cannot start engine...again

Hi, guys!

A few days ago, when I resumed flying this beautiful machine, I noticed that the startup procedure didn't fire up the engine and moving the fuel lever to half way at 600 rpm would do nothing. I found an entry on this forum that there is a bug that doesn't fire up the engine if you close up more circuits on the right electrical panel than just the generator. Tried the new procedure and it worked nicely. I even considered it to be more true to life because the starter needs lots of amps to turn the engine so why would you load many consumers on the GPU when you could do it when your own engine is providing the power after the starter has done it's job. Not to mention the shock that the whole electrical system is getting when the starter is on.

Now, after yesterday's (or the day before) update the engine will not start firing at all, in any configuration I try. So what happened and what is the new procedure?

My procedure:

1. call for chocks

2. call for gpu

3. right side electrical panel: - generator on

4. left side engine controls: - instruments and lights on

- ignition circuit on

- booster pump on

- transfer pump on

5. cover up and start the engine

6. at 600 rpm, fuel lever open half (one press of the HOME key)

Unfortunately, the engine sits at 600 till the starter is automatically stopped a few moments later. As I said, I have tried with all circuits closed but for the battery, with no circuits closed (not even generator), with and without flicking the Air Start switch on the left panel....nothing worked.

I have no axis conflict and the fuel valve lever works with the default HOME, RSHF+HOME, END keys.

Thanks,

Adrian

I had trouble starting the engine, same process but I found that instead of using a keyboard for the fuel lever I use the mouse. First of all I push it all the way down, start the engine and then wait until it spools up (I think that's what you call it ) a few seconds then slowly pull up the lever about a third up, you can hear the engine spool up more and then push it all the way down again a few seconds later and it worked for me. I sometimes forgot to make sure the throttle was right the way back, that caused it to stall !!

Hope this helps.

Mizzy

Hi, Mizzy!

After more testing I found the problem. It was actually from the fact that the throttle lever was NOT at it's lowest position. I use a HOTAS Warthog FCS and I guess the throttle quadrant doesn't give the lowest signal when in IDLE.

So before trying to start I pressed Num + until the throttle moved forward a bit, and then I kept Num - until the throttle didn't move. The engine started OK with no problems then (using the keys for the fuel valve lever). It's weird that the Warthog isn't completely down when at IDLE because the portion from IDLE to OFF the FCS is a button instead of an an axis. Anyways, maybe some calibration would do the trick.

Thanks a lot for your answer, you made me go back to basics and the problem is solved.

Adrian

Hi again,

it wasn't the throttle quadrant. Jumped the gun on that one. It seems to be linked to the outside temperature. I was using -18 C for my first tries and -5 C for the one that worked. So...I don't remember any limit (at least not withing -20 C) on the start of the engine. Is there any?

Thanks.

I don't know, I am not very good at this game and I don't fight in it very often, in fact I have only started to fight this last week or so. Someone who knows how to play this game properly would have to answer anything technical as I am useless !

Mizzy

Have you tried turning the battery on?

Just tested a start at -18 C with just the generator and the battery on (with GP) and it started OK. Shouldn't it be off for start?

I think the manual says it should be off - yes.

But I´m not sure since I had troubles with it since the beginning (also depending if I was playing in SP or MP) - maybe it´s a bug?