Slick Start

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perossichi
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Slick Start

Post by perossichi »

I follow the diamond AFM for both cold and hot starts. I’ve never had a problem with starts. Starts within 2-3 prop revolutions.

In the last month or so, I’ve been having trouble with both cold and hot starts. Now I have to crank longer before I feel the engine catch. When I release the start switch and go full rich, the engine drives the prop at 500-700 rpm for a 3-5 seconds before running at the throttle setting of about 1000 rpm. Same for warm starts. There is no roughness just slow. Sometimes I have to try again.

The engine runs very smoothly once started and produces full power. Both run up and In flight LOP mag checks are perfect. Left mag was overhauled within the last 100 hours. The wiring harness was replaced in 2015. All EGT and CHT indications are normal.

I had timing checked on left mag today. I checked and cleaned the Slickstart contacts. I inspected the wiring between the slickstart and the left mag. Looks ok.

I beginning to think that Slickstart is dying.

Any thoughts? Have others had a SlickStart slowly decline?

Thx!!
Sold 2002. Powerflo, Hartzell composite two blade, 530W/430, 345 transponder.
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Steve
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Re: Slick Start

Post by Steve »

Peter:

Don't know if it is the SlickStart. There are testing procedures in the manual:

http://diamondaviators.net/downloads/ma ... Manual.pdf
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perossichi
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Re: Slick Start

Post by perossichi »

Steve

Thx!!! I did read that manual but neither my A&P or I have an oscilloscope. My avionics shop probably does.
Sold 2002. Powerflo, Hartzell composite two blade, 530W/430, 345 transponder.
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Rich
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Re: Slick Start

Post by Rich »

My original SS did fail in this way. Hard starting but still worked. Bench check indicated it wasn't working and it was replaced ($$$). All was well.

BUT

A year or so later it suddenly became almost impossible to start the plane. The battery and starter really took a beating during this time and induced a couple of cycles of the essential bus breaker popping. The new SS checked out fine. The fix was to replace the wire leads between the SS and the left mag (Terminals 1&3). Note that the newer generation produces higher voltage to the primary winding than the older ones. So in the event yours tests out OK I suggest trying this.
2002 DA40-180: MT, PowerFlow, 530W/430W, KAP140, ext. baggage, 1090 ES out, 2646 MTOW, 40gal., Surefly, Flightstream 210, Orion 600 LED, XeVision, Aspen E5
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perossichi
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Re: Slick Start

Post by perossichi »

Rich

Thx. Will report to the forum on what happens.

P
Sold 2002. Powerflo, Hartzell composite two blade, 530W/430, 345 transponder.
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