Tough Start On Cold Mornings?

Has anyone experienced a problem when starting your LGT on a cold morning >32 degrees?

The last two days it has been about 20 F in the morning. I turn the key and car turns on but its running under 1k rpms and sounds like it is almost stalling out and sputtering until I give it some gas and then it shoots up to 2k rpms and slowly decreases as the car warms up. One factor I thought may be contributing is my gas tank was low (enough for the light to be on) and maybe was starting to freeze over night...btw no engine mods or anything like that. Could this be the start of a bigger problem or is it nothing to worry about?

It's possible that you had condensation in your fuel tank from the low fuel condition and that contributed to the problem. See if you can reproduce this on a 1/2 to full tank.

Worst i temp i started the car at last winter was about 20 below one weekend skiing in nothern NH. However we had quite a long stretch at home where it was about 0 to -10 for a few days.

 

There were times when it would take an additional crank or two to turn over, but it never seemed like it was as you described.

 

It could be the low gas, especially if the light was on, thats not much left. Never let mine get that low, so i can't really say. I am pretty anal about that stuff, especially in the winter time. I don't usually go too far below 1 /4 left.

i have noticed the battery seems to feel weaker when i start up

I notice the RPM's run quite high on mine when I fire it up. It is about 1500 I believe. Never had the problem that you described though. This is my first winter with it haven't gotten into any extreme temperatures yet.

As said above, I've always heard it's a bad idea to let your tank get too low in the winter time. I've been told to keep it above 1/2 tank, which seems kind of excessive, but supposedly with very little fuel, you risk getting a fair amount of condensation in the tank, and thus water in your gas.

Mine cranked slow as hell last winter in extreme weather (when it was in the teens and less) It always started but cranked slow like a old battery thing.

The stock battery is only 400 CCA or so. May want to try a aftermarket battery wit more amps. Some have up to 800 amps. Group #35

also, in extreme weather conditions (i.e. below freezing and sub-zero temps)the slow and weak cranking is due to the fact that most battries have less than 1/2 the cranking power when compared to warm weather starts.

Thanks for the input guys

 

I will fill'er up after work today and see if the same thing occcurs tomorrow and let ya know. It doesn't seem to be a battery problem but more like the engine isn't getting enough gas or something. Condensation is probably what it is but I'll see what happens tomorrow with a full tank...

Check your oil.

 

You running 5W-30 or 10W-30?

 

Try a block heater.

time to get a better cold cranking battery

Check your oil.

 

You running 5W-30 or 10W-30?

 

Try a block heater.

 

Block heater? For 20F temps? I thought those were only necessary for regular, well below 0F temps? I still think this is a simple condensation/water in the gas issue. Should go away once he fills up.

I know, but maybe what he's experiencing is totally normal, but he's not satisfied or is annoyed with it so anything that makes the engine block warmer will make startup easier and/or eliminate that behavior.

Block heaters?

Jeez, where do you guys live, Canada?

Block heater? For 20F temps? I thought those were only necessary for regular, well below 0F temps? I still think this is a simple condensation/water in the gas issue. Should go away once he fills up.

 

Ya I filled up and she started fine this morning. Must have been the condensation buildup...now that I know I'll be more careful about letting my tank get low.

uuugghhh i hate winters and the midwest... one more year and i'm off to CA or TX or FL....anyplace warm