Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Morgan Three Wheeler & Super 3 Cold start problem M3W

We have a series of extremely cold weather here these days, and some M3W owners are complaining.
They can't start after the car is put in cold outdoor more than 30 mins. (-10 °C or lower)
Any idea on how to solve this?
Thanks.

Back in the 1960s when I had bikes that didn't like the cold it was possible to buy a spray can of ether, which one sprayed into the air intake. It certainly worked, but I'm not sure it was good for the engine.

Another trick was to take the plugs out and heat them up to "hot" in the kitchen oven before putting them back and starting the engine.

Well thank you but I don't think either way is a good idea after you park the 3 wheeler by a cafe, have a cup of tea, and then ready to leave...

There are some things that might help;
For cold starting, it helps if you turn on the ignition for a few seconds (till the fuel pump stops running) switch off then repeat, then try starting it.
S&S recommend 10/40 oil for low temperature use rather than the 20/50 that is normally suggested for the X-Wedge. This will reduce the load on the starter motor and battery a bit.
The battery needs to be kept topped up - assuming you are getting the same battery that we do anyway. Quite a few people seem to find the standard battery a bit marginal, might even be worth changing to a battery with a higher cold cranking capacity.
Coldest I've started mine is about -5°C so can't say for sure that any of the above will work.

Another couple of thoughts; if this has been a bit of an only one car problem then check that the regulator rectifier is actually working and the battery is being charged, and also remember that the alternator is a bike type unit so can run out of amps to charge tha battery if it is being run with all lights, heated seats, heated clothing etc.
Also a possibility would be a failing fuel pump; check the pressure at the Schraeder valve on top of the throttle bodies, it should be 58psi. If it's low then pump itself could be on its way out or the fuel filter could be clogged and the mixture might be a bit lean for cold starting.

Best of luck.

And burn your fingers on installation. 😂

Does the engine turn over?

Another possibility - have you just filled up with petrol? If you do and then leave the car for a short while it can be vey difficult to start. The cure is to release and redo the filler cap to vent the fuel tank and then it may be OK.

Having said that mine is very slow to start at sub zero temperatures and I found 4 or 5 long (10 -15 second) bursts on the started eventually go it going.

is it possible to install an engine block warmer on one of these?

kaiji welcome. Its great to hear from you. Some time ago I saw a video add about a Morgan dealer in Beijing. Good luck on the starting issues, all the stuff being said above is good. I heard of one bike rider using an old electric blanket wrapped around the engine. Maybe if the blanket is big enough wrap it around the battery also?