can won't start. very cold last few days. What are all the things it could be?

Question

took 45 minutes to start it when jumped. Ran 45 minutes turned off went somewhere three hours satarted right up..drove 20 miles turned off an hour later started right up. Today went out totally dead. Brother came with battery then said it was not the battery but alternator. Got it to their house to fix tomorrow by bringing a sparwe battery. Stopped at auto zone and checked battery..called saying they don't know what it is as something (battery I think but maybe alternator) when they chwecked it (I think it wasn't dead like they thought..seemed ok then phone went dead. I am very worried as I need a car (disabled no busline) and do NOT have mney to buy and try several things only to find out it still does not work. What are the things it could be/ Please advise as I only make $600 on disability and even 50 or 100 is a lot for me.

it is a buick park ave ultra 91

certainly people who comment on spelling should learn the useage of to and too nad not misuse them mr pot..mine were typos as trying to type fast, yours were lasting.

it is totally dead...nothing..when they did something with it (?? jumped it/changed battery//not sure what as they did not tell me and did it before coming in the house..the lights did work when I went out to get something from car I needed when they left before they decided to come back and take to brother's house.

brother said it is not the battery after checking it...brought one with them but told me it was the alternator before calling to say now they don't know what it is,

Answer 1

You won't want to hear this but it sounds like you may have 2 problems. Unless your battery died from trying to start the car for several minutes you could have a problem with the charging system. If you did kill the battery trying to start the car then let the charging system go until you get the other issue fixed.
You didn't include the make and model of the car. This is important because certain cars have common problems within the line. Assuming that the vehicle's normal tune-up parts are in good working order then you have several areas to check. First is fuel. In the cold WATER in the gas will cause real havoc. Add an isopropyl dry gas additive and a good injector cleaner. If that fails then here is where knowing the make and model helps. What you are describing sounds like an intermittent electrical problem. When the car and its components cool everything makes proper contact. In extreme hot or cold the different components expand or contract at different rates sometimes causing electrical contacts to separate. Auto Zone can test ignition modules for most domestic cars and trucks as well as ignition coils. Pick-up coils must be tested on the vehicle but it can be done with a simple digital multimeter and Auto Zone can give you a printout on the steps and parameters. You didn't say that the vehicle ran poorly prior to quitting so I'm assuming that it did not.
When you add the dry gas and fuel system cleaner give it some time to work before getting into the more involved stuff. I am also on disability and can relate to your situation. If you need more advice you can contact me directly at [e-mail]. Best of luck. Shawn

Sorry to add to an already long response but I just saw you added the make and model. GM is famous for ignition modules going bad. They are also known for fuel pumps doing exactly what you are describing. By the way, have you replaced the fuel filter lately? If you haven't, do it immediately. Anyone who owns a GM needs to know that the in tank fuel pump is cooled by the gas in the tank. If you run low on gas often then the pump will overheat and die an early death. As I said if you need more help pinning it down shoot me an e-mail. Good luck again.

Answer 2

When you say it won't start I am assuming you mean that the battery will not turn your starter motor fast and loudly. If that is right it is an electrical problem involving the starter not getting the electricity it needs.

The other problem would be when it is turning it fast and loudly but the engine fails to catch. Then it could be cracked spark plug cables, ice in the fuel lines, and bad tuning of the engine.

So for electrical woes with starter: If the alternator is not making electricity for the battery then you need to deal with the alternator. If testing proves that the alternator is putting out its rated current then the problem is that the battery is not holding the charge. When the battery has to work harder in winter it faces a double whammy because the engine oil is stiff and the engine is hard to turn plus the battery chemistry is not as strong in cold temperatures.

How old is the battery? If it is more than 3 years old then it might be worthless. If it wasn't a super battery with a 5 year warranty it is likely to be worthless now. If it is within warranty you need to ask for a replacement from the store that sold it to you. You could also clean off the top of the battery with some warm water and baking soda just in case acid fumes on the top are making a small short circuit that is draining the battery. You could also make sure that the trunk light or the glove compartment light are not stuck on since they could drain even a good battery.

The alternator and anything else in the charging circuit can be checked by places like Auto zone. The alternator is always a possibility but it is not as likely as the battery. In newer cars with serpentine belts where the alternator is just another thing the belt drives, then a bad drive belt is not as likely as in older cars where the alternator had its own belt that might be stretched and worn out.

I just thought of one more things. In many Ford models the wire that brings power to the starting motor is low down on the chassis and subject to getting salt splashes from the road which result in corrosion and a poor connection. That could keep power from a good battery from being able to turn the starting motor.

Answer 3

It depends how old the car is and i need more info.
If the car dosen't turnover then its the starter motor.
If it does turnover then it could be a host of things like the coil or drity petrol, points or spark plugs try asking a mechanic who will give free info, most will if theres not much wrong with the car.

Answer 4

Sounds like the battery or alternator. You might be able to set up payments to get it fixed at some chain store mechanic.

Answer 5

You need a friend with a dc volt meter to check the battery voltage while the motor is running if it is 12.5 volts or less you have a charging system problem if it is 13 to 14.5 volts the charging system is working a you need a mechanic.

Answer 6

Certainly sounds like alternator/battery/slippy fanbelt or battery leakage. Your local car spares shop should be able to test it out for ya - free of charge I would think :)

Answer 7

Sounds like an alternator for sure. Certainly nothing cheaper.

Answer 8

Jeez, I dunno. My can never starts in cold weather either.