Re: no start Spider?

[Carlo.Cardilli@domain.elided]

This is a repost - turns out my postings were being discarded as my
administrator "modified" my e-mail alias .. grrrr.

On 28 Feb "Ferdinando Di Matteo" <ferdinando.di@domain.elided>
wrote:

>Robert, I feel obligated to set you straight on starting procedures.
>Your Bosch fuel injected engine needs no
>throttle advance, keep your foot off of the pedal.  Gas cannot flow back
to
>the tank just sittng idle for long period, there is a check valve to keep
>the fuel up into the rail.
>What is needed and absolutely essential is a fully charged battery that
can
>deliver at least 11 volts to the FI and ignition systems WHILE cranking.

Alfisti (and Fred in particular)

I have been having some starting problems for a while with my FI Spider
that my wrench can't seem to diagnose.
About 10% of the time it won't start first time (mornings or evenings),
sometimes catching and dying.  What works is to simply step out the car,
take a 5 minute walk, and upon return - bingo - it starts maybe 50% of the
time.  Repeat procedure until you make it out of the garage.

Going to Fred's comments, I find that it always starts if I blip the
throttle at just the right time, just as I can hear the engine catch. Is
this coincidence ?

Wrench thinks it that the check valve may be old and not keeping fuel in
the rail.  Would this be consistent with symptoms?  Also, any comments on
the accuracy of the dash voltmeter in late 80s Spiders?  I am planning to
co-opt my wife to check cranking voltage this weekend, but I'd rather save
my limited supply of mechanical favors for taking the hard top off as soon
as it stops raining around here.

Thanks for any and all comments,

Carlo Cardilli
86 Spider Quad, SF

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