I've never owned a fuel injected car before, so this is probably a stupid question.
I've removed the air filter to clean it, meantime I wanted to start the engine for a very short time, but it wouldn't start without the air filter element in place.
Is that normal? It sounded like it 'caught' a few times but wouldn't run.
I got it started after giving it a talking to.
Your car's computer learns over time how much fuel it needs to run at any one time, learns your usual driving habits (lazy or always floored) and makes a "fuel map" in memory, and remembers that as it's starting point next time. That's why the fuel economy is so much better than a carburetor.
Without the restriction of the air cleaner element, the mixture would be leaner than the computer expects - it didn't give it enough fuel, no start. On subsequent attempts, it would turn up the fuel shot a little more, and now it starts.
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Depends. Not all ECU's have a 'learning' capabilty. Especially older cars or those without a knock sensor.
That's why the fuel economy is so much
Not necessarily. A good carb setup can be as efficient as a car with fuel injection.
I doubt that. Removing the air filter doesn't usually make the difference between starting or not starting. Mike.
On my mates M plate 520i it did, wouldn't run without the intake pipe connected.
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