My 80 has been having a cold start problem. I have replaced the plugs, wires, and altenator (needed it). I have check my conection to the cold start injector, the injector, and the ground wire. All checked out ok. I Check the Auxilary Air Valve. It seemed to operate fine. My first question is the valve ever fully closed or does it stay about a third the way cracked at all times. Mine would stop at 1/3 open. My secound question would some one email me a picture of the thermal time switch location. peferably one a fout away and then one at the radiator pointing at it's location. Any help would be appreciated as the weather is horable in Arkansas and dont want to replace a starter.

Shane

I dont have a picture but that sensor that your seeing is the right one, its back by the firewall under the intake manifold. Im gonna change the intake gaskets this spring and while im at it im gonna change the thermal time sensor and all the vaccuum lines, and clean the crap out of everything while im at it. I don't know if you can get it without taking the manifold of but if you are able to get the plug off you may be able to get a long enough extension and a deep socket in there to get it out. Just be carefull with the plug so you dont break it and make sure to drain the coolant. I used a spark plug socket to get the coolant temp sensor off and I think it is the same size as the TTS just pull the little rubber piece out of the socket and it should work.

I know i need to read my manual (in car due to lunch time) but do you know if every model had the Coolant t.s.? And is that located about the same height but around the 2nd log? if so i think i saw it but didn't pay attention because it wasn't what i was looking for. I am planning on going to my fathers tomorrow and working on it since he has a garage and seeing how i have a problem with my Daily D i will try my damndest to get it off. I will let you know if it's possible.

Thanks
Shane

Does anyone have pics? Or maybe a manual that they can copy and send to me in email. It's shane_youger@yahoo.com. I think i know where it is but a true picture would be great. I saw what i thought was it under the fourth manifold log and about the fuel distributor. Is this hard to remove with out taking the intake or fuel D. off? What is the typical signs of one that looks bad? or is it even possible to tell by looking at it?

Thanks
Shane

I have a 1981 wagon that was real hard to start in the winter too. I don't know if you want to do what I did, but this could get you by until warm weather finally gets here again. Nothing worse than having to wrench on a car in the winter.
What I did was disconect the wiring from the cold start injector, and hooked the injector to 12 volts, through a switch inside the car so I could turn on the injector and hold it on while I cranked the engine. It's a temporary fix, but I could get the car started without any excessive cranking. I'd leave the injector on until the engine smoothed out enough to stay running. It worked for me.

Thank you for the idea. I think i am may try this. I feel that one of the problems is the time and weather and that it's a 27 year old car (it has a few on me). Lately it's been in the teens at about 5:45 if not colder. It did get up to the fiffties the other day at lunch but that didn't help. O well i am just rambeling.

Thanks
Shane

Doing what Gary suggested is the easiest was to solve the problem. The ThermTS is located it a really hard to get at place ...under the #4 intake manifold. They usually don't go bad, but the wiring to it could be bad. When the temp of the coolant is below 60F the TS fires the Cold Start injector. Unless you really want to have your 80 in "original" condition, I wouldn't go thru the trouble of pulling of the intake manifold to get at the ThermTS...a hard wired toggle switch inside the car serves the same purpose. Think of it as a manual choke like you had to pull to get a carburated car to start.

I did this fix on my old 75...on its B20 engine the Therm TS was located in an easy to get to location, but right near the oil filter. I broke the contacts on two of them with an oil filter wrench, got tired of paying for a new ones and just hard wired the ColdStart INjector with a switch mounted in center console...there are several blanks available there. Drove it that way for years.


Why oh why don't they make 240s anymore :(
75 245(RIP), 80 244 M45 226K, 87 245 M47 172K

I was reading last night and read that if i hear a lot of noise from the main fuel pump that it means the in tank is usually going out, out, or clogged. My main seems to run alot on start up and will flicker in and out on my drive to work which is about 25 minutes. Now i have replace the filter under hood. and was wonder if A: that a faulty in tank could produce rough starting or B; if there is a secound filter in route that i need to check.

Thanks
Shane

PS-I am the type that really loves to look at soemthing to understand it so would you car to send some picks of your temporary fix to shane_youger@yahoo.com? Thanks

What do you mean by: My main seems to run alot on start up and will flicker in and out on my drive to work ????


If your main pump stops running the engine will stall...the pump supplies the pressure that opens the injectors.

The effect of a dead in tank pump will only be noticeable when there is less than 1/3 of a tank full. There is a sack-like filter on the intake of the in-tank pump.

Sorry i wasn't being clear. What i meant to say was that the pump seems to get louder upon start up and will come and go on a trip. And thank you guys again on the switch idea i was looking at it today in the parking lot trying to get ideas. My dad was out of town. Hopefully it is warm tomorrow.

Thanks
Shane