Having a problem during Cold Start procedure

Hey gang,

I am curious if anyone else is seeing this. Have been learning cold start the last few days with the Hornet on the Carrier in Persian Gulf. Cold Start Mission.

Early on in process, after igniting the right engine - move to idle and engine spools up.

Oftentimes I will have a Gen Tie message in standby caution panel. I know when I see that message, after that right engine has spooled up and stabilized, I will not get the warnings and alerts or the deedle deedle sounds. I don't believe it is going through a BIT.

However every now and then - not often - that Gen Tie message will not be displayed , and everything proceeds through the BIT as it should.

When it happens though ( very frequently), if I quickly turn the battery off and back on, then I will get the sounds of the BIT and Gen Tie message disappears, but I don't think everything is coming out as it should. Like I do not get the OK on the AMPCD after INS alignment and the time remaining says zero and is flashing. So do not know if this is going to cause me any issues later on in flight.

Anyway, am I the only one seeing this when cold starting the Hornet? It is very puzzling to me as it is very early on in checklist when this happens and Gen Tie is displayed.

Perhaps a bug?

Thanks for any feedback,

ps: I have also tested on the Caucuses Map on runway, same thing happens.

I've seen what I think you are describing, but only after I have shut down and am restarting again.

I've seen what I think you are describing, but only after I have shut down and am restarting again.

Interesting, mine is happening virtually all the time now at the very beginning of cold start.

Frustrating.

Thanks much for the feedback! I will continue investigating on my end.

Do a Repair and cleanup of DCS, just in case and make sure you're following all the steps in the correct order. A quick sequence (skipping checks and in between steps) is:

1. Battery ON

2. APU ON -> wait for the green light

3. Starter Right -> at around 23% RPM, move the throttle from OFF to IDLE, wait until RPM stabilizes at around 65%

4. Starter Left -> at around 23% RPM, move the throttle from OFF to IDLE, wait until RPM stabilizes at around 65%

I don't have your issue, but I can do a cold start next time I'm in the F-18 and look if it occurs.

Do a Repair and cleanup of DCS, just in case and make sure you're following all the steps in the correct order. A quick sequence (skipping checks and in between steps) is:

1. Battery ON

2. APU ON -> wait for the green light

3. Starter Right -> at around 23% RPM, move the throttle from OFF to IDLE, wait until RPM stabilizes at around 65%

4. Starter Left -> at around 23% RPM, move the throttle from OFF to IDLE, wait until RPM stabilizes at around 65%

 

I don't have your issue, but I can do a cold start next time I'm in the F-18 and look if it occurs.

Thanks much - yeah I have already tried the above, with exception of a Repair.

Still get the Gen Tie message and odd behavior.

I am running Kneeboard Builder, but according to it the info only goes into Saved Games. And it worked early on for me for a few missions, then went wonky.

I do a cold start off the carrier every time I play. Like Rennes I only ever see the Gen Tie message on a shut down and restart scenario. That being said any time I shut down the plane doesn't act right when I restart. FCS issues mainly along with the Gen Tie and INS too. I don't know if I'm shutting down improperly or what. A cold start right from spawn has always been 100% successful for me.

Gen Tie message appears when Parking Brake is OFF and left engine generator is connecting to the bus spooling up.

Parking Brake needs ON until left ENG(starting with R ENG) is - almost - fully spooled and connecting.

Gen Tie message can be disappeared by pulling the parking brake handle ON/OFF with both ENG opeartional

I'll tell you more interesting thing:

Me and my friend entered a server and sit in a cold F-18. I was going to teaching him how to cold start F-18.

I was telling him step by step. We did exactly same steps but while I had no issues, his aircraft was giving "GEN TIE" warning.

We went Spectator and back to slots and tried again. Everytime he got GEN TIE warning, I had nothing.

We couldn't get this situation. :\

Gen Tie message appears when Parking Brake is OFF and left engine generator is connecting to the bus spooling up.

 

Parking Brake needs ON until left ENG(starting with R ENG) is - almost - fully spooled and connecting.

 

Gen Tie message can be disappeared by pulling the parking brake handle ON/OFF with both ENG opeartional

Thanks for the feedback.

Ok so I know it is not the parking brake as I do leave it set to on until much later in the cold start process.

I can try pulling the parking brake handle on/off as suggested with both ENG operations, but by that time the BIT test has not run because it won't. Keep in mind that message is coming on for me on like step 4 of the start up procedure. After right engine has spooled up.

Perhaps I will try pulling parking brake handle on/off/on prior to staring the right engine.

Will mess around with it some more tomorrow.

Gen Tie message appears when Parking Brake is OFF and left engine generator is connecting to the bus spooling up.

 

Parking Brake needs ON until left ENG(starting with R ENG) is - almost - fully spooled and connecting.

 

Gen Tie message can be disappeared by pulling the parking brake handle ON/OFF with both ENG opeartional

:doh::doh:

Well I got it!

Problem was totally on my end.

Apparently early on in the process of my learning Cold Start in the Hornet, I got confused and was not engaging the parking brake properly. So it was not engaged. This caused all this trouble I was pulling my hair out over. Ugh, I will learn to better pay attention and double check everything I am doing with the procedure to insure I am doing it properly when an issue such as this happens.

It works properly every time now, runs the BIT test, no Gen Tie message, and I get all the proper screens.

majapahit - Thank you so much for pointing me to the right direction by mentioning the parking brake thing !! No telling how long I might have gone without figuring that out. I was simply not engaging it properly.

Much appreciated.

Now back to my Hornet learning process!