to use what is call a "hot shot" battery boaster to assist my battery, which is new, but in -20F just cannot spin the engine enough to start the car. Maybe the weather in North Dakota is so much colder than the UK that you cannot compare. I can assure you that pulling the choke out 1/2 way would not come close to enriching the fuel mixture enough to ever start in -20F temperatures.

I will take it to a garage next week have it tuned up and make sure the choke is properly adjusted and that all the other components are adjusted. I've read all the post in this entire section of motoring. I see excellent points from Pam, Jen, Anne/Gerald (guess it's Gerald), Ruth, Anita and others in the various sections. Seem using a manual choke in the UK is a problem considering the number of posts on the subject.

Tracy