Author Topic: Electric Choke not Working  (Read 31148 times)

Offline LTZ C20

  • Senior Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 3795
  • "I'm here for a good time" -George Strait
Electric Choke not Working
« on: January 17, 2012, 11:29:54 PM »
I have a 79" Cheyenne C20, SB350, basically stock engine, Edelbrock performer series intake and Edelbrock performer series carb, model 1400, CA smog legal with electric choke. When I bought the truck the carb was on and the choke hooked up, it has positive (12V) from the fuse block and is grounded to the block. I am not sure if its wired right though. I have never seen it work and my truck has a choke light that has never come on. Does anyone know how to make the choke work when you first start the truck and then shut off on its own when its warm enough and make the choke light come on when the choke is on? Thanks ya'll.
LTZ Cheyenne C20

Offline bake74

  • Senior Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 5871
    • Build Thread
Re: Electric Choke not Working
« Reply #1 on: January 18, 2012, 09:39:47 AM »
      There has been a write on on this, I will try to find it, but I believe Vile went through this not too long ago with someone.  Did you try to do a search either here or in the tech section.
     Do a search in this topic, it will pull up several threads for electric chokes, I know one of them has a diagram in it that someone posted on how the wiring should be hooked up and how the choke light in the cab works too.

« Last Edit: January 18, 2012, 09:44:45 AM by bake74 »
#1: The easiest and most obvious solution to any problem is 99% of the time correct.
#2: There is no such thing as impossible, it just takes longer.
  74 k10, 77k10    Tom

Offline 1980c10

  • Senior Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1205
Re: Electric Choke not Working
« Reply #2 on: January 18, 2012, 11:59:31 AM »
Generally speaking(may not be edelbrock specific); If it has a "pos" from the fuse block it will always remain open. It should have an "ign" from the fuse block. In other words the The wire leading to the choke needs to turn on when the key is turned on. This closes the the choke. As the key remains on this wire heats up the choke and slowly moves it to the open position. Understand the electric choke has nothing to do with engine temperature. It is essentially timed from when you turn on the key. If the choke needs adjustment to open sooner or later this is done by loosening the screws on the choke housing and rotating the choke either forward or backward. The high idle is set much like your regular idle, its just the opposite side and harder to find. I don't know how the light operates.

Offline 78 Chevyrado

  • Z62 ON-ROAD
  • Senior Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 2681
    • My Photobucket Site
Re: Electric Choke not Working
« Reply #3 on: January 18, 2012, 12:36:21 PM »
I think the choke light in the dash would have been for an engine with a manual choke.

Kenny

1978 C-20, 350/400, 3.73, Graystone Metallic, Raceline Renegade 8 Wheels - 18x8.5, 275/70R18 BFG KO's

Offline Elpresidente

  • Registered Users
  • *
  • Posts: 212
Re: Electric Choke not Working
« Reply #4 on: January 18, 2012, 08:13:17 PM »
If someone else used a different 12 V source (i.e. alternator wire) not connected to the original electric choke wire, your light won't come on.
'82 Chev Scottsdale
Proud to be Canadian \m/

Offline LTZ C20

  • Senior Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 3795
  • "I'm here for a good time" -George Strait
Re: Electric Choke not Working
« Reply #5 on: January 18, 2012, 09:57:41 PM »
Thanks everyone. The POS is in a fuse block port but I don't think it has power to it. All of the labels are rubbed off my fuse block so I don't really know whats what. I'm going to try and find the IGN socket and use it, Hopefully I will figure out the light too.
LTZ Cheyenne C20

Offline 87454westernhauler

  • Frequent Member
  • **
  • Posts: 453
Re: Electric Choke not Working
« Reply #6 on: January 18, 2012, 10:14:24 PM »
would it work to just rig the choke up on a togle switch so u know when it is on or would that be a bad idea?
86 c10 350 sbc 700R4 Daily Driver
79 gmc c20 350 th350
78 k1500 4x4 350 th350

Offline LTZ C20

  • Senior Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 3795
  • "I'm here for a good time" -George Strait
Re: Electric Choke not Working
« Reply #7 on: January 18, 2012, 10:26:28 PM »
I'm not quit sure about that, but I like things to work like they should have new and I hate toggles in my dash. Haha, so I won't anyway.
LTZ Cheyenne C20

Offline 87454westernhauler

  • Frequent Member
  • **
  • Posts: 453
Re: Electric Choke not Working
« Reply #8 on: January 19, 2012, 07:31:05 AM »
true... should of seen our old 88 s10 blazer we used to have. it had lots of issues with rust and grounds so we just started hot wiring everything on toggle switches! ;D would up with almost a dozen befor we junked it.
86 c10 350 sbc 700R4 Daily Driver
79 gmc c20 350 th350
78 k1500 4x4 350 th350

Offline jaredts

  • Senior Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1330
Re: Electric Choke not Working
« Reply #9 on: January 19, 2012, 08:34:19 PM »
Make sure your choke coil only gets 12v when the key is in the on or acc positions.  Don't worry about the choke light, as it won't work unless you get back into the factory oil switch setup.  Keep in mind that the 12v to the coil is just a choke heater that opens the choke during the first few minutes of running.  If you unplug that wire your choke should still work, it just will stay closed too long and run too rich after a few minutes.  Do you have the words "lean" and "rich" along with some lines on the top of the black plastic coil cover?
« Last Edit: January 19, 2012, 08:40:14 PM by jaredts »

Offline LTZ C20

  • Senior Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 3795
  • "I'm here for a good time" -George Strait
Re: Electric Choke not Working
« Reply #10 on: January 20, 2012, 06:41:10 PM »
I don't know if I have "lean" and "rich", If an Edelbrock Performer 1400 carburetor does then yes I do. I have 12V coming from the fuse block in an ignition part. Since that is 12V constant hot when the truck is on, will having the choke always under power while the truck is running burn out the electric part of the choke? Also, for some reason when I set the choke cold, after warming up when I try to kick it off, it doesn't come off all the way. I have to reach to the carb and turn the weight on the left side around to go past the choke screw to drop the idle. And, sometimes when I come to a stop it begins to stutter and I have to give it a rev to even back out.
LTZ Cheyenne C20

Offline 1980c10

  • Senior Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1205
Re: Electric Choke not Working
« Reply #11 on: January 21, 2012, 04:06:48 PM »
You wont burn out the choke that is exactly what it is supposed to do.
Your second two problems are related. your fast idle cam or shaft is a probably just a little sticky; spray it with some carb cleaner and work it back and forth(with the key "on" for a few minutes so it moves all the way).

Offline LTZ C20

  • Senior Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 3795
  • "I'm here for a good time" -George Strait
Re: Electric Choke not Working
« Reply #12 on: January 22, 2012, 01:08:19 AM »
Thanks. I will do that tomorrow, getting this straightened out is my project for tomorrow.
LTZ Cheyenne C20

Offline LTZ C20

  • Senior Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 3795
  • "I'm here for a good time" -George Strait
Re: Electric Choke not Working
« Reply #13 on: January 23, 2012, 05:25:52 PM »
I had a lot of luck yesterday getting my car to work. Does anyone know what size the holes are in the jets for an Edelbrock Performer Series 1400 carb? Are the primary jets the same size as the secondaries or are the different. What size are the primaries and secondaries? Thanks ya'll, I can't find this anywhere, I even called Edelbrock themselves!
LTZ Cheyenne C20

Offline 1980c10

  • Senior Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1205
Re: Electric Choke not Working
« Reply #14 on: January 23, 2012, 07:04:58 PM »
The top of the jets are marked with a 3 digit part number that indicates the diameter.
Jet sizes starting with a 3 are smaller than 0.1 inch; jets beginning with a 4 are larger than 0.100 inch.
For example a 389 jet is 0.089 inch and a and a 472 will be a 0.720 inch

Typically the primary and secondary jets will not be the same size. Depending on tuning either could be larger.