Can't start the 747 engines

[Kenjiro75 59]

So I felt like flying the "Queen of the Skies". I have a problem, though, as I can't start its engines. The APU is running, APU bleed is ON, fuel pumps are ON, I pull the starter for the engine, switch the fuel knob. N1 goes up to 2.6 and that's it. The engine won't start.

Any clues beside the one that I'm an word not allowed?

[N7470 26]

Did you turn on bleed air for the engine(s) you are trying to start?

Also, I  have never been able to start the 747 engines by binding the starter levers to controller switches.   It does exactly what you describe like there is a hidden valve not flipped.    If I use the mouse/cursor to pull the starter lever in the virtual cockpit it works.

Edited April 2, 2021 by N7470

[Will Fly For Cheese 1,710]

5 minutes ago, N7470 said:

Did you turn on bleed air for the engine(s) you are trying to start?

That'll do it. (Over on the right of the Overhead)

Edited April 2, 2021 by Will Fly For Cheese

[Dornus 2]

You have to add fuel by switching the fuel control switches below the throttle levers if N1 is ~2.4

 

[eslader 1,783]

Does the engine say autostart above the N1 gauge?

 

You don't need engine bleeds to start the engines. I know, that's wrong, but it's how MSFS modeled it. You only need APU bleed, and we know you have that on because you wouldn't get to 2.6% N1 without it. 

I just did some experiments since I haven't messed with the 747 much as I knew it would disappoint me. And yeah, it's a hot mess, but it shouldn't not start. I loaded cold and dark, started the APU, made sure all the bleeds were off, then pulled all 4 start levers. Nothing happened. Flipped the APU bleed on (left the engine bleeds off) and all 4 engines immediately started spooling. Flipped the fuel cut switches below the throttle, got the "autostart" designation on all 4, and all 4 started fine. I did not turn on the fuel pumps, or anything else for that matter. All 4 engines started simultaneously, which they shouldn't have done given that there was no pathway for APU air to reach them. I guess with the fidelity of this plane I'm surprised you need the APU running *and* the bleed on in order to start. Wouldn't have shocked me if you could do a 4-engine battery start. 😉 

So if you can't get your engine started it makes me suspect the plane loaded in wrong and isn't mapping the fuel properly. Either that or it loaded at 0 fuel, which is weird because MSFS defaults to a 50% fuel load unless you change it. 

 

 

[Elvensmith 165]

Ctrl-E...

[Kenjiro75 59]

Sorry guys, nothing works. All bleeds are on. I have already tried adding fuel at almost all N1 values. No go. No "autostart" above N1 gauge. I even tried to change the fuel on board. No go. Ctrl-E only switches all 4 fuel knobs from Cutoff to Run, another engine starts but as always it stops at 2.5-2.7 N1.

[Oldschool61 38]

On 4/1/2021 at 6:40 AM, Kenjiro75 said:

So I felt like flying the "Queen of the Skies". I have a problem, though, as I can't start its engines. The APU is running, APU bleed is ON, fuel pumps are ON, I pull the starter for the engine, switch the fuel knob. N1 goes up to 2.6 and that's it. The engine won't start.

Any clues beside the one that I'm an word not allowed?

Ctrl-E

[Oldschool61 38]

2 minutes ago, Kenjiro75 said:

Sorry guys, nothing works. All bleeds are on. I have already tried adding fuel at almost all N1 values. No go. No "autostart" above N1 gauge. I even tried to change the fuel on board. No go. Ctrl-E only switches all 4 fuel knobs from Cutoff to Run, another engine starts but as always it stops at 2.5-2.7 N1.

Spawn at the end of the runway ready to take off!!

[in2tech 588]

4 hours ago, Kenjiro75 said:

Sorry guys, nothing works. All bleeds are on. I have already tried adding fuel at almost all N1 values. No go. No "autostart" above N1 gauge. I even tried to change the fuel on board. No go. Ctrl-E only switches all 4 fuel knobs from Cutoff to Run, another engine starts but as always it stops at 2.5-2.7 N1.

You use that Assistance thingy that will help with the Cold & dark? Know you don't want too, but will IT work? The Checklist thingy?

[Waldo Pepper 1,952]

On a side note,   the 747 landing challenge,  as soon as I spawn the engines shut down.  Annoying.

[trainnut 37]

12 hours ago, Kenjiro75 said:

Sorry guys, nothing works. All bleeds are on. I have already tried adding fuel at almost all N1 values. No go. No "autostart" above N1 gauge. I even tried to change the fuel on board. No go. Ctrl-E only switches all 4 fuel knobs from Cutoff to Run, another engine starts but as always it stops at 2.5-2.7 N1.

Acouple of things to note:

With the bleed system, the bleed switch controls the air output from the engine through the PRSOV (Pylon Valve) It is a one way valve normally.. When start switch is pulled a solenoid forces the PRSOV open to allow reverse air flow to the Start valve & spin the engine.  

N2 is the parameter monitored during start not N1. Normally when the engine reaches max motoring on the starter (Max starter N2), the fuel is introduced. It should continue to idlel from there.  (For a Rolls Royce engine it is N3)

Done many 747 engine starts IRL in a previous life.

[N7470 26]

On 5/14/2021 at 1:46 PM, Kenjiro75 said:

Sorry guys, nothing works. All bleeds are on. I have already tried adding fuel at almost all N1 values. No go. No "autostart" above N1 gauge. I even tried to change the fuel on board. No go. Ctrl-E only switches all 4 fuel knobs from Cutoff to Run, another engine starts but as always it stops at 2.5-2.7 N1.

Are you using a mouse and the on-screen cursor to pull the starter levers? That should work.   I have never got it to work with the starter levers mapped to controller buttons and in that case it does exactly what you are seeing, N1 maxes out at 2.5% but no ignition.

Here's my engine start procedure procedure (with latest Salty 747 mod).   This may differ from the official procedure so hopefully someone else can post a proper checklist.  This does work to start the engines in the MSFS2020 747 however.  I do everything on this list with the mouse and on-screen cursor, no controller bindings for these controls.

- Start APU (should have "APU Running" message on upper EICAS display.

- Select either APU Power or Ground Power

- Turn on all fuel pumps (there are 16 of them!)

- Select "Eng" for lower EICAS display mode

- Turn on bleed air for engines 1 and 2 only (APU bleed air should already be on)

- Turn Fuel control to Run for engines 1 and 2 only.

- Pull start levers for engines 1 and 2 only.   "Autostart" should show for those engines in the lower EICAS

- Once 1 and 2 are fully started, turn on bleed air for engines 3 and 4

- Turn fuel control to Run for engines 3 and 4

- Pull start levers for engines 3 and 4.

Edited May 19, 2021 by N7470