Answer to Possible Stupid Question

[SMILLER@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

MaZe asks what he (she?) thinks may be a stupid question:

>Date: Sun, 27 Sep 1998 18:13:59 +0100
>From: "The MaZe" <thezeeuw@domain.elided>
>Subject: Probably the most stupid question ever....
>
>Hi All!
>
>This time i wanted to ask you all the probably most stupid question ever!!
>but seriously: how to best start your car?
>I own a '86 320i, and i have no experience with fuel-injected engines
>whatsoever. I've been told a lot of different ways of how to best start
>your car: just turn the key, never, ever touch the throttle until the engine
>runs is one. Another: depress the throttle slightly then start the engine.
>And yet another one: depress the throttle once fully, fully release it,
>then start the engine.
>Which way is best? Which is worst? Which is the correct way? Does
>one have
>to tell apart differences in cold and warm engine starting?
>
>And addtional: how about the choke? As i understand it's a complete
>automatic choke, so i don't bother about it, it does it's job when it is
>supposed without user-intervention? Or do i have to activate it one way
>ot another? And if: how and when?
>
>TIA
>Greetinx,
>MaZe ( thezeeuw@domain.elided )
>'86 320i

To which I respond publicly, just in case a bunch of them Lurkers out
there have been wondering the same thing, but haven't asked:

If you have a fuel injected car (I assume you do, since it is a 320"i"), you
should not have to touch the throttle to start the car.  Under normal
conditions, you should just turn the key and the car should start, warm or
cold.

If you have a carbeurated car with "automatic" choke, when the car is
cold, under normal conditions, you need to depress the throttle all the
way once to set the choke, then release it, then turn the key to start the
car.

If you have a carbeurated car with manual choke, under normal
conditions, when the car is cold, you set the choke, then turn the key.

With any car (more so with carbeurators than fuel injection), if the car is
not working normally, you can get into all kinds of throttle scenarios: 
press once, press and hold, press twice, press twice and hold, pump
repeatedly, etc, etc.  Under these abnormal conditions, you should fix
whatever is wrong that causes you to have to do this, then go back to
the normal instructions.

Scott Miller
Golden Gate Chapter 
BMW CCA #44977

P.S.  Sorry about that he/she thing up top, but we don't have anyone
named MaZe where I'm from, so I don't honestly know your gender.

P.P.S.  If you truely don't know the answer, it isn't a stupid question.

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