If your car doesn't start in the cold, you might be dealing with a problem with the followings:
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- Dead battery
- Clogged fuel filter
- Frozen fuel lines
- Other reasons
Cold weather can be very stressful for cars. It introduces many problems impacting several components like the battery and others. That's why it can be a frustrating experience to drive your vehicle or even start it on cold mornings.
One of the very common problems that many of our readers complain about is when the car starts in the cold. This problem could be linked to various problems that you have to investigate and explore before identifying any potential culprit.
This article gives a general overview of the situation where your car won't start in the cold. In addition, it highlights the main culprits using food focus, so you save time looking into the wrong reasons.
Car won't start in the cold: four reasons.
When your car doesn't start in the cold, you will most likely be dealing with problems related to the starting system, the fuel system, or any other potential problems that could be linked to your car's specific situation.
According to automotive experts, these are the four most common reasons for your car that won't start in the cold:
1. Dead battery
A dead battery is one of the most critical reasons that could easily lead your vehicle to not start on a cold morning. The battery is made up of chemicals; to produce the required electric supply, these chemicals need to interact.
Any chemical reaction requires a specific range of temperatures to happen. For example, the chemical reaction will slow down if the temperature is very cold outside. In some instances, depending on your battery's quality and status, the chemical reaction might not happen at all.
So, if you're suffering from your car won't start in the morning, could you take a look at the car battery and confirm that it's in good condition? Let way to confirm or at least isolate the car battery problem is by giving your vehicle a quick jump start.
This jump start aims to skip the battery and see if your vehicle can start without the battery in place. If the jump start helped your vehicle start, then your problem is most likely related to a dead battery. On the other hand, if it doesn't work, you have to investigate other components that could be causing the problem to happen.
2. Clogged fuel filter
A potential reason for your vehicle not to start that morning is when you have clogged fuel filters. The fuel supply must first go through the fuel filter, so all the contamination and debris stay outside the fuel system. If the filter isn't in good condition, the process won't happen, and temperature can even trigger this problem and make it more severe so your vehicle won't start.
Of course, depending on the situation of your fuel filter, the problem could be different. For example, if the fuel filter is just partially clogged, you might deal with a car not starting situation between now and then but not continuously. However, if the fuel filter is completely clogged, your vehicle won't start.
Temperature doesn't have a significant impact on a completely clogged fuel filter. In other words, if your fuel filter is completely clogged in a hot area, you will still deal with the same problem, and your vehicle won't start.
That's why we always recommend that you take a look at the fuel filter and make sure it's in good condition all the time. One way to ensure you get the fuel filter is by monitoring the vehicle's owner's manual, which has recommendations about when and how often you should replace the fuel filter.
3. Frozen fuel lines
While the fuel filter isn't technically related to the temperature, frozen fuel lines can be one reason your vehicle does not start because of cold temperatures. The fuel is supposed to run in the fuel lines freely if the temperature is within a specific range.
If you're driving in areas or if your vehicle has been parked for a long time in very cold areas, there's every chance your fuel might get frozen in the fuel line. One way to avoid this problem is by using certain additives that could help your fuel flow and reduce its freezing temperature.
Therefore, if you know that your winter is harsh and the temperatures will drop significantly before winter starts, you should check on the fuel system and confirm that you're using the right fuel to withstand the coming cold temperature.
4. Other reasons
In addition to the three mentioned reasons, there might be additional reasons that could cause your vehicle not to start on cold mornings. For example, there could be a minor or major issue in the spark plugs that are not allowing your vehicle to receive the right spark and, therefore, not start.
Similarly, if you have an issue with the fuel pump, no fuel will get to the engine; therefore, the engine won't start. So, could you check on the fuel pump and conf item that's in good condition?
How can you fix situations where your car won't start in the cold?
As we mentioned earlier, when your car won't start in the cold, you might be dealing with different systems, and depending on what's causing the problem, you must address the root cause.
For example, if your problem is because of a dead battery, you have to look closely at the battery. The battery is expected to last between three and five years. If your battery is approaching the end of its lifetime, you might benefit from replacing it and having your vehicle work again.
On the other hand, if the problem is a clogged fuel filter, you can replace the fuel filter and purchase a new one. The fuel filter is not expensive, and replacing it is a simple job; therefore, getting rid of this problem will be the easiest.
Finally, if the issue has to do with the type of fuel or with fuel frozen in your fuel lines, then you should consider additives to the fuel or purchasing a type of fuel that withstands extreme temperatures. If the fuel is frozen in your fuel line, you should raise the vehicle temperature and wait for this fuel to melt so you can use the vehicle again.
Can using the wrong type of oil in cold weather cause my car not to start?
Using the wrong oil is never a good idea because it will lead to many problems, even if driving in normal temperatures. Add to that cold temperature can make it very challenging for your vehicle to operate. Therefore, when using the wrong type of oil, you can easily deal with problems that could impact your vehicle's starting process.
So, we would like to encourage you to review your vehicle owner's manual and understand what fuel you should use so you don't cause problems in the vehicle. Of course, depending on the oil type, you might only need to change it sometimes, especially if you're using synthetic oil.
Can a stuck-open thermostat cosmic car not start in cold weather?
Since the thermostat is responsible for maintaining and controlling the vehicle temperature and allowing the coolant to run around the engine when needed, it can impact your vehicle's starting process.
It's not surprising that your car won't start in cold warning just because you have a problem with the stock open thermostat. The stuck open thermostat prevents the engine from reaching the optimum temperature because the engine will continuously be in touch with a coolant which will drop its temperature whenever it tries to go off.
Final thoughts
Low temperatures can impact our vehicles in many different ways. One of the very common situations that you will potentially deal with if driving in cold areas is when your vehicle won't start in the cold.
As we had a lot in this article, the main causes for vehicles not starting in the cold is when you have a problem with the dead battery, clogged fuel filter, frozen fuel lines, and any potential other reasons related to other components failing.
If you feel that your vehicle continuously doesn't start when the temperature is cold, you have to address the right route culprit causing the problem. However, if repair costs are extremely expensive, you might benefit from selling your vehicle and purchasing another one.
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