HARD STARTING
Q: My vehicle (100k miles) is acting up when I try to start it on cold mornings (-10,-15 deg C) Canadian weather.
The starter turns 2-3 times then it stops while all the lights in the dash are on. Usually when I try the second or sometimes the third time, the engine eventually starts. Some mornings the starter does not make any noises at all when I try it the first time, but after I try the second time it turns rather slowly and eventually the truck starts up.
I had the same problem about three weeks ago and I purchased a new battery. The truck started OK all this time but now I have the same problem again.
The truck starts OK during the day except when it is parked for 8 hours or more.
I never liked the way the truck starts since I purchased it 2 years ago. The starter needs to turn 4-5 times before the engine starts. All my previous vehicles started at one turn (4 cyl cars).
A: 1. How long a drive do you take? If the new battery solved your problem and now it's back, then it may be you are not driving the truck long enough to charge the battery. Along with this, you may have a big drain on your battery because of an accessory that is running, such as a large amplifier/stereo, etc. A high-current drain would make your alternator work much harder and longer to get the battery recharged. Starting the vehicle in the cold puts a large drain on the battery and the alternator can only put out a limited amount of current to replace that used in starting. Check your battery. If it is poorly charged, then it is likely that the alternator or alternator connections are your problem. It may also be that your alternator drive belt is loose and slipping so that you are not charging the battery as well as you could. Check the drive belt for the alternator and make sure it's tight as it should be.
2. In that respect, your alternator may be inadequate to recharge your battery. Consider having it's output checked. It may not be putting out enough juice to charge the battery quick enough to keep you going. Also, the cable from the alternator may be bad and limiting the current to charge the battery. If you find that the alternator is fine, but the battery is not well charged because you don't drive it but 10 min after you start it, you can replace it with a higher curent alternator to charge the battery faster. Again, make sure the cable from the alternator is in good shape.
3. Help your truck get started by making sure the plugs are fresh and you are using a light-weight synthetic motor oil. Dino oil gets thicker when it is older, but not synthetic. I would recommend you use 0W-20 Mobil1 or equivalent brand in Toronto in the winter.
4. A high-capacity battery is also necessary (as I'm sure you know from living up there). When you buy a battery, make sure you buy one with alot of cold-cranking amps. Maybe, your battery isn't up to the task of day-to-day starting because you didn't get one with adequate reserve capacity.
5. If the truck doesn't start right away under the best of circumstances, you may have a fuel delivery-related problem. Check your fuel filter, lines, and fuel pump to make sure you are getting fuel pressure quickly. There should be no delay in building up fuel pressure. A kink in the line, a dirty/clogged filter, or a bad fuel pump can delay starting until the pressure is adequate. The engine will not get the necessary rich mixture to start until the fuel pressure is up to spec. A rich mixture may not be available if the injectors are partially plugged. You can try cleaning them with some gas treatment or bring them to a shop that specializes in fuel-injector cleaning.
6. Check the current draw on the starter. If the starter is going bad, it will begin to draw alot more current to do the same work and drain the battery to a much greater extent than a good starter. This will make charging the battery take alot longer and wear out your battery sooner.
7. Under any circumstances, a high drain on the battery will cause a loss of electrolyte. Check the electrolyte level in your battery (all cells) and make sure they are up to the recommended level. Fill them as needed with distilled or deionized water.
It's one of those chicken and egg problems where the engine is not able to start quickly and thus drains the battery. The drained battery turns the engine over more slowly and makes it more difficult to start, which drains the battery further.