Cold night, now car won't start. Tips, preventative measures?

[ghostman]

I know nothing about cars, so my apologies for sounding like a complete dunce.

I have two cars - a 2002 Mitsubishi Lancer ES and a 2012 Honda CRV. It was freezing cold last night in NY and this morning, neither car would start. Dash lights come, but when I turn the key to the regular start position, the lights flicker, the gas level drops to zero and the car turns off. A bunch of other folks around me started their cars without issue.

I managed to catch a ride to school today, so I'm trying to figure out the next best step. Is this likely the battery being too old? Or is this likely to be something else that's frozen over?

When/if I catch a ride home later today, I'll see if the car starts. If it does, should I bring it to autozone and get a new battery? Or should I go to the mechanic to get things checked? And what can I do to prevent this from happening throughout the winter?

And if it doesn't start, do I call my insurance company or mechanic to tow it? I've never had any major issues with either car so I've never done anything other than regular maintenance on it.

Sorry again for how little I know about cars. Does this sound like I should invest in jumper cables?

 

[Yuriman]

Old / low battery, probably. They don't work well when it's very cold. Jumper cables would likely have allowed you to get to work, but take your batteries in for testing and see if it's time to replace them.

I keep a tender on mine.

 

[jaha2000]

agree on the battery issues..

 

[slag]

Odd that both failed at the same time. With modern fuel injected cars, cold start problems are almost always electrical related, not fuel related like many used to to be.

 

[LTC8K6]

I would expect an old battery in the 2002, but the 2012 should still have a healthy battery.

Do they sit a lot between drives?

If so, then a battery maintainer may be what you need.

You might purchase a charger with jump start capability so that you can jump start your own car if need be.

Or buy a AAA membership and they can jump start you.

 

[DistantShadow]

I know nothing about cars, so my apologies for sounding like a complete dunce.

I have two cars - a 2002 Mitsubishi Lancer ES and a 2012 Honda CRV. It was freezing cold last night in NY and this morning, neither car would start. Dash lights come, but when I turn the key to the regular start position, the lights flicker, the gas level drops to zero and the car turns off. A bunch of other folks around me started their cars without issue.

I managed to catch a ride to school today, so I'm trying to figure out the next best step. Is this likely the battery being too old? Or is this likely to be something else that's frozen over?

When/if I catch a ride home later today, I'll see if the car starts. If it does, should I bring it to autozone and get a new battery? Or should I go to the mechanic to get things checked? And what can I do to prevent this from happening throughout the winter?

And if it doesn't start, do I call my insurance company or mechanic to tow it? I've never had any major issues with either car so I've never done anything other than regular maintenance on it.

Sorry again for how little I know about cars. Does this sound like I should invest in jumper cables?

How much gas do you have in your car?!

 

[cbrsurfr]

It was -6 F this morning and my roomates 2011 Fusion wouldn't start. I had my jump box ready to go.

Here is an example: http://www.amazon.com/Stanley-J5C09-...table+jump+box

Mine is not that fancy, just a plain Duralast with no extra features. I've also seen super tiny li-ion units that look pretty cool but are probably double the price.

Also remember to keep any of these units charged. I charge mine every month in the Winter if it needs it or not.

 

[Naeeldar]

I would expect an old battery in the 2002, but the 2012 should still have a healthy battery.

Do they sit a lot between drives?

If so, then a battery maintainer may be what you need.

You might purchase a charger with jump start capability so that you can jump start your own car if need be.

Or buy a AAA membership and they can jump start you.

A 2012 if on the original battery is right inline for a failure with the type of cold we are seeing. He's probably had that car for 4 years now and while it's a little quick it's not that bad for the type of cold we are seeing in the US right now.

 

[ghostman]

Both cars have at least 3/4 tank of gas. I drive the crv daily, but only 5 miles each way.... so about 10 miles a day. I only drive the Mitsubishi once a week.

 

[DistantShadow]

Im assuming it is your battery. If it is not even trying to turnover then in most cases its your battery.

 

[Saint Nick]

It's got to be the battery. Just had the exact same problem. Admittedly, I haven't changed the battery in nearly seven years. Took it to Autozone for a new battery and had them install it. Starts like a champ now.

 

[Scarpozzi]

This is why I'm going to work on heating my garage...batteries die in the cold if they're not holding a charge as good as they used to. You could probably warm them up and they'd start working again. I'd review how you've driven your cars in the past few days and get the batteries tested. Then decide if it's worth replacing them. Batteries don't seem to be as reliable as I remember them being. I've had more last only 2-3 years lately....where I remember having some AC Delco batteries last 5-6 years in the 90s/2000s.

It was 4 degrees this morning outside and 37 degrees in my garage (not insulated yet). My cars both started without issue, but it tells me I need to work on making it warmer. It'd be ideal to have the garage above 50. I've got pex in the concrete, but don't have a mini-boiler or heat source for it yet. I'm going to get an 18k btu mini-split to heat/cool the air in there, but won't run it unless I am physically in the room.

 

[Saint Nick]

This is why I'm going to work on heating my garage...batteries die in the cold if they're not holding a charge as good as they used to. You could probably warm them up and they'd start working again. I'd review how you've driven your cars in the past few days and get the batteries tested. Then decide if it's worth replacing them. Batteries don't seem to be as reliable as I remember them being. I've had more last only 2-3 years lately....where I remember having some AC Delco batteries last 5-6 years in the 90s/2000s.

It was 4 degrees this morning outside and 37 degrees in my garage (not insulated yet). My cars both started without issue, but it tells me I need to work on making it warmer. It'd be ideal to have the garage above 50. I've got pex in the concrete, but don't have a mini-boiler or heat source for it yet. I'm going to get an 18k btu mini-split to heat/cool the air in there, but won't run it unless I am physically in the room.

How did you insulate the garage door? I need to do insulate my garage in the next few years. Interested in an economical heat source as well.

Nvm, might just get something like this:

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Unbrande...es-Garage-Door-Insulation-Kit-8-pcs/203630159

 

[JimKiler]

Everytime I replace the OEM battery i get something with more Cold Cranking Amps, just make sure it can still fit in your car.

Back when i had a car stereo in my Mazda Protege5 i replaced a 600 Cold Cranking Amps battery with a 1100 Cold Cranking Amps Deep Cycle battery which never had an issue starting no matter how cold it got here in MN.

Sometimes if it is cold enough i will go outside during work and run my car for 15 minutes during the day but i am not sure that is a good idea anymore. It might just add stress to the system and make it more prone to break something.

 

[imagoon]

Also agree it is a battery issue. The only exception would be if you use the vehicle for a ton of short trips and the battery is still a bit new. My car starts having issues in the cold even with a newish battery because my trip each week is to the train station, sub 2 miles each way where the car barely moves the temp gauge. Basically after a number of starts, the alternator doesn't run long enough to recover the charge and after a couple of weeks it starts to "slow start" where at that point I plug it in to the tender at home for the evening to top it back up.

 

[Torn Mind]

Float charger (solar or plugin options), backup jump starter pack. Jump starters must be stored and maintained properly. They come in lead acid or lithium compound batteries.

 

[repoman0]

It was 0 even this morning and my car was slow to crank but started right up. It's using the original battery from 2003 .. I honestly have no idea how it still works. I've even drained it completely a few times doing dumb things like leaving the lights on

 

[nerp]

Also agree it is a battery issue. The only exception would be if you use the vehicle for a ton of short trips and the battery is still a bit new. My car starts having issues in the cold even with a newish battery because my trip each week is to the train station, sub 2 miles each way where the car barely moves the temp gauge. Basically after a number of starts, the alternator doesn't run long enough to recover the charge and after a couple of weeks it starts to "slow start" where at that point I plug it in to the tender at home for the evening to top it back up.

Do you ever give the car a chance to go on a decent drive, like 45 mins on the highway? If all you ever do are these tiny trips, your oil will start accumulating water faster than menstruating woman.

 

[mvbighead]

Sounds like battery, as everyone else said.

And yeah, cold stuff is hard on batteries. They may act perfectly fine in normal weather, but the cold weather will let you know when they are toast.

 

[ghostman]

Well, I got home and both cars still didn't start. Luckily, a neighbor pulled out a jumpstarter battery and I was able to start the Honda. I'm bringing it in to get it checked out and possibly replaced.

I'll probably also order that jumpstarter (JNC660, I believe) to get the other car up and running.

Now, someone mentioned that this happened because it's cold AND because my car only makes short trips and constantly discharges. Does a solar trickle charger work? Anyone have experience with it? From what I understand, you leave it on the dash and plug it in the cigarette lighter port. Harbor Freight (I know, I know) has a cheap one for like $15.

 

[ghostman]

Just an update. Brought the Honda to the dealership, had it checked and it had a failed battery code. They replaced it for free. So one down, one to go.

Thanks everyone.

 

[LTC8K6]

Well, the shorts trips are bad for the engine and trans, too. Just drive the cars a little longer each trip. Take the long way.

 

[thecoolnessrune]

If your vehicles are near an outlet, consider getting a battery warmer to wrap around the battery. They aren't that expensive, connect to an AC outlet, and keeps the battery warm even in sub-zero temperatures.

 

[Accord99]

For a car that gets driven only a few km a week, I use a battery charger a couple of times over the course of a western Canadian winter to charge up the battery overnight.

 

[bryanl]

The average battery lasts only 3-4 years, and short trip driving can cut the lifespan in half unless the battery is frequently connected to a charger. Worse, a car battery at 0°F not accept a charge, making Thecoolnessrune's recommendation of a battery warmer very wise.