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Engine Start and Fuel Cutoff Issue

(Original thread started on 05-19-13 by Ron Rollo)

I was watching Eric German's video the other day and saw that he was able to get his engines to lite off at about 21-22%, in other words in a timely manor. I have been having some trouble getting my engines to lite off, if at all.

 

First off, let me tell you what I have and what I am doing. I am running FSX. I have a push button assigned to "Engine Auto start", for quick starts. I also have my Engine Start panel hoked up and working, sort of. But in both cases, whether I attempt to start the engine(s) using the Start switch on the engine start panel or the Engine Auto Start button, it delays and delays and delays until it either finally starts or gives up.

 

I also have the throttles hooked up including the fuel cut off switches at the bottom of the throttles. I can pull the throttles out of fuel cut off position and place them in idle but still have the delay.

 

I never had this issue when I was using FS9 back in the day and as a matter of fact, I seem to remember having this issue with FSX even with my desk top sim, indicating that it has something to do with FSX itself.

 

So the million dollar question for the guys who are using FSX:  Do you have any issues with delayed Engine starts?

 

(Posted by Alan Norris on 05-20-13)

I have my start switches and the standby fuel pump switch lights programmed with the XML files from Eric and mine work fine. They sometimes get "out-of-sync" with FSX when I have to shut it down and restart without restarting JET45 and then they sometimes won't start at all or the START and IGN lights on the EICAS and the LEDs in the switches won't go out. I have to open up the FSX fuel panel and turn the IGN switches off.

 

I think Eric told me once that if FSX and JET45 are not started and stopped together, they get mixed up but I'm sure he'll chime in.

 

(Posted by Eric Tomlin on 05-20-13)

I believe you have an issue in the execution of the start function (how you have it programmed, or more than likely the fact that you still have the Fuel Cutoff = 1 going on).  To be sure, simply press CTRL+SHIFT+F4 to insure that the fuel is not in CUTOFF position and then press the start switch. If it works, then you're not coming out of "cutoff".

 

(Posted by Ron Rollo on 05-20-13)

I was talking to Eric German last night and he says that he experiences the same issue using the Auto Start function (he does not have a Engine Start panel yet, or at least wired up). He seems to think that the issue revolves around the fuel cut off switches. He say he can generally start the engines up with Auto start but if he shut them down, he can not restart them.

 

This morning I did a few test and I am still in the same place. I tried a Engine panel start and then a auto start without touching the fuel cutoffs and nothing happened, (fail). Then I shut everything down and moved the throttle levers into idle. After the shut down of the computes and the throttles in idle, I tried another Engine Panel start, (fail) followed by a Auto Start, (Fail).

 

Alan, do you have your fuel cut off switches programed?

 

(Posted by Alan Norris 05-20-13)

I agree with Eric -- just program using the XML files -- If I run without stopping and starting anything, it works fine for me. I have my fuel cut off programmed -- you need to select Mixture_N Lean for cut off and Mixture_N Rich for idle (N = engine number). Also the parking brake offset is a word at xBC8. Write 0 to it for OFF, and 32767 for ON. Use the Offset Word Set control in the drop down.

 

FYI, reverse thrusters are set as a switch. Use ThrottleN_Set (N = engine number) with parameter -4096 for full reverse and 0 for idle.  Hope this helps.

 

Whenever I move my throttle levers from fuel cut off to idle or vice versa, the EICAS display of L R ENG SHUTDOWN changes -- indicating that the fuel cut off is working okay.

 

(Posted by Ron Rollo on 05-20-13)

Alan has the answer! The issue with my set up was that the fuel cutoff switch was not programmed correctly. It was only set to toggle the fuel valve. In other words, it was doing a great job at cutting the fuel to the engines but nothing to get them up and running.

 

I used "Mixture1 Lean" in the Cutoff position and "Mixture1 Rich" in the Idle position for Engine one. "Mixtrue2 Lean" and "Mixture2 Rich" for Engine two.

 

I am still experiencing a small amount of delay while attempting to start the engines after a shut down but this is 95% resolved. I just did a one hour test flight and it seems that everything is working flawlessly! Thanks Alan!

 

(Posted by Chris Capkalu on 04-29-15)

I found the solution to my engine starter issue! It works flawless and perfect now with the FSX LJ45. I have buttons for Fuel on (mixture rich) and Fuel cut-off (mixture lean) and engine start 1 and 2. And a rotary switch for NORM and IGN mode. IGN has to be set when starting engines otherwise they do not ignite at 20% N2. Nice thing here, when I turn the switch to IGN, it brings the ELEC page of the EICAS up to verify generator amps etc. during start-up. Off course this has to be set inside FSUIPC with the appropriate offsets.

 

Now my engine start-up procedure is running this way:

- Fuel ON (ENG 1/2)

- IGN switch to "IGN" -> ELEC page is coming up on EICAS, ENG IGN within FSX is on, engine starter light on (shows me that engine N2 is below 20% and engine is ready to start)

- push engine starter 1/2

- engine starter light (LED within starter switch) extinguish when N2 >20%

- when engine is up and idle, IGN switch to "NORM", summary page on EICAS is coming up

 

It's slightly different from the real LJ45 procedure but it is more common for all bizz/regional-jets which I fly with my deck.