Starting a 328 at 6,000' or at Sea Level on the Same Day

Heated garage?

The car (fluids) is warm when you start out, drive it around, and when you tuck it in at night, it will be ready to go next time

 

When I lived in Colorado (and it was close to 100 degrees and 6500 feet ASL) it would start right up warm or cold. Same here in Anchorage (sea level, sometimes in the 30s). I have never noticed a difference in starting the car, as far as a different technique. I guess I am the opposite of you: sea level cold or altitude hot. Just make sure it warms up regardless of the climate. Turn the key, dont touch the throttle for me.

However, it does run better at sea level in cool air.

 

FChatter Mike328 has been very helpful to me in the past, he had a 308 here in Denver and upgraded a while back to a 328. MIKE??? YOU HERE???? I assume he'll have some good input.

James in Denver

 

Hi Paul (hey James!),

Lots of F-cars up here in Denver where the drivin' is good! As a general rule, fuel injected Ferraris seem to have no problem starting or running at the higher altitude or even temperature differential. Now, I've seen some weirdness in my 328 at ridiculous altitudes (10,000 feet - Leadville, CO) but overall the altitude has not had any effect on my starting or running techniques. Same goes for temperature--CO has beautiful, sunny days in the middle of winter--so 30, 40 degree rides in January are not unheard of. Again, the starting experience is always similar. (Make sure your battery is strong, of course! There's a big difference in starting at 10 volts vs. 12 volts...)

Certainly when starting, I never even touch the throttle.

Carbureted cars are different story. With my old carbed 308, you could significantly alter the "experience" of starting the car based on what you did with the throttle--how many pumps before hand, how far to hold it down when starting.

My feeling is, and I think the general consensus would be, that you should not be experiencing problems in starting running your car at reasonable altitudes and temperatures, not in a fuel injected car anyway. Now, "hot start" issues I think are common; sometimes, when the car is hot and I go to restart it, it can take just a few seconds longer to get fired up.

If you continue to have a lot of trouble starting, there may be some issue somewhere...

 

I have driven several Fcars, including a 328, to the summit of Mt Evans ( 14,200). Just turn the key and go no matter where you are. Not much power up there of course.

Dave

 

FYI, the 328 already has a battery cut-off. Open the hood and look behind the driver's headlight for the red gizmo. That's a pull-off connection that disconnects the power.

 

Fuel injected cars should automatically compensate for changes in altitude. My car(308qv) came from Houston before I had it (sea level) I live in the Denver area (5280ft) and 2 weeks ago I was on the road to Squaw Pass, elev 11,000ft, I had no problems just turned the key and she fired right up. (at 11000 ft, there was snow on the side of the road, so very cold too)

 

Paul -- there are some things that you might try IMO if your symptom is opening the throttle 1/2 way helps for both cold and warm restarts:

1. Check the condition of the 7.5A "cold start electro-valve" fuse (fuse #9 on page 94 of the 396/85 OM) -- this not only controls the cold start valve (as it is labeled), it is also involved in running the fuel pump during starter motor cranking if the airflow metering plate doesn't deflect. When you open the throttle plate during starter motor cranking, you "help" the engine deflect the airflow metering plate, which then runs the fuel pump via a different electrical path.

2. If that fuse is OK, try swapping in a different ...101 relay into the "fuel injection delivery pump starting relay" position (relay S on page 94 of the 396/85 OM) -- for this test just use one of the other ...101 relays from the headlight function. Same sort of thing here -- if the airflow metering plate is not deflected during starter motor cranking, the current to close the fuel pump relay (and run the fuel pump) takes one path inside this relay; however, if the airflow plate is deflected (again aided by opening the throttle plate), the current to close the fuel pump relay flows thru a different path inside this relay.

3. Another test along these lines would be to unplug the blue safety switch at the airflow metering plate. With this unplugged, when you turn the key "on" you should hear the fuel pump running. Then go to the "start" position and see if the engine will fire without opening the throttle.

Just some suggestions (that don't get you greasy )...

 

IMO = in my opinion

Good hunting -- I know that you must have a problem somewhere because all of the K-Jet and KE-Jet equipped F models should start (cold or warm) without depressing the acc. pedal (as the OMs state). Here's a jpeg of the safety switch for reference:
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As you already know, it's not the end of the world, and you've got a quasi-reasonable work-around, but it isn't something that I'd put down as a positive on a PPI.

I guess it would depend on how long you are cumulatively cranking and how "hard" the start event is -- does the RPM overshoot some?

Like the others have reported, my KE-Jet just starts beautifully (and near instantly) warm or cold (even in a 40 deg garage) so sort of a shame that your giving up one of the good points of the K/KE system -- especially, if all it takes is checking/replacing a fuse