Re: Starting Problem

[John Greenstreet <jgreenst@motown.ge.com>]

> From quattro-owner@swiss.ans.net Thu Jan 12 16:58:16 1995
> Date: Thu, 12 Jan 1995 13:49:06 -0700
> To: quattro@swiss.ans.net
> From: smarinel@Flint.Mines.Colorado.edu (Steve Marinello)
> Subject: Re: Starting Problem
> Reply-To: quattro@swiss.ans.net
> 
> >    I am wondering if anyone has been having starting problems 
> >  with these "winter" fuels.  It seems that right about the time
> >  these fuels were introduced I have been having incredible
> >  troubles starting my 87 4000CS (4 cyl).  I have just replaced
> >  the spark plugs which seem to have helped a little, but 
> >  some of the symptoms still appear.  The starter will turn over
> >  and sometimes it sounds like the engine will start as I release
> >  the key.  Any clues out there? (Battery is also new from Sears
> >  about 1.5 months old.)
> >
> >  -Eric Sylvain
> >   sylvain@ctron.com
> >
> It's the fuels...the volatility of the different "winter/oxygenated fuels
> varies and some have significantly different characteristics, especially in
> "warm" winter weather.  In my '83 TQC, I cannot run Phillips 66 during the
> winter without having major cold start problems.

Just how much do you think volatility varies anyway?  And how would
this affect starting in "warm" winter weather, whatever that is?
According to the Bosch handbook, volatility really only becomes a
concern at very high temperatures where vapor lock could be a problem.  At
any rate, it has a negligible effect on starting a cold engine.

  Conoco gives me great
> cold starts, but often pain in the *** warm starts.  It's just crapshoot
> with each car having its preference based on its particular setup.  A lot
> of it depends on whether it's ethanol or MTBE being added,among other
> things.  

Did you evaluate these fuels under identical operating conditions, e.g. 
humidity, temperature and pressure, every time?

What you seem to have is an engine in a very marginal state of tune, 
and you are trying to blame this on gasolines.  If all this crap about
the gas making cars hard to start were true, I would be seeing
stranded motorists everywhere.

> Try a few different top line gasolines.  Unfortunately, Chevron,
> Exxon and Shell aren't around here in Denver anymore and their are few
> Amoco stations near where I live.  Exxon used to be the best for me

With few exceptions, e.g. Amoco, all grades of gasoline are commodity
items.  There is absolutely no guarantee as to who's gas you'll get no
matter what station you go to.

--------------------------------------------------------------------
John Greenstreet, Senior Engineer           (jgreenst@motown.ge.com)
Martin Marietta Government Electronic Systems    Moorestown NJ 08057
WPI Class of '75, Temple Class of '94

My new car history:
  1975    1978    1982       1986        1989      1992      1995
   VW ->  Audi -> Audi  -> Mercedes -> Mercedes -> Audi -> Mercedes
Scirocco Fox GTI  4000S    190E 2.3    190E 2.6    100CS     S320

POSSLQ's* new car history:
         1978       1981       1985      1988        1990     1993
       Triumph ->  Toyota ->  Toyota  ->  VW    ->   Audi  -> Audi
       Spitfire    Tercel     Corolla   Jetta GL      80      90S

*POSSLQ = Person of Opposite Sex Sharing Living Quarters
Note: All Audis and Mercedes above were sold to friends or family.
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