If a couple short bursts of spray into the intake don’t elicit a cough or two from the engine, emptying the can isn’t going to work, either. In short, if you have to use starting fluid, use it sparingly. Many of the problems with starting fluid can be attributed to operator error rather than the fluid itself. Starting fluid, on the other hand, does readily ignite in the cold, helping to start the engine and generate heat to more easily vaporize the fuel.īut a little goes a long way. Plus, an engine requires more gas in the fuel/air mixture at startup, making a cold engine doubly difficult to start and keep running. ![]() Anyone who’s started a carbureted car on a frigid morning knows this all too well. Plus, gasoline doesn’t vaporize as readily when it’s cold. But carburetors don’t vaporize fuel as effectively as fuel injectors. In carbureted engines, fuel is vaporized as it’s forced through the tiny openings or nozzles in the carburetor. The fuel injectors in your car or truck do a great job of completing this task. Given the disdain many harbor toward starting fluid, why would anyone use it?īecause it can be effective in gasoline engines – especially carbureted engines – when used as directed.įor gasoline to combust, it must first be vaporized. With minimal work, you can find all sorts of cautionary tales on the Internet of people blowing up engines after using too much starting fluid. Plus, it has no lubricating properties, so it can hasten piston wear. Their high compression can cause the fluid to ignite too early, effectively causing pre-ignition, which invites all kinds of problems, like catastrophic piston or rod damage. In this case, the starting fluid likely washed the inside of the engine clean of oil, allowing metal components to contact and eventually seize.ĭiesel engines, too, can suffer the effects of starting fluid. Starting fluid typically contains ether, which is an effective solvent. Its owner, the story goes, liberally sprayed starting fluid into the intake when the engine wouldn’t start. One mechanic I talked to blamed starting fluid for ruining the bearings in a two-stroke outboard motor. Others use it to help coax a stubborn engine to life on a frigid morning. ![]() Some occasionally use it to help revive an engine that’s been pulled from storage. The detailed answer: Ask five gearheads or mechanics their opinion of starting fluid, and you might get five different answers. The real question to ask is, “Why does my engine need starting fluid in the first place?” Find out the answer, then fix the real problem. But it can be bad for two-stroke or diesel engines. The simple answer: In small doses and used properly, it can be effective in hard-starting gasoline engines.
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