Folks: I have a 1983 Subaru GL wagon with a 1.8 engine, and it has a Hitachi carburator that has an electrically heated, bi-metalic automatic chokeoperation. Anyway, the thing has been VERY cold natured just recently, and until it runs for several minutes, it goes like a bucking bronc. The Haynes manual book tells me to check for voltage at the electric bi-metalic heater. I did, and it only reads 1 (ONE) volt. Is this supposed to be all it reads??? That wire is supposed to send current to the bi-metalic automatic choke thus heating it up so that it expanded the bi-metalic coil, and opening the choke slowly. Although the book don't tell how many volts it;s supposed to read, there is an illustration in the book, and the electrical multimeter in the pic is reading 6 volts. I also turned the ignition to the "on" position and put my finget to the bi-metalic coil and it dod NOT get hot as it;s supposed to. Is there something like a resistive wire that is limiting the wire to the 1 volt I'm reading, therefore, not giving it enough heat to make it operate the automatic choke??? Thanks a LOT fo rANY help. Chuck

Should be 12V.

Choke is powered by the Fuel pump control unit(FPCU-a fancy relay)

Probably has bad contacts or the power to that section is bad.Fuse #5,I think.

 

If your car has a computer and an O2 sensor(don`t think so) there is a seperate choke relay.

Naru: Thanks a lot. I'll check that. it JUST started doing it recently like I said. However, the car had been "sitting up" for about 2 yrs till I could get the gas tank holes repaired and after that much time, I knew there would be "bugs" to work out in the car, but this thing pretending to be a "bucking bronc" in a rodea LOL, is rediculous. I'll surely check that fuse and/or fuel pump control unit. Chuck

My choke also does not have 12v. Going to check using this method. Where is this FPCU?

Edited September 3, 20205 yr by NuclearDeLorean