72 cutlass, 455 4-barrel.

How can I check if the choke is working? I believe it is electric. My guess is the round black thing attached to the passenger side of the carburator? It has a red wire and a black wire running to it so I checked the red wire and it was getting power but I didn't see the choke close. Am I missing something? I really don't know too much about chokes.

If you don't have any cold start problems, it's working properly.

In the morning, before you start it, pump the gas pedal once. then check to make sure it's closed. After you start the engine, it should gradually open within a minute or two.


Yes, 12V power holds it open, not closed.

Norm

I went to start the car, pumped the pedal once, and the choke didn't close. The car still started. I closed it by hand and it then opened up more as I rev-ed the engine up. How can I fix this? Could it be something other then the choke (like whatever it is that tells the choke to open/close)? Any advice is appreciated.

Thanks,
Kevin

If it's starting OK, and not running rich when warm (you've seen black rear bumpers...) then where's the problem?

There may be a problem when the weather gets colder. Sometimes the mornings are pretty cold here in WI. I am going to check the wiring to the choke to make sure it is installed correctly tonight. If that's not it, I can try and adjust the choke. We'll see whats next after tonight.

*G* this reminds me of a van at a small college here, 350-4BBL ~1975 Chevy, and in cold weather, no one, no one could get it running with only one starting attempt. Flutter the gas pedal...

The first car I drove was a 1969 Renault 16, choke knob on the dashboard. 4-on-the-column shift, too.

The car started because it didn't need the choke under those conditions. What was the ambient temp?


So, you don't know anything about the choke, how it works, or under what conditions. But you are going to repair and adjust it, on the outside chance it might show a problem next winter?

Looks like you don't need any more help from me.

Norm

The temp was around 60. I have researched how the electric choke works, but I have only worked on manual chokes before, so this is kinda new. I now know how it is adjusted and when it should open/close while running. My question now is: if it isn't cold outside, should the choke close after I pump the pedal before starting? Or does this only close when it is cold outside?

Thank you for the help,
Kevin

Well, the spring-actuated chokes are like that, open the throttle and the plate snaps shut (in cold). I would guess that the electric one operates from a signal, so as long as that signal is being sent when needed you should be fine.

On my sister's 1970 Audi Super 90, the choke was tied into the coolant system; it had two tiny little heater hoses running up to it.

It should not have been closed.

Norm

The only difference between his choke and the one it replaced, is its heat source.

Norm

My 1980 Phoenix choke would open too much too soon, and a lukewarm engine would tend to stutter from loss of vacuum if you opened the throttle too much.

Once for the hell of it I ran air-shock tubing from the carb, through the firewall, to a can of butane lighter fuel ... pshhht ... it actually made the cold engine run better.

Redneck NOS Cool

Your "stutter" was not caused by lack of vacuum. If you want to discuss it further, please start a new thread.

WTF does a 1975 Chevy, 1969 Renault, 1970 Audi, and a1980 Phoenix have to do with a '72 Olds choke? For that matter, WTF do they have to do with anything Olds?


Just the opposite. Butane is a fuel. Since it does not contain the oxygen to compensate for it, it richened the mixture. It did not run better, it ran worse.

NOS is oxygen but has no fuel to compensate, so it would have leaned the mixture, and it would have also run worse.

The post doesn't further anyone’s understanding of the choke on a Q jet, and perhaps should have been in the "off topic" section.


Now, back to the topic:


How cold is "(in cold)"? How cold does it need to be for it to "snap shut"?


That would mean, you already have the answers to all the questions you've asked.


According to your above statement, you don't have any more questions.


Yes and no, depending what you mean by cold, and by close. But you already know when it should open and close.


Yes and no, depending what you mean by cold, and by close. But you already know when it should open and close.


If it's starting OK, and running rich, the problem is not choke adjustment.


First step in troubleshooting is always, to define the problem.

Norm

You were not in that car, I was. I used the butane to enrich the mixture, as you say, but it ran smoother, not worse, because as I said, the electric choke opened too soon. A little burst at the right time could prevent a stall.

I admire your complete confidence in the correctness of your statements, but that can not change the events that I actually experienced.