Paul has noticed that some shareholders have had difficulty starting the aircraft engines in cold weather, particularly the 172’s.
Here is his suggestion:
Check the key and Master to ensure they are OFF. Key visible on top of sunshield.
1. Swing the prop a couple of turns to free up the cylinder oil.
2. Set the throttle about 1 and ½ times the distance you might ordinarily use when it is cold, from ¼ inch to 3/8th inch.
3. Prime the engine. The first prime is usually weak. Disregard it. Pull back the primer again and listen until it fills then rapidly push forward. Prime at least twice using this method. Rapidly pushing the primer forward helps vaporize the fuel in the cylinder. HEV has only 1 cylinder prime while HTD has 2.
4. Turn the Master ON and turn the key to start quickly after priming. If the engine catches you are ok, run it at least a full minute at 1,000 RPM to get the engine oil moving. Watch the Oil Pressure Gauge..
5. If the engine catches but does not run more than a few turns then quits, re-try the start and you may have to pump the primer while turning the starter.
Under no circumstances should you keep the engine turning over more than 3 turns if it does not start. In this case, prime again and attempt a re-start. The batteries are small and even when fully charged are only capable of a few start attempts, particularly in winter.
Beware of flooding as this can also happen in cold weather. Should you flood the engine, open the mixture and throttle fully and turn the engine over a few turns to get rid of the excess fuel. Wait a couple of minutes then try a normal start.
I hope this helps you and saves time during your booking.
