Cold weather car won't start

Yellow302

Member

Mar 2, 2003

789

2

19

NJ

Jan 20, 2009

#1

• Jan 20, 2009

• #1

happens to everyone at some point. Mine is a little different.

number one, my starter was bad.

number 2 the car would start sometimes but not all the time.

The dead cold of winter must have been killing the brain in my alarm/keyless/remote start system causing the car to have no ignition signal.

I had to remove my whole system to rewire it. So far 3 days no more problems.

For my $3000 car... just need keyless entry now...

 

Yellow302

Member

Mar 2, 2003

789

2

19

NJ

Jan 21, 2009

#2

• Jan 21, 2009

• #2

well i thought it was fixed

currently when the car sits outside in the cold, i have to hold the key in the start position for about 10 seconds before the signal gets sent to the starter. once it does its a quick 1 sec start.

When the car is in the garage (warm) or running with the heat on (warm). The car will start like there is nothing wrong.

Is my key ignition going bad and not making contact when it is cold?

I checked the white and pink wire and it was fine. It seems like its a contact issue.

Advice needed!

 

Adam95GT

New Member

Aug 14, 2006

2,564

3

0

Burlington, NJ

Jan 21, 2009

#3

• Jan 21, 2009

• #3

Yellow302 said:

well i thought it was fixed

currently when the car sits outside in the cold, i have to hold the key in the start position for about 10 seconds before the signal gets sent to the starter. once it does its a quick 1 sec start.

When the car is in the garage (warm) or running with the heat on (warm). The car will start like there is nothing wrong.

Is my key ignition going bad and not making contact when it is cold?

I checked the white and pink wire and it was fine. It seems like its a contact issue.

Advice needed!

Click to expand...

Try pulling the ignition switch and taking a look possibly??? its not hard to get to... put the key in the on position and trip the switch by hand maybe??? look up and make sure when you turn the key if the rod going to the switch is in working order

 

HISSIN50

"How long does it take to get help in here?

15 Year Member

Nov 29, 1999

31,179

34

129

Jan 21, 2009

#4

• Jan 21, 2009

• #4

IMHO it's a battery connection issue. Clean the engine grounds and/or add another.

FWIW, most alarm starter kills are passive. That is, cranking power goes through the common and N.O. relay terminals. The only time the relay is active is when someone tries to start the car while the alarm is on. This keeps the battery from being drained.

 

Yellow302

Member

Mar 2, 2003

789

2

19

NJ

Jan 21, 2009

#5

• Jan 21, 2009

• #5

i am thinking i might be better off putting the battery back to the front of the car. I have had nothing but issues with the car since i moved everything to the back.

Made the mistake of doing too many projects at once.

 

Yellow302

Member

Mar 2, 2003

789

2

19

NJ

Jan 21, 2009

#6

• Jan 21, 2009

• #6

In the meantime can i tap a 12v line, tap the ignition, and touch the 2 together to get it running and bypass the key switch?

Kind of like hot wiring the car lol

 

Yellow302

Member

Mar 2, 2003

789

2

19

NJ

Jan 21, 2009

#7

• Jan 21, 2009

• #7

anyone have an ignition diagram so I can start testing wires?

 

HISSIN50

"How long does it take to get help in here?

15 Year Member

Nov 29, 1999

31,179

34

129

Jan 22, 2009

#8

• Jan 22, 2009

• #8

You can jump the little and big power terminals on your starter solenoid itself.

Easier is to remove the starter relay (in the underhood fusebox).

fusebox diagram

Be sure the emergency brake is applied and the car is in neutral. Once you remove the starter relay, look at it's belly and you'll see numbers. Use a jumper wire to bridge where terminals 87 and 30 would go. This bypasses everything up to that relay, and the relay itself. If the key is off, the engine will crank. If the key is on, the car will start (if it can).



Here's the ignition switch schematic. It's courtesy of bmac50.

Before I started doing all of that, I would grab a spare jumper cable. Use it to parallel your existing cables, until the car cranks. Whatever you're paralleling at that time is likely your deficient cable.

 

Yellow302

Member

Mar 2, 2003

789

2

19

NJ

Jan 22, 2009

#9

• Jan 22, 2009

• #9

found it,

there was a splice into the white / pink line that was coming loose from the joint. i reached down to touch it while i had the key held over and she fired right up.

Thank god its nothing too serious