Small engines: Better to keep the choke lever on or off when unused?

[Sprinter]

I'm used to always turning the choke off when shutting an implement down. I have a Honda E2000i genny that I dearly love, but sometimes I forget to turn the choke lever back off after one of my two week checkout runs.

I've been noticing that the generator seems to start quicker (one pull usually) when I've done that. Otherwise, it may take a few pulls. Not that I'm complaining; I can live with that, but I'm trying to get my wife comfortable with the generator and she's not strong. I'm on a campaign to get her used to running things around here if things go wrong in our rural situation.

Is there anything wrong with leaving the choke lever on when unused? Any other thoughts? Internal combustion engines is not my strong suit.

EDIT: I didn't mean to imply that I leave the choke on throughout a test run. I always nurse it off ater it starts to run well, but I've noticed that sometimes, it is still on when I go out to do a run. Not sure why, but it seems to start easier when that happens.

 

[StihlKicking]

You should be fine, the butterfly will just be closed instead of open while it’s sitting. However she will have to understand that the choke needs to be turned off once the engine warms up.


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[Sprinter]

You should be fine, the butterfly will just be closed instead of open while it’s sitting. However she will have to understand that the choke needs to be turned off once the engine warms up.


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Yeah, thanks for the reply. It made me start to wonder if it may actually be better that way, maybe even turning the choke back on after the run, the reasoning (right or wrong) being that it may allow less moisture into the carburetor that way and maybe a little less evaporation of the fuel. Right? Wrong?

This engine will not run with the choke on anyway after it starts to run well. I think she may be confusing turning the choke lever as part of the shutdown procedure. Not sure. But if it's not a problem, or even helpful, I won't press the issue.

 

[Giles]

I'm used to always turning the choke off when shutting an implement down. I have a Honda E2000i genny that I dearly love, but sometimes I forget to turn the choke lever back off after one of my two week checkout runs.

I've been noticing that the generator seems to start quicker (one pull usually) when I've done that. Otherwise, it may take a few pulls. Not that I'm complaining; I can live with that, but I'm trying to get my wife comfortable with the generator and she's not strong. I'm on a campaign to get her used to running things around here if things go wrong in our rural situation.

Is there anything wrong with leaving the choke lever on when unused? Any other thoughts? Internal combustion engines is not my strong suit.

EDIT: I didn't mean to imply that I leave the choke on throughout a test run. I always nurse it off ater it starts to run well, but I've noticed that sometimes, it is still on when I go out to do a run. Not sure why, but it seems to start easier when that happens.

Just out of habit, I always flip the choke on when I am through using. It will have to be flipped on to start next time---and me or my wife won't forget.

 

[jetsam]

It doesn't seem like the choke's position during storage should matter unless you're just trying to keep mice out of the carberator.

 

[Sprinter]

It doesn't seem like the choke's position during storage should matter unless you're just trying to keep mice out of the carberator.

LOL. Given our history with mice in the garage, crawl space, etc., that's not such a trivial point. But I get the point. It doesn't matter much. Thanks.

Does anyone think it may actually be an advantage to keep the choke closed to minimize fuel evaporation or anything like that?

 

[festerw]

Does anyone think it may actually be an advantage to keep the choke closed to minimize fuel evaporation or anything like that?

Won't make a bit of difference, the float in the carb would keep the bowl full regardless of any evaporation.

Temperature is about the only thing that seems to affect the 30 year old Honda on my snowblower and even then it rarely requires more than 2 pulls, usually because I've forgotten to turn the ignition on...

 

[peakbagger]

Keep the choke closed, critters like to nest in an engine intake box and its far easier to pull out the nest from a plugged intake track then to have to fish it out of a carb.

 

[Sprinter]

usually because I've forgotten to turn the ignition on...

LOL. Yeah, been there too

 

[Sprinter]

Keep the choke closed, critters like to nest in an engine intake box and its far easier to pull out the nest from a plugged intake track then to have to fish it out of a carb.

Well, I hadn't thought of that angle, but I should have. I had to clean up a mess of a mouse nest from the engine compartment of my standby car once. They'd pulled a bunch of insulation from the inside of the hood. I'm sure they had a nice time. Ugh.

Anyway, I've always wondered about that about manual choke implements. Thanks for the responses.

 

[jetsam]

I was just being cheeky when I said to close it to keep mice out, but apparently that's a thing!

 

[Sprinter]

I was just being cheeky when I said to close it to keep mice out, but apparently that's a thing!

I have a little 50cc scooter that I don't use anymore, but a while back I opened the seat lid and found a nest of mice in it making a nice little home for themselves. I couldn't believe they got in there because it seems pretty well sealed, but like they say, where there's a will...etc.

 

[peakbagger]

I have found way too many mouse nests in the intake box of my truck. Luckily the air filters have a metal mesh in them that they cant chew through. It saves having to clean out the mass air flow sensor.

 

[Sprinter]

I have found way too many mouse nests in the intake box of my truck. Luckily the air filters have a metal mesh in them that they cant chew through. It saves having to clean out the mass air flow sensor.

Yup, prevention is the best bet always.

 

[greg13]

I think some people are WAY over thinking things, lets worry about some important things like should you leave the bathroom door open or closed when no one is in there.

 

[VirginiaIron]

The only thing I can think of is if the choke operates with a knob that pulls out from the unit. The knob may get caught on something or damaged since it will be sticking out from the case.

 

[VirginiaIron]

I have found way too many mouse nests in the intake box of my truck. Luckily the air filters have a metal mesh in them that they cant chew through. It saves having to clean out the mass air flow sensor.

I have placed mesh at the air intake openings of all my vehicles to prevent this.

 

[maple1]

My take.

The usual drill when starting a cold engine starts with turning the choke on. That is a universal thing on all engines that have a choke. Fully ingrained and an automatic process for me after all these decades of pulling pull cords or kicking kick starts. Or if lucky turning a key. And one I have (tried to) pass on to my kids as they were learning this stuff on Honda 50's on up.

So, anything else leads to confusion & uncertainty & hard starting. Hitting the choke, if the choke is already on, can turn it off. (It's actually hard to tell off from on on some carbs - e.g., levers on bikes).Then it won't start. Then you wonder what's wrong with this POS? So I never touch the choke after turning an engine off - then it's ready for the next cold starting procedure.