Originally Posted by
dont overfil
The Cessna 172M models I flew only primed two of the four cylinders and seemed to need more prime than usual when very cold. When it did start it would quickly stop again.
I would leave the primer out when starting. When the engine faltered I pushed the primer in and it would then usually keep running.
Pulling through after an initial prime should also help.
D.O.
This works well for most engines. Part of the problem with is people do not follow the POH direction. Specifically underpriming the engine. On cold days up to 6 strokes of prime may be required. The normal procedures section of the POH has a section on cold weather operation.