Starting fluid

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article does not cite any references or sources. (March 2008)
Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed.

Starting fluid is a mixture of volatile hydrocarbons (heptane, butane and propane), dimethyl ether (as a propellant), and carbon dioxide. It is often useful when starting direct injected diesel engines or lean burn spark engines running on alcohol fuel. Starting fluid works due to the low autoignition temperature of diethyl ether: 360 °F (182 °C).

Starting fluid comes in a regular or premium grade. The regular grade contains 21-35% diethyl ether. Premium grade starting fluids have a 40-60% diethyl ether content. The rest of the volume is commonly taken by heptane, with small amounts of hexane.

Using starting fluid to get the engine running faster avoids wear, especially on rarely used engines. Mechanics, especially amateur mechanics that lack diagnostic machines, sometimes use it to diagnose starting problems. If sprayed into the air intake on a car, it can be used to determine whether the spark and ignition system of the car is functioning, since the engine will run until the starting fluid vapors in the intake system are exhausted. It is used more often with carbureted engines than with fuel injection systems. It is especially useful for starting diesel engines in colder weather as they do not run efficiently until the engine block warms up to a certain degree.

Starting fluid is not recommended for two-stroke engines, because it has no lubricating qualities. The lubricating oil for these engines is mixed with the fuel.

Starter fluid is sometimes used as an inhalant. Sometimes referred to as "passing the shirt," the starting fluid is sprayed on a piece of cloth and held up to one's face for inhalation. This trend has gradually picked up since the turn of the century, especially in the state of Alabama, where phrases such as "etherized" and "ethervision" have gained popularity. The effects of inhalation vary, but have been known to include lightheadedness, loss of coordination, paranoia, and sometimes hallucinations.