Scorpio Cold Starting

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Wed 19 Sep 2001 16:11
Scorpio Cold Starting - John
As a complete non mechanic perhaps you could advise on the following:-
Last winter my scorpio 2.9 12v would start without a problem but then stall immediately if i didnt keep the revs up and generally act as if the leads were faulty until it warmed up. Then no problem. My local Ford dealer to his credit, refused to take the car in and said change the oil to 5w/40 ( i believe). Would that make sense to you as i didnt get round to it last winter but am about to get the oil changed and it has run perfectly all summer. Any thoughts.
Regards
John
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Wed 19 Sep 2001 16:58
Re: Scorpio Cold Starting - Andrew Bairsto
Change the oil by all means but I cannot see that curing the problem alone.If the car has run ok all summer there is now reason why it should not run all winter .Some of the tune up boys on this site should be able to give you more advice.
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Wed 19 Sep 2001 18:02
Re: Scorpio Cold Starting - Adam Going (Tune-Up Ltd)
John,

The oil could be afctor as on a 'heavir' grade the hydraulic tappets couls be 'jacking-up' intil the oil thins / warms. However, I agree with Andrew that there is probably something else underlying. First suspect would be the coolant temperature sensor (the one for the EFi management, not the one for the temp gauge!), also the cap, rotor, and leads.

Regards, Adam
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Wed 19 Sep 2001 19:29
Scorpio Cold Starting - David Lacey
Make sure the basics are OK - as Andrew says. Cap, Rotor, Plugs & Leads all give trouble and should not be overlooked.

I also doubt the engine oil is a contributory factor here, but it wouldn't hurt to change it.

Many engines have a dislike to cold starting when the cold damp weather returns (as now), problems that would not show up in the hot dry summer will now rear their heads. The Rover K Series engine is a good example of this.

Rgds

David
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Wed 19 Sep 2001 21:21
Re: Scorpio Cold Starting - John
Thanks for the suggestions
I did replace all the leads, plugs etc. last Autumn. Only covered11k since then. Looks like the thinner oil and temperature sensor would be a good start.
Regards
John
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