Abstract: The period required to start a rope-start, two-cycle engine is reduced by enabling the engine's firing sequence to be initiated immediately upon determining the absolute rotational position of the engine and before determining the engine's direction of rotation. The rotational direction of the engine is then determined, and the firing sequence is disabled if the engine is counter-rotating. In this manner, the firing sequence is enabled much sooner in the engine's cycle than if the engine's rotational direction were determined before the firing sequence is enabled. The engine therefore starts more quickly. The method is particularly useful in battery-less engines which experience a delay in start-up due to the fact that the engine must rotate through at least part of a revolution before generating enough electrical power to operate the computer controlling operation of the engine.

Abstract: A system and method for facilitating cold starting of a direct injected, two-stroke engine. The engine utilizes a fuel injection system that is controlled to inject a fuel into a combustion chamber just before the piston reaches top dead center, at least during cold starting. This permits better atomization of a variety of fuels to promote dependable cold starting of the engine even when combusting a fuel type such as kerosene.