Preventing Dry Start - Camaro5 Chevy Camaro Forum / Camaro ZL1, SS and V6 Forums

Halloween III · 02-10-2015, 07:42 PM

Hi all. Each winter I store the car and it will sit. My fear is having a dry start. The goal is to crank the motor without starting it, circulating the oil. So far, two ideas were mentioned: 1) Installing a oil accumulator or 2) Pulling the Fuel Injection fuses (Mini Fuses 9 and 10). Option 2 is definitely cheaper and easier. Does anyone foresee any repercussions pulling the fuses? Thanks

molsonbrador · 02-12-2015, 06:57 AM

Gas pedal to the floor, turn key. Car will crank without starting, or so I've read. Haven't tried it.

ZiG · 02-12-2015, 07:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by molsonbrador

Gas pedal to the floor, turn key. Car will crank without starting, or so I've read. Haven't tried it.

Flood clear mode, also good for priming a new oil filter. Haven't tried it on the camaro either but I've only encountered one obdii car it didn't work on.

Russell James · 02-12-2015, 12:18 PM

I just fire mine up a few times during the winter. It'll start fine and is still lubed if it only sat for a couple months.

Keep in mind, gas is also pretty slippery. If cranking it with no injector pulse, the cyl walls are probably less protected than with fuel pulsing.

I would just fire it up. Take a long drive, half hour or more, then change the oil. Over winter, gets a lot of condensation in there, good to get the winter oil out after a long drive has cooked out a lot of the condensation.

USMUCL · 02-12-2015, 07:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZiG

Flood clear mode, also good for priming a new oil filter. Haven't tried it on the camaro either but I've only encountered one obdii car it didn't work on.

I'd like to know if this works. If it doesn't, and the car fires up, it is going to instantly rev up with little lubrication . . . thus having the opposite effect of what the OP was looking for.

mar10 · 02-12-2015, 07:17 PM

My 2ss ls3 the pedal to the floor works. It'll turn over for a few seconds then stop.

Russell James · 02-13-2015, 11:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by USMUCL

I'd like to know if this works. If it doesn't, and the car fires up, it is going to instantly rev up with little lubrication . . . thus having the opposite effect of what the OP was looking for.

Works great for clearing a flooded engine. I've never heard of it for any other purpose. Modern FI, rarely ever gas flooded, until maybe they start having problems.

Cars sit all the time for months at a time without starting. They still have oil coating the stuff from when it was last ran. It doesn't evap quickly like gas.

A real dry start is on a fresh build. Oil and assembly lube on all the imporant stuff. Pre-prime the oil system with either a pressurized preluber, or on the old school motors spin the oil pump with a drill. Then fire the motor.

On a modern car that has just sat for a few months, I'd just turn the key and drive it normally. It'll be fine. Sometimes you'll hear a few rattles in that first minute. And that is just lifters that have bled down over time from valve spring pressure.

Start it once a month and run it for a half hour during the winter and you won't even hear any lifters that have bled down. That and some stabil in the tank is all that is really needed.

If something sat for 10 years, I'd be lubing the cylinders and pressurizing some new oil in there and a complete fuel system flush. A couple months, I'd just hit the key.

Halloween III · 02-14-2015, 07:57 PM

Thanks for the replies. I'm happy to hear that the flood clear mode works for an LS3. I'll see if it works for the L99 (my motor). I called the dealership and they didn't think that our particular car had such a mode. A suggestion was made to pull the fuel pump fuse instead of the injector fuse. Crank the motor over a few seconds and put the fuse back in. Maybe I'm a little cautious but those first few seconds after each winter really makes me shiver when the car goes "knock,knock" then smooths out.

JusticePete · 02-14-2015, 08:22 PM

Accusump

AG454 · 02-14-2015, 11:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Halloween III

Hi all. Each winter I store the car and it will sit. My fear is having a dry start. The goal is to crank the motor without starting it, circulating the oil. So far, two ideas were mentioned: 1) Installing a oil accumulator or 2) Pulling the Fuel Injection fuses (Mini Fuses 9 and 10). Option 2 is definitely cheaper and easier. Does anyone foresee any repercussions pulling the fuses? Thanks

I use option 2 after winter storage. Crank it for 30 seconds or so to get oil to the top of the engine. Replace fuses and start normally.

1sick_eg · 02-16-2015, 12:17 PM

Accusump is your best bet for a wet sump system. With a dry sump, you could turn the oil pump by drill to get oil to the bearings. Flood clear mode still turns the motor over dry. It just has no spark.

JusticePete · 02-16-2015, 01:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1sick_eg

Accusump is your best bet for a wet sump system. With a dry sump, you could turn the oil pump by drill to get oil to the bearings. Flood clear mode still turns the motor over dry. It just has no spark.

The risk of the drill prime is forgetting to replace the cog belt

Not that that has ever happened to a racecar

1sick_eg · 02-16-2015, 02:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JusticePete

The risk of the drill prime is forgetting to replace the cog belt

Not that that has ever happened to a racecar

Lol ouch. Painful to think about. Easy to happen though in the mix of things.

402 · 02-16-2015, 02:44 PM

Just start the car.
Using just the starter will not move enough oil to get it anywhere in the engine. This way will cause more wear than just starting the car.

02-10-2015, 07:42 PM	#1
Halloween III Chevy For Life! Drives: 1SS 2010 Rally Yellow Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Connecticut Posts: 18	Preventing Dry Start Hi all. Each winter I store the car and it will sit. My fear is having a dry start. The goal is to crank the motor without starting it, circulating the oil. So far, two ideas were mentioned: 1) Installing a oil accumulator or 2) Pulling the Fuel Injection fuses (Mini Fuses 9 and 10). Option 2 is definitely cheaper and easier. Does anyone foresee any repercussions pulling the fuses? Thanks

02-16-2015, 12:17 PM	#11
1sick_eg Drives: 14 Camaro 1LE,328i, and some Hondas Join Date: May 2014 Location: Virginia Posts: 799	Accusump is your best bet for a wet sump system. With a dry sump, you could turn the oil pump by drill to get oil to the bearings. Flood clear mode still turns the motor over dry. It just has no spark. __________________ 14' Camaro 1LE - Now self-tuned FRH ported heads, Cam Motion LL solid roller, Jesel rockers, Morel lifters, Kooks headers, Corsa exhaust, ADM intake, Stock compression/bore/stroke 551whp 504wtq

02-12-2015, 06:57 AM	#2
molsonbrador Drives: 2010 Camaro SS, 2018 Colorado Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: NC Posts: 2,207	Gas pedal to the floor, turn key. Car will crank without starting, or so I've read. Haven't tried it.

02-12-2015, 12:18 PM	#4
Russell James Drives: '15 SS 1LE, '69 Z28 drag car Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Mich Posts: 4,482	I just fire mine up a few times during the winter. It'll start fine and is still lubed if it only sat for a couple months. Keep in mind, gas is also pretty slippery. If cranking it with no injector pulse, the cyl walls are probably less protected than with fuel pulsing. I would just fire it up. Take a long drive, half hour or more, then change the oil. Over winter, gets a lot of condensation in there, good to get the winter oil out after a long drive has cooked out a lot of the condensation.

02-12-2015, 07:17 PM	#6
mar10 Drives: 2010 SS RS Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: AZ Posts: 406	My 2ss ls3 the pedal to the floor works. It'll turn over for a few seconds then stop.

02-14-2015, 07:57 PM	#8
Halloween III Chevy For Life! Drives: 1SS 2010 Rally Yellow Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Connecticut Posts: 18	Thanks for the replies. I'm happy to hear that the flood clear mode works for an LS3. I'll see if it works for the L99 (my motor). I called the dealership and they didn't think that our particular car had such a mode. A suggestion was made to pull the fuel pump fuse instead of the injector fuse. Crank the motor over a few seconds and put the fuse back in. Maybe I'm a little cautious but those first few seconds after each winter really makes me shiver when the car goes "knock,knock" then smooths out.

02-14-2015, 08:22 PM	#9
JusticePete Drives: Camaro Justice Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Virginia Posts: 20,174	Accusump

02-16-2015, 02:44 PM	#14
402 Drives: Camaro Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: NEB Posts: 242	Just start the car. Using just the starter will not move enough oil to get it anywhere in the engine. This way will cause more wear than just starting the car.