Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Morgan Aero 8, 2012< Plus 8, SuperSports, Coupe & Aeromax Starting up after lay up

I haven't driven my Morgan for a few months - any thoughts on revival after a long sleep? Turn the key and go or something else?

Interestingly the Ford GT had a specific routine for this - the only car I've owned that ever did.

Start up and leave to warm up on tick over is what i normally do. If its been in a dry garage that should be all thats needed.

Apart from checking pressures and fluid levels, I think oil draining down off the engine surfaces is the main area of concern, but with modern oils and pumps it will get circulated very quickly.

I can't see that a newish BMW engine would have much of a problem, in an ideal world you might want to let it crank for a few seconds before firing to build up oil pressure, but the ECU map will know how long to hold the engine in crank mode before switching to the cold start map.

What was the Ford GT routine, as a matter of interest?

The Ford GT required you to put the accelerator and clutch to the floor and hit the start button. This would crank the engine without firing it and you could do this for as long as you wanted - but 5 seconds or so was enough to get the oil from the dry sump and over the engine.

I have to say it felt rather odd to crank that monster with the foot flat down on the go pedal. However I never appeared in next door's garden, so it did work.

I am sure you always do, but after switching on the ignition give it a few seconds until all the check lights go out, before attempting to start the car.

However with such a magnificent collection and history of cars Neilda, I would have thought that you would have a man to carry out such menial tasks?

That's interesting, thanks.

I would expect that a modern ECU would be able to hold an engine in crank mode until the oil pressure had reached a determined value. On my ECU (which dates from 2007) there's just a time parameter which is currently set to a minimum of 3 seconds cranking before the engine is allowed to fire.

The Ford GT option is quite neat as it gives a user override.

Tim, I think the GT's oil pressure gauge would come up to pressure during this routine, can't quite remember.

Bud, yes I should manage - but am generally a bit cack handed!

I use to pull the fuel pump fuse, then crank it until the oil pressure built up, then reinsert the fuse and start and warm the engine up.

That sounds a really scary thing to do ..

Drove my Aero today for the first time this year (last drive was on 28th December)..... and it didn't want to start! It's been on a trickle charger, but all I got was a click. Fiddled around a bit trying to see if any connections were loose to the starter, and fortunately got it going before I had to do too much (and I'm not sure I actually did anything useful).
It then went beautifully, which just shows it should be used more, even in the depths of winter.
Hopefully take it for a long run on Wednesday.