Is your airplane giving you attitude? Here are some common problems that we see, and some workarounds:

Continental Fuel Injection "Hot Start":

We see this one all the time, from Turbo Arrows to Bonanzas to T-210's. Ever shut down your plane, have lunch, return, and the plane simply will not start? We've seen it! It's simple to work around when you know what's going on.

The engine-mounted fuel pump is what sends fuel into your cylinders during startup. When your engine is hot and sits for awhile, the fuel in the pump vaporizes, and the pump does nothing but shove vapors around.

The solution? Cool the pump with some cool fuel! Set the mixture to IDLE CUT-OFF. Run your boost pump for 60 seconds. It feels like an eternity. Do it anyway. The fuel will circulate from your tank, to the pump, and back to the tank (because of the idle setting). Turn off the boost pump, and start normally. Voila, no more "start-and-fizzle" when the vapors arrive.


Lycoming Fuel Injection "Cold Start":

Specifically the 172R and 172S:

We know the checklist says prime with boost pump for 5 seconds. Skip this step out here in the southwest and you won't start with that loud BOOM that brings the fire-trucks.