Issue starting engine
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Hi,
I have a recurring issue starting one engine. Starting from cold and dark, when I get to engine start, one refuse to go over 40%. It’s not always the same, today in two separate sessions I had the issue first with engine 2, then with 4.
The others start normally, and I get no error except for an apparently normal “VLV NOT SHUT” light on the engine anti-ice.
The manual refers to a couple of procedures, one for an aborted start (you just have to wait, but it does not say how long), one for running the start motor for some time. Neither has worked.
I have to say I’m a bit frustrated with this plane. I love flying it, but I seldom get there and spend most time on the ground. Just Flight is considerably better than the competition documentation-wise, but I feel some troubleshooting support is missing.
Anyway, hope someone can help me sort this out. Thanks in advance!
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That sounds like fuel may not be getting introduced into the engine. I would recommend double-checking that all four fuel pumps are switched ON on the overhead panel prior to engine start, each throttle is moved to the FUEL ON position when N2 reaches 10% during engine start, and that you don't have any possible FUEL or STARTER related control assignments that could be causing a conflict.
It is also worth noting that the engine start switch is a three-position switch with positions START/RUN/MOTOR. The normal engine start procedure is to momentarily move the switch to the START position. If the switch is accidentally moved to the MOTOR position, the engine igniters won't be powered during the start sequence.
Hope that helps.
Mark - Just Flight
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Thanks for the reply. Alas, all that was checked (I went and re-read the entire startup section in the manual). Worst, I’ve now gone through two additional sessions, and now I lose engines that were successfully started before take off. First time I reached the apron when one engine died; second time I didn’t even have time to leave the ramp.
Somehow it’s always either engine 2 or 4, never 1 or 3. I don’t have a single control assigned to either fuel or starter, and the few keyboard keys standardly assigned to fuel are double inputs, so highly unlikely I’m pressing them by mistake. I’m completely stumped and haven’t been able to take off since yesterday afternoon after 4 successful flights…
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And now I went through a sequence of starting 4 through 1, and somehow lost 4 before 1 was fully spooled up. And it won’t restart. Fuel is ok, transfer on auto, all pumps are on, engine ice on, it started fine and stabilized in the first place so why does it stop?
This is soul crushing, definitely not how I want to spend my weekend.
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Did you use to be able to get the engines running and can't now? Or has it never worked for you?
Beyond ATC has had a bug where it would kill engines somehow - should be fixed in latest patch, so maybe you have been using that.
Otherwise try unplugging any controllers and starting it with only keyboard/mouse.
Another thing you could try is using the tablet for setting the ready for TO state and seeing if the engines start/keep running. -
I don’t use Beyond, but I should have thought of using the TO state from the tablet… Thanks for the advice, I’ll keep it in mind for the future.
After one session where I painstakingly went through the whole procedure at a very slow pace, double checking everything, and still no dice, I became more and more convinced it was either a bug or some compatibility issue (although I use very few addons), rather than an error on my part. So I just uninstalled the plane completely and re-installed anew.
That seems to have done the trick, I’ve already had two flights since and no issues starting - and keeping - the engines.
