Ktm Cold Start Button? The 139 Latest Answer

The cold, dark mornings have returned to our daily lives, and our cars are once again bearing the brunt of the frigid weather, growing sluggish as we head deeper into winter.

What do you do in the morning when your car won’t start? You should be on your way to an important meeting, but you have to call an ambulance, order a taxi, and make submissive calls to apologize and try to reschedule any important appointments.

This is common because low temperatures can cause your car battery to produce less current, making it all the more difficult for your engine to start in the morning. The cold can also cause your engine oil to not flow as well, putting even more strain on the battery. Basically, cars and cold don’t get along well.

In this guide, we’ll look at the main reasons why cars struggle to start on cold mornings, share six handy tips for getting the engine running, and show you how to avoid future non-starters.

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4 reasons why your car might not start on a cold morning

To avoid starting problems in cold weather, it can be helpful to understand the reasons why cars often struggle when the temperature drops. Driving in cold weather can be both dangerous and a problem for your car. Consult our winter driving tips to prepare for winter driving. Below we list the four main reasons for starting problems in winter:

Car batteries produce less electricity when it is cold because the chemical reaction is slower than on a warm day. Cold batteries simply don’t produce the same amount of power as warm batteries, and this effect can cause starting problems. When it’s cold, engine oil thickens and stops flowing around the engine. This makes it harder to pump through the engine block, putting additional strain on the battery. If the battery is already low, it can cause a failure to start. In the rare event that there is moisture in the fuel lines, it can freeze and cause a fuel blockage, meaning the engine will not start. This is especially common with fuel lines, which are flimsy and easily blocked by ice. And as for diesel drivers, remember that diesel “gels” in the cold, meaning it takes longer to get power to the engine when starting. The fourth reason for starting problems does not affect all motorists, but those who drive older cars with carburetors. Carburetors are particularly vulnerable to cold, mainly due to their small jets, which can clog and prevent moisture from evaporating, leading to ice formation. Most modern cars don’t have a carburetor, so if your car was built in the last 20 years, don’t worry. If you drive a classic car, however, you should be aware that the carburetor can cause problems.

How to start the engine

1. Turn everything off

All of your standard electrical accessories like headlights, heaters and radios use battery power. So if you turn all of those off before trying to start the car, the battery has a much better chance of getting the engine running. If your engine starts, let it run for a while before turning any of these accessories back on or you risk destroying the battery again.

2. Dip the clutch when you turn on the ignition

Another sneaky trick that can sometimes work is dipping the clutch slightly when you twist the ignition. This actually reduces the work the battery has to do and gives the engine a fighting chance to start even in a cold car.

3. Check that your battery cables are clean and tight

Locate your car battery under the hood and take a close look at the wires. If you can see signs of corrosion – a salty, crusty substance – you need to clean it for the battery to function properly. Make sure you’re wearing safety goggles and gloves, disconnect the battery leads (minus first) and clean them with a toothbrush and a strong mixture of baking soda and water. When swapping cables, always connect the negative cable last to avoid electric shock.

If your cords are corrosion-free, it’s still a good idea to check how tight they are, as loose cords can prevent current from flowing properly. If clamps are loose, tighten before attempting ignition again.

4. Top up your engine oil

Does your engine sound like it’s really struggling to turn when you try the ignition? It could be because you are low on engine oil. If your oil level is low, the battery will be put under a lot more strain when you start the engine, and if the battery is cold or not in top shape to begin with, you’ll never get anywhere. Use a dipstick to check the oil level and top up if it looks low before attempting to start the engine again.

5. Bradex to the rescue

When your car is struggling in the cold, its engine needs all the help it can get to jump to life in the morning – and that’s where Bradex Easy Start comes in. Bradex makes the fuel-air mixture more flammable and helps your engine fire faster. Simply spray into the engine’s air intake for a few seconds, then turn on the ignition – it’s that simple. It’s one of the quickest ways to get your car running and could save you if you miss that important meeting.

6. Jumpstart

This really should be your last resort when you’ve exhausted all other options. Even if you have jumper cables in your car, it’s not a good idea to try if you don’t know what you’re doing as you could injure yourself or damage your car.

If you’re an old hand at jump starting though, this is worth a try if you can find a good samaritan with a running car to help you out.

With both cars idling and the engines off, connect one end of the red jumper cable to the positive battery post on your car and the other end to the positive battery post on the other car. Then attach one end of the black jumper cable to the negative battery post on the other car and the other end to an unpainted metal surface on your own vehicle. Then start the other car’s engine and let it run for a few minutes before starting your own engine.

If unfortunately that doesn’t work, then it really is time to call roadside assistance.

Avoiding non-starters in the future

If you can’t stand the idea of ​​dealing with this nightmare in the morning when you’re already stressed out about getting the kids to school and getting to work on time, then read on. Prevention is better than cure and these tips might keep you busy this winter.

Replace your battery

If your battery has been ramping up lately, you might want to consider taking it to the garage for a battery replacement. It’s an unwanted drain on the wallet, sure, but worth it to prevent potentially more costly breakdown calls when your drained battery dies on a cold morning. It’s a good idea to do regular battery health checks to make sure the connections are clean and the cables are secure.

Keep your gas tank filled

We all know that an empty tank of petrol means a stationary car, but did you also know that starting a cold car first thing in the morning uses 40% more fuel than usual? In other words, if you’re driving home from work tomorrow night and find that your fuel tank is looking a little low, it’s a good idea to fill up before you put it off for the night, or you might find that you’re too shortly come next morning.

Use the right oil

There are sometimes different engine oils that you can use specifically for cold weather. Check your owner’s manual to make sure you’re using the right one for cold weather conditions, and invest in new oil if you’re not.

Bradex Easy Start is one of Holts’ well-known emergency products that gets you back on the road quickly so problems don’t disrupt your day.

The cold start valve is also referred to as a “cold start injector”. It sits in your car’s intake manifold and is connected to the cold air intake. Your engine needs to be at the right temperature to deliver power all around the car. While older cars use a choke to deliver extra fuel, the cold start valve is the equivalent in modern cars. When your engine is too cold, your car’s computer commands the valve to inject more fuel into the system. This creates a richer air-fuel mixture and the combustion process can take place. Symptoms of a failed cold start valve include a failure to start your car and poor fuel efficiency. If your engine is flooding when you try to start your car, the cold start valve could be leaking. To find a cheap replacement on CarParts4Less.co.uk please enter your details in the parts finder tool above.

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How the carburetor throttle works – open or closed position

Throttle valve applications and functions

Choke is a valve that modifies intake manifold pressure, thereby increasing the amount of fuel in the air-fuel mixture. Choke is generally used in naturally aspirated carbureted engines. The choke is a butterfly valve mounted at the inlet of the carburetor air passage (upstream of the carburetor venturi tube). Normally the choke is in the open position where the valve is parallel to the airflow and has no effect on the airflow. When the choke is mechanically or pneumatically actuated, it rotates through an angle that restricts airflow (closed position). It reduces airflow to the cylinder and creates a higher partial vacuum that increases fuel delivery to the venturi throat from the float chamber (rich mixture). Choke is important in a naturally aspirated gasoline engine. If the vehicle is stationary for a long period of time or during the cold season, difficulties may arise when starting the engine, since petrol droplets do not vaporize well when the engine is cold. In this situation, the engine requires a rich charge mixture to initiate and sustain combustion. This can be accomplished by closing the choke valve. Modern carburetors use a spring-loaded choke. It avoids excessive stalling after the engine has reached the desired speed, otherwise the exhaust will contain a significant amount of unburned fuel. The operation of the choke is also made automatic by using a thermostat so that when the engine is cold the choke is closed and when the engine is warm the choke is open.

If you’re having trouble identifying the “on” and “off” positions of a choke switch, you’re not alone. Sometimes it may require a light to come on to tell if a switch is on or off, but in the case of a choke with no bulb what would the indicator be? Which symbol on a choke is on or off?

The choke icon is in the on position and restricts airflow to the engine when the lever is pointing to an angled or horizontal line. This can also be denoted by the words “choke”, “full choke” or “start”. When the choke is off or disengaged, the lever will point to a vertical line or the word “Run.”

There is a lot more to know about how a choke works and what those symbols or words mean. The concept isn’t difficult to grasp, so read the rest of this article and you’ll know everything you need to know about small motor chokes.

What position is “Choke On”?

For those not very familiar with mower or trimmer engines, knowing what a choke is used for and what the positions mean can be confusing. Understanding the simple operation of a choke will help you better understand what the position of the choke lever does.

First, why is it even called a choke? Your lawnmower’s (or other electrical device’s) choke function is used to control the air entering the cylinders and mixing with the fuel.

More specifically, when the choke is on, airflow is restricted and when it is off, air is free to enter. This means that the condition of the choke on your lawn equipment can determine how well it performs during use.

I’ll get into more of that later, but turning on the choke essentially keeps more fuel vapor in the engine and restricts most of the airflow that would dilute the fuel vapors. This concentrated fuel environment aids in starting and warming up the engine.

Now that we have an idea of ​​how the choke works it is ideal to know how to identify the ‘on’ and ‘off’ position of the choke on your lawn equipment.

How do you know if the choke is on or off?

Here, RustySkull Productions shows the “Choke” or “Choke On” location icon, also labeled “Start” here.

In most cases, the choke is a small lever or switch on one side of the mower. When the lever is pushed up or forward to a diagonal or horizontal line, the choke will engage. When the choke is on, the carburetor is blocked by a plate-like obstruction.

At this point the system can be said to be “choked” and if the lever is pulled down (or back) to a vertical line the choke will disengage. The obstruction is removed and air is allowed to flow into the vessel where it is combined with fuel.

If you only have one (usually red) switch to control the choke, all you need to practice are these two points:

First, the “I” indicates the choke is engaged or airflow is restricted.

Second, the “O” indicates that the choke has been turned off.

If your lawn mower suddenly shuts off or sounds like it’s struggling to stay on, you should check the choke lever before calling a technician. If the air/fuel ratio is imbalanced, the engine would struggle to run properly, so you’ll always want your choke lever in the right place when using the unit.

Another note: many times in the middle of a long job the engine would start stalling, leading me to adjust the choke and suspect something was wrong with the fuel/air ratio. Although I was usually right about the air ratio in the engine, I usually ended up running out of fuel.

Embarrassing then, but funny now.

Another interesting side point: Researchers are always looking for better ways to use fuels and engine design. Currently chokes are the primary way to control air and fuel entering a carburetor, but in the future this may not be needed.

In a technical article published on SAE.org, engineers and researchers alike are looking at ways to make engine starting easier and more energy efficient for users. Nowadays you can even see automatic throttles on many high-end models from most brands.

However, like most innovations, these come with their own problems.

Here are some other articles for you from LawncareGrandpa.com…

Is it bad to leave the choke on?

This question could go in three directions:

“Is it good to leave the choke in the on position when starting?

“Is it good to leave the choke on after turning the unit on?”

“Is it good to leave the choke on after using the lawnmower?”

The answer to any question about leaving a choke on is definitely no. When starting, the choke is only used to prime the engine. When operating a mower or other small power tool, operating with the choke engaged can indicate or cause problems. Throttles should be turned off for storage.

Leave the choke in the on position during starting

When the choke is on, fuel combustion is optimized for use.

In other words, the air-fuel ratio is controlled and the carburetor can function appropriately. This indicates that it is not only good but also important to turn on the choke before using the device in question.

This position helps when starting and warming up the engine.

Starting Tip: What I usually do to start a small choke engine is hit the intake piston 5 to 10 times with the choke fully open (—), depending on your equipment. I then pull the cord or turn the ignition switch (key) until the engine stalls. Then I reduce the choke to half ( / ) and start the engine. After a few seconds of warming up, I turn off the choke ( | ) to let the engine run normally with optimal air intake.

Now let’s look at the problems that trying to leave the choke on while running could cause or indicate it.

Leave the choke on during operation

Now that you’re in full swing, you might want to pull the choke lever down (or back) a bit. As long as the choke stays on, more fuel would be used, and if you don’t mind using a little more fuel to mow, you can leave it on throughout the process.

However, this may not be ideal for mowing operations that take up to an hour or more. Leaving the choke on for so long can not only cause the engine to use more fuel, it can also increase pollution and cause the system to heat up more than it needs to.

However, this is not the intended or optimal use of a choke. Most normally running engines will stall and smoke at full choke once started and warmed up. Mowers that are properly adjusted and operating with full choke use for extended periods will also have reduced power and movement.

There are two reasons your mower or other equipment may only run on full choke.”

There is some type of clogging in the fuel lines, fuel filter or air filter, reducing the amount of fuel that reaches the carburetor.

The fuel used has a sub-optimal octane mix due to the presence of water or other additives.

Finding and fixing these problems can improve fuel efficiency and operation. For purposes of our discussion here, it can also fix the problem that is causing your mower, blower or weedeater to only run on full choke.

Do you leave the choke in the on position when storing?

After the lawn is mowed to your satisfaction, what do you do? Turn off the power and leave the choke on so you don’t have to worry about it next time?

The simple answer to that is “choke off”.

The purpose of the choke is to warm up the system during operation and when the lawn mower is turned off it is advisable to turn off the choke as well.

Even leaving the choke in the “half” position is not a good idea when storing. In some cases, after starting in the full position, the choke lever can be pulled halfway down and the mowing equipment has warmed up to reduce fuel burn.

Understand the role of the choke in a lawn mower

The choke feature on your lawn mower is designed to virtually throttle the carburetor and restrict airflow. This is to allow the correct amount of air and fuel to mix during operation of the unit. As long as the choke is on, fuel will enter the vessel, and the longer it stays on, the more fuel will be used in the process.

If the fuel supply is too high, it will affect the operation of the lawn mower. You might think that since the lawn mower runs on fuel, higher fuel delivery should be the way to go.

This brings back memories of my first lawn mower. I was sure that the higher the concentration in the fuel store, the more the speed of the lawn mower would be determined. I was wrong.

My actions caused the mower motor to run rough. It can even lead to permanent damage to the carburetor in rare cases. If the fuel supply is overwhelming, the carburetor can leak.

If the carburetor is leaking without your knowledge, think of the potential damage it could cause. This is why you need to know the role of a choke in your lawn mower.

The same applies to the air flow in the carburetor. Cutting off the air supply can also cause the engine to stop working as it was manufactured.

If you notice and feel any irregularities in the idling or normal operating sound of your mower after ruling out choke positioning, I recommend that you get your little engine mechanic to take a quick look.

When the choke lever is pushed up the choke is engaged and when it is pulled down it disengages. You can also pull the lever halfway down during operation or halfway up at the beginning of operation. The colder the engine, the more fuel it needs and the higher the lever should go.

If you’ve determined that none of these positions cure sputtering or stalling, it’s time to look elsewhere for the solution.

The final touch to the choke-on icon…

To summarize our original question:

The choke-on symbol for most small engines looks like a horizontal ( — ) or diagonal ( / ) line. It can also simply say “Choke”, “Full Choke” or “Start”.

The off symbol for most small motor chokes is represented by a vertical line ( | ) or the word “Run”.

Hope you learned something here. If you enjoyed this article, here are some others you will enjoy…

resources

https://www.wikihow.life/Start-a-Push-Lawnmower

https://faq-law.com/what-does-the-choke-symbol-mean-on-a-honda-lawn-mower/

https://support.troybilt.com/s/article/1947-1?language=en_US

The other type is called semi-active suspension and is much more advanced. Here, the suspension adjusters are constantly trimmed by a controller according to a preset program—but the controller also takes into account what the bike is doing. So when you step on the brakes, the ECU knows and can adjust the fork’s compression damping to control the dive. Then, when you step on the gas out of a corner, it takes a look at the rear shock and adjusts the damping there for the best grip. Add an IMU unit and it knows how far forward you’ve leaned, and that as well as speed, gear position, throttle opening and much more can be used by the computer to constantly tweak damping settings. Even more advanced setups are possible if the shock and fork are also equipped with position sensors – this is how the ECU knows where the shock is in the stroke.

The push for mandatory traction control on motorcycles appears to have already begun with a VicRoads safety campaign emphasizing that this is a key to rider safety.

The campaign features a flawed online quiz that suggests traction control “prevents you from falling off”.

VicRoads isn’t the only one to point out that traction control and other electronic driving aids are key to safety.

UNSW Sydney’s Professor Raphael Grzebieta has suggested that every motorcycle should be fitted with an alcohol lock, ABS and other electronic driving aids, while drivers should be “lit up like a Christmas tree”.

So we wonder how long it will be before traction control becomes mandatory for motorcycles.

Finally, ABS became mandatory in European and Australian cars in 2003, while electronic stability control (with traction control) became mandatory six years later.

ABS will be mandatory for new bikes over 125cc in November (lower displacement bikes must have either combined braking systems or ABS) so maybe traction control in six years!

In Europe there is already growing pressure to make more technologies in cars mandatory, such as ‘black box’ recorders, automatic braking and even automatic speed limiters.

They say there is no plan “currently” for mandatory introduction of hi-tech in motorcycles.

However, the examples of emission control and ABS show that motorcycles will eventually follow suit.

In fact, manufacturers are already developing the technology.

traction control

VicRoads’ “Always On” motorcycle safety campaign seems to indicate that traction control is a key to rider safety.

In the online survey, the first question is: “If something unexpected happens while driving and you need to brake, what can help you avoid a fall?”

It offers these response options: ABS, traction control and stability control, or all three.

Your “correct” answers are all three: “ABS stops the wheels from locking, traction control detects loss of traction, and stability control monitors your driving style. These technologies work together to keep you on your bike.”

You got one thing (partially) right: ABS stops the wheels from locking.

Whether traction or “stability control” is activated when braking is debatable.

In order to assess this part of the question, we need to know what they mean by these terms.

On cars, traction control was an early technology that simply cut off engine power when the wheels started spinning.

Stability control is much more elaborate and includes sensors that detect pitch, roll and yaw and controls it with a variety of actions including throttle, brakes and even steering inputs.

No motorcycle has true stability control, although some call their traction control “stability control” when they don’t.

So VicRoads needs to get its terms right first. As it is, the mention of stability control is just confusing.

Also, traction control wouldn’t engage under braking unless you were accelerating at the same time.

key to security?

But is traction control really the key to motorcycle safety, as VicRoads and other “safety experts” suggest?

The idea of ​​traction control is to prevent rear wheel spin caused by too much power for the road surface by reducing engine power.

It helps prevent powerslides, but also wheelies and burnouts!

As a motorcycle journalist, I have experienced traction control on many different motorcycles.

On an early incarnation, it was reluctant to identify the slip and then abruptly stopped engine power, almost throwing me over the high side.

However, traction control has improved dramatically, and many modern bikes now offer different controls for different conditions.

Some, for example, have an off-road setting that allows for some rear wheel slip before a “soft” cut to performance occurs.

This allows the rider to turn the bike with power by shifting the rear end to some degree before engaging.

Traction control also helps prevent skidding on wet tarmac or tarmac roads with waves or slippery scree.

But it’s wrong to think that traction control will prevent accidents.

You can still crash with traction control.

The problem is that if you crash on a bike with traction control, it will most likely happen at higher speeds than if you didn’t have traction control!

Having traction control on your bike can also instill a false sense of confidence that makes riders lax about accelerating.

If traction control were mandatory, how many manufacturers would just add a cheap system that could be more dangerous than not having traction control?

You can guarantee that these cheap systems will be included in the cheaper impellers.

Traction control is an extremely important system on larger displacement bikes, especially since quite a few of us don’t have the reflexes of a MotoGP racer. It goes without saying, but motorcycling can be quite dangerous, especially at higher speeds.

Considering that a motorcycle tire’s contact patch can be about the size of a credit card, you need to carefully assess and manage your tires’ grip when you’re out on a bike. Manufacturers equip more powerful motorcycles with a traction control system that prevents rear or front wheel slippage and helps you avoid an accident on the road.

Traction control systems are found on larger displacement sportbikes or nakeds, usually in the 650cc or middleweight class. However, there are still motorcycles in this class without traction control, such as the Yamaha MT-07. As such, some manufacturers may require customers to purchase slightly more displacement for this feature. However, more modern platforms like the Triumph Trident 660 come standard with traction control compared to some of its Japanese rivals.

How does traction control work?

The system is usually built into a motorcycle’s engine control unit (ECU). For more advanced bikes, these ECUs come with a range of sensors that allow the bike to tell where it is and what it is doing, whether it’s leaning, braking or flat out.

When the system is in place, the ECU can cut off power to the rear wheel if it detects driver input or dangerous road conditions. The traction control system momentarily cuts off power to allow the rear of the motorcycle to regain traction in a controllable manner via the fuel supply system or via a motorcycle’s ride-by-wire system if so equipped.

Why do you need traction control?

The vast majority of drivers will not always be in ideal conditions. Variations such as ambient temperature, road conditions, tire wear, or even rider mood can affect a bike’s ability to maintain traction.

Without traction control, a bike can drift, do a wheelie, or even suffer a burnout. If those words sound creepy to you, you’ll be glad to leave traction control on. Some motorcycles have ride modes that allow the rider to experience different levels of traction control. Some bikes don’t have this feature at all and can be dangerous without proper throttle control.

In summary, traction control keeps your rear end from slipping and prevents a high or low side impact. It also keeps you from losing the rear end when you drive a little more spiritedly or when road conditions deteriorate. Anyway, the best safety system is still proper training and driving habits, but think of traction control as a safety net. It’s nice to have just in case.

A motorcycle’s idle speed refers to how fast your motorcycle rolls forward when you release the brake with the engine running. If you have a carburetor on your bike, the idle speed can be adjusted via the aptly named idle screw. If you have a fuel-injected bike, you may be able to adjust the idle speed with the small knob that sticks out of the engine bay on either the left or right side of the bike. If you don’t have one of these buttons, high or low idle speed on a fuel injected motorcycle is usually a symptom of a larger mechanical problem or a dirty engine bay.