How to Start a FIAT

Our younger members need to hear this because they have never driven carbureted cars, much less ones where you have control of the choke.

So you sit down and check the mirrors and fasten you seat belt.

Push the accelerator pedal to the floor and hold it there. That gives it one priming squirt, and that should be enough. It also makes it much easier to pull the choke knob out, as the choke has a smooth fast idle cam.

So pull the choke out about as much as you think best for the temperature. For really cold, maybe 50% to 75%.

Hold the clutch down and back off on the accelerator to about 10% and start cranking. Once it catches you should get oil pressure right away. When you change the oil always prime the filter so that you will get oil pressure right away. Idiot lights should be out and any ammeter or volt meter should show electricals working.

You are keeping it running with the accelerator pedal. Push the choke all the way in.

On cars with cold start injectors, these only run for about 2 seconds. That should be the maximum for the choke. Choke stuck closed can destroy an engine in 20min, that can wash oil off the cylinder walls, contaminate the oil, cause vapors to be in the crank case and explode.

So aim for 1 second on choke, 2 seconds max.

Now, you want it to idle without your foot on the accelerator. So start pulling the throttle knob out until that takes over from the accelerator. Now you can move your foot from the accelerator to the brake. As you drive along you will be pushing this back in.

Now look all around, put it in gear, release emergency brake and you are off.

FIATs are a real blast to drive as well as being a pride to own and a pleasure to work on and maintain.

SJG