I've had my car parked outside for about a month and it's been extremely cold outside, I tried to start it today and it didn't work. I then tried to jump it and it still didn't work, is it possible that my gas line is frozen?? I had about a quarter tank of gas in my car when I stopped driving it.
2007-02-02 07:56:30 · 19 answers · asked by Shotty11 2 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
It's a 1995 thunderbird and when I try to start it it makes a noise that kind of sounds like a pop, it's hard to explain.
2007-02-02 08:12:36 · update #1
Chances are you do have a condensation problem. Put a can of Heet in it, the yellow one...not the red one. The yellow works much better because it breaks down the water into smaller particles. It is ethanol based which is a more pure alcohol. The red one is methyl alcohol based and does not break up the water as good. Just dump it in the tank and let it set for at least 2 hours before you try to start it. Overnight is better. And keep your fuel tank full of an ethanol (or premium grade) gasoline in the winter. It doesn't cost any more to fill the top half than the bottom half.
And you might need to charge your battery, also. But be careful because a weak battery can freeze in the bitter cold and a fast charge could blow the battery up. Use a slow charge until the case feels slightly warmer than ambient temp, and then switch to a higher rate of charge.
2007-02-02 08:09:49 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
is it an old truck, car, van, straight 4, 6 or V8? carb or injection, make model year engine type all helps to help you. is the fuel tank 1/4 1/2 or full? add a winter fuel additive and keep the tank FULL in the winter to avoid water condensation getting into the gas line and freezing. so all we know it is petrol (gas) and that won't start in cold temps? does the starter turn the engine with the headlights on without the headlights dimming? if yes then the battery and starter are fine and you have a fuel problem. if no, bring the battery indoors and use a trickle charger. if it still won't give 12volts under heavy load then change the battery as modern electronics won't fire on 10volts (a single bad cell). if the battery is now warmed and voltage ok under load, spray some quickstart (ether) down the air inlet and it should start, but we need to unfreeze the gas lines or it won't run for long. it needs to be brought into a warm garage or building or parked in the sunlight for a while then fill the tank with good fuel. in bad weather see if you can run an ordinary inspection lamp from the house to under the bonnet, or better yet install a block heater. it will only cost a few pennies a night but save a lot of grief in the morning.
2016-05-24 05:58:29 · answer #2 · answered by Cheryl 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If the engine is turning over fine then it is possible to have a frozen line. A car that sits with a low fuel level is more likely to have condensation build up in the tank due to temperature changes over time. Could be fouled spark plugs caused by the same reason. Start small, add some gas-line deicer and check the things you can by yourself and if need be...get a mechanic to look at it.
2007-02-02 08:05:16 · answer #3 · answered by misc 75 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Condensation causes water in your fuel tank. The fuller the tank of course, the less condensation so the less water. Gasoline doesn't freeze, but water does. Yes, it's possible. Get some "Dry gas" or any other additive that contains alcohol which will help.
Of course that would help best before it was frozen. If you are in fact frozen now it may or may not help. Getting the vehicle inside a heated garage would help though.
2007-02-02 08:09:15 · answer #4 · answered by oklatom 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
letting a car sit in this type of weather can kill an already weak battery. you could also have some frozen moisture in the line, too. it can't hurt your car to add some dry gas. first try the less expensive option with the dry gas. if this doesn't work, i would try to get the battery checked. some mechanics have a reader that will tell you if you have any juice left in the battery or not. take the battery out and take it to sears. if it tests dead, then get a new one and go from there!
2007-02-02 08:02:07 · answer #5 · answered by jess l 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes your fuel line could be frozen and adding Alcohol will help IF YOU GET IT STARTED.
Also it could just be a stuborn engine, I had a 351 Windsor that when the temp dropped to 30º or colder WOULD NOT START EVEN WITH 3 CARS JUMP STARTING IT AT THE SAME TIME!
The cure for that one was replacing the battery with a 1000CCA battery, never had another problem even at -15º from then on!
2007-02-02 08:10:22 · answer #6 · answered by Hammerhead 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
While it is possible that it is frozen, I would really doubt it.
When you said you tried to jump it off, was the battery dead? Will the engine turn over at all? What kind of car are we talking about here? Obviously something is wrong but I would lookelsewhere than the fuel line being frozen as your problem.
2007-02-02 08:02:16 · answer #7 · answered by Clint M 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
The flash point of gasoline is about -97F, meaning that it will still burn at 97 degrees below zero. Most labs won't even have the ability to chill a sample down that far to find out! Of course, if there is any water mixed in with the fuel, it can still freeze at around 32F
2007-02-02 19:02:44 · answer #8 · answered by Travass 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Could be. You should never, never have less than a half tank of fuel in winter. Moisture forms in the bottom of the tank and if sucked into the line can freeze. You do not give enough vehicle and symptom information.
2007-02-02 08:03:43 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is possible that you have condensation in your nearly empty tank from the cold weather, when then gets water in your gas line. The water (ice) will be at the bottom of your gas tank, with the gas, which can't freeze, on top. They have products like HEET which you pour into your gas tank to evaporate the water. Try that, see if it helps.
2007-02-02 07:59:48 · answer #10 · answered by Sweet n Sour 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋