The secret art of starting an S1...

Not sure if this is really the right forum but hopefully will get some replies… I’ve only had the car a couple of months but have an intermittant starting problem which I’m currently troubleshooting (with the aid of the search button )

However, tonight I finally read the hand book and found the bit about starting the car with the accelerator depressed 25mm. Ever since i passed my test all those years ago, I was taught that it was evil to use the throtle when starting up - so can anyone tell me what the constant throttle application here achieves? And more to the point could this be why I occasionally can’t get it to catch?

Nine times out of ten it starts with no throttle at all so I suspect not but thought it worth asking

Always nervous that it might not fire up, made worse by the fact that I so look forward to hearing it blast into life . . . then driving it!
But with battery conditioner attached.I’ve had no problems . . . bar one.

Should start first turn of the key without any throttle!

The reason for the ‘evil’ you mention, is that it is not a grand idea to let the engine go straight above idle RPM with cold oil and low oil pressure… As it would do with 1 inch of throttle applied! Especially is the car has been sitting for a while! Indeed when new engines are built the oil pressure is often built up via the oil pump before the engine is fired up for the first time. So it really does more good than harm if it does not catch at the first turn of the key as at least you will have some oil pressure and circulation all primed up for when it does!

With the original ECU, this was often the case. With an Emerald fitted, mine always starts first turn of the key!

Goes MUCH better too!

New high cranking battery and cleaning all the earth straps seems to have cured my problem anyway Must have started the car twenty or thirty times since (with no applied throttle) without any reoccurance…

So I’ll ingore Lotus’ advice for now then

Cheers