hellified

The last time I had a problem starting was when the temp was like 30 degrees but it labored and started.. today tho it won't. the battery works..dash lights and such light up..I'm not a gearhead so I don't the technicals of the issue. Do you think it will start if the weather warms up. There is less than a 1/4 tank of gas in it right now. the temps supposed to be in the 40s sunday and 50s monday..

Violator

Try it.. there could be several things wrong. MAF sensor, coil pack(s), spark plugs. Have you changed spark plugs in the last 30k miles?

First thing to do is read the engine codes, you can do this yourself with the self diagnosis screw or take it to an auto store and they can read it with a computer. A lot of times it can tell you what's wrong, sometimes it doesn't.
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​​​​​​Try seeing if you can pull trouble codes. I'm assuming it's misfiring which probably means bad spark or fuel on one of the 6 cylinders. The engine probably won't idle completely smooth and this is noticeable under the hood. you can pull each individual coil pack and see which cylinder doesn't affect the way it runs, that means that cylinder probably has a bad coil pack or spark plug. If not that it could be a bad injector or bad maf sensor.

If replacing parts always use the brands recomended here on the forum, some aftermarket parts can cause issues

hellified

thanx for the response..i'll check it out..but when the engine was running before this I didn't notice any unusual noises or run feel...(like I said I'm not a gearhead heheh) and naw i haven't done anything with the spark plugs in the last 30k.

JvG

Clean your battery terminals. See if that makes a difference.

Also check the condition of the negative cable where it bolts to the cars body. There could be corrosion. Do an experiment. Attach a jumper cable
to the negative terminal of the battery. Attach
the other end of the cable to a bolt on the engine.
Then try to start the car. If that makes a difference, you have a bad negative cable between the battery and the body.

flames101sully

iTrader: (1)

Good suggestions, start with that cleaning of the terminals. Also how old is the battery? It's possible that the battery's going bad and isn't strong enough to start at these temperatures.

hellified

interesting I didn't think the battery was the issue because dash and int lights lit up...the ignition turned and whirred a few times then died off but i think the batt is a couple years old...would a jump help..hmmm

JvG

A nearly dead battery will power the dash lights just fine. WhIle cranking the engine takes a lot more power than the battery can provide, or the corroded terminals can conduct.

Please turn your headlights on. Are they as bright as usual? Leave them on while you try to start the car.
Please report what happened.



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hellified

it was the battery..called AAA this morning got a jump and she started right up!! but i should replace the battery...what would you guys recommend? and THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH for the suggestions it really helped whittle down the probablys...

CS_AR

I just switched from Advance Auto to Interstate Batteries (Firestone)