When it gets really cold up here (-25 or lower) my jeep refuses to start, and since I don't have a block heater there is nothing I can do about it. It got cold the other day and I had this problem. For the next 3 days it *slowly* warmed up in Calgary and I tried starting it every day with no success.
So there I am today, it's almost at 0 again (my jeep should DEFINITELY be starting at this temp) and it still won't start. I figure that I must have drained the battery so my friend came over and we tried to boost my jeep. Even with all jumpers in place, the engine turns more and more slowly every time I try, and refuses to start still.

Why would the engine not be turning over quickly even when I have it hooked up to a battery that I KNOW is fully charged? What else could be causing this? My friend told me to change my plugs/wires/distr. cap, but I don't know if this will help....

My jeep has about 70k miles on it, and I don't know if the cap/wires have been changed at all.

Please help me get this thing started, so far I haven't had much help on JU.....a post gets bumped in minutes on that site.

if it started before it got cold it's not your plug, wires, etc. What weight of oil do ya run?It might just be turning to the consistaty(sp?) of syrup in the cold. Can you put a heater under the engine? (to help thaw it out) You can also advance the distr. just a bit to help it, but do the others first.
I was going to suggest pulling the plugs and seeing if it would spin faster with out them, but DAMN thats to cold to be out working on a Jeep!!!

The thing is, it's not cold anymore, and it still won't start. It got up to almost zero (it should DEFINITELY be able to start at that temperature - it's only when it gets past -20 that I have problems) and it still won't start. Thinking I killed my battery I hooked it up to a friends battery, but still no luck. What would cause it to not start anymore, even though the weather has warmed up significantly?

0 degrees is still pretty cold, and if you're running a heavier oil, it could, as mentioned above, turn almost solid. I have had this happen at warmer temperatures (teens) in my transmission. If your oil gummed up during the extreme cold, it may not be cold enough for it to have thawed out yet. Try what Cutter mentioned... put some kind of heat lamp under the pan and see if that helps...

I don't know if you realize, but I'm talking about 0 degrees Celsius (32 Fahrenheit)............ That's warm. Way too warm for 5w-30 oil to be a problem. A week ago it was -20 C (-4 Fahrenheit) and it started fine.

That is a pretty helpful piece of information... I was not aware that you were using a communist temperature system :D ...

You're right... it should be fine at that temperature... You said the starter was turning really slowly... maybe you've worn out the starter :confused: if the battery is good.

Good luck.

well.......it didn't suddenly start turning slow.......it gradually got slower and slower.......which led me to believe that I killed the battery. However, after hooking jumper cables up to my buddy's car, it still turned really slowly, as if the battery was dead, which really puzzled me.

Point being, unless the starter very sloooooowwwwwllly wore itself out, it shouldn't be the problem. But at the same time, I don't see why it wouldn't turn faster when jumping it.

ok- it's a NO BRAINER! your battery is probably TOAST. your cable connections are dirty and aren't transferring the power from the other battery. CLEAN the battery posts and cables real good. you can also take cables off your battery and jump from auxillery battery directly to the cable ends. once you get it fired up, let your alternator charge your battery for awhile , turn off, and see if your batt has enough to start.

OR you can put your batt on a charger if you have one while you clean the connections.

batteries are notorious for crapping out when the weather gets cold if they are on their way out already. does your batt have the "green eye" on top? if it is still green, then it is ok- just need to clean connections. if no green eye aparatus, you can test with a hydrometer.

bottom line- batteries don't last forever and need to be replaced- don't try and MILK it- get a new one.

I may not be the brightest crayon in the box but.....Put a battery that you know is good in your Jeep and try it...DOH!
ps if that doesnt work try something else:flipoff2: :beer:

what thes guy's said.... and for gawds sake's, get a REAL therometer:flipoff2:

A battery drained completely by cold cannot be revived with just a few seconds or minutes hooked up to a good battery. That chit needs to be trickle charged until fully charged. Meanwhile install an Optima, and keep your other around for hillbilly welding or something.
Shaggy:beer:

I connected the jumper cables from my friends car directly to battery cables in my jeep (disconnected them from the battery). Still no go.

is the starter engaging and spinning at normal speed? or is it spinning at all? do your cables have signs of corrosion at their ends? IF the starter is spinning at spead and the engine just won't turn over, than we have a problem other than the battery. if the starter is spinning but very slow or if it only clicks, than it may be the cables are bad. you could by-pass the battery cables and connect the jumper cables directly to the starter and any ground. as a matter of fact the negative jumper cable should go to a good ground anyway and NOT the negative battery cable. this can rule out a possible bad ground cable.

the starter engages and spins at normal speed when I'm hooked up to a good battery. The engine just doesn't wanna fire up. It ran fine before the cold snap hit.

Just so you know it is spring like conditions today, above freezing.

well cancel that......not anymore. Hooked up to a battery I hear a single click when I turn the key. No turning of anything though. I tried connecting directly to the starter and a ground (jumped froma good battery) but didn't get anything at all, not even a click.....Maybe I didn't have it hooked up correctly. Could I have worn out my starter motor? over the last few days, or does the click mean that the solenoid is not doing its job?

First of all why aren't you using a block heater anybody with any cold sense knows that keeping the block as warm as possable prevents unessasary wear and tear. Second if the battery tests good then you have fried your starter. If the battery is good hook a charger to it and give is a slow charge for a while, this warms up the battery and helps with starting. Get it together before you trash your jeep in the yard. In the days before heaters they used to drain the oil and antifreeze and set it by the stove to keep it warm might want to try it. Missed that last post Try Heet you probably have water in the fuel.

Eye amm not yousing a blokk heater becuz my Jeep came from The United States of Ummerica. I haven't got one. Why aren't YOU using a spellchecker? :skull: :flipoff2:

Sorry, I couldn't resist......but the problem doesn't seem to be the cold anymore. I'm trying to figure out if the starter definitely is fried, or if it's the solenoid, or just the wires connecting the two together???

Never could spell for sh#t, :flipoff2: :flipoff2: pull your starter and connect a hi amp charger to it. If it engages and turns check your selonoid. If you think the wires are fried drag out the multimeter.

BTW "aye" I have lived in one of the coldest spots in the continental U.S. It gets to -40 F for days at a time. If your jeep came without a block heater , then it came from some place like Ca.
Luck with it. if none of that works e-mail me with a complete list of what you have done, I will see if I can figure out any thing else. I might not know much about lift and flex but I can keep them from freezing up.
HarleyM

is it a manual? are you parked on a hill?

Well the symptoms you have described so far(slow crank and then clicking) all point to a bad battery...like what was said before put a new good battery in your heep and try it then if that doesn't work then try and change the plugs or at least check thenm they may be gummed up...there has got to be something you are not telling us(like Farenheit and Celsius:rolleyes: ) if it ran before it got that cold then it would have to be something that the cold could effect(I dont think it should effect the alternator or solenoid unless there is some type a moisture in them(which would then be your problem) like what was mentioned earlier you could have gotten water in your fuel...try using the heat stuff and get soem starting fluid to get the thing to fire:D if it doesn't fire with the starting fluid then I would do a tune-up(plugs wires cap rotor filters,fuel and air, and do a good oil change...I agree with you the 5w30 is right for your conditions but you never know???

Originally posted by Supergper
Well the symptoms you have described so far(slow crank and then clicking) all point to a bad battery...like what was said before put a new good battery in your heep and try it then if that doesn't work then try and change the plugs or at least check thenm they may be gummed up...there has got to be something you are not telling us(like Farenheit and Celsius:rolleyes: ) if it ran before it got that cold then it would have to be something that the cold could effect(I dont think it should effect the alternator or solenoid unless there is some type a moisture in them(which would then be your problem) like what was mentioned earlier you could have gotten water in your fuel...try using the heat stuff and get soem starting fluid to get the thing to fire:D if it doesn't fire with the starting fluid then I would do a tune-up(plugs wires cap rotor filters,fuel and air, and do a good oil change...I agree with you the 5w30 is right for your conditions but you never know???

I have connected directly to a good battery. I have changed the plugs. I've changed the cap, rotor, wires and air filter.

I am parked ona hill :rolleyes: but am facing backwards.........should I toss it in reverse and try a rolling start? If it doesn't start, it's gonna be a real salty whore to get it back up the hill again!!

Did you check your solenoid? I didn't go back and re-read, but didn't you say that you hooked up a direct connection to your starter and it still didn't spin? If so I would definately think it was your starter... Depending on the model the starter could be kind of expensive, but if it doesn't spin when directly connected to a GOOD electrical source, then that has to be at least one of your problems.

again... Good luck.:beer:

1 vote for rolling down the hill.:) :beer:

Originally posted by Mr.RatBastard
1 vote for rolling down the hill.:) :beer:

hehehehehe, are you serious??


and yes I did try a direct connection to the starter, but I am not sure whether it was connected properly. It may have been shorted somehow actually, judging by the occasional spark off the good battery when hooking up the jumpers ; )

simon-
now look dammit:)
if we have to come over to your house at 1/2 time to get that jeep runnin it's gonna cost ya!

if you were getting some sparks when connecting direct to the starter- remember to hook the positive first then the ground.

so what's the latest status on your prob? have you tried to start it today?

don't forget- you MUST have a GOOD battery. for example- just the other day on my chevy work truck, it wouldn't start. the starter would click only. the lights, radio etc all worked. the starter needs a whole lot of power to run. my cables were dirty-corrosion. it's a 2000 truck so it can happen to new rides. i cleaned the cables and started right up. i was pretty sure the batt was good cause it has the GREEN eye and was showing green.

if you really cranked on your starter for a long time you can fry it but you seemed to be having the starter trouble right from the get-go.

points, plugs, dist, timing..........NONE of these will stop the starter from engaging. untill you get the starter spinning then forget about the other things.

MAKE SURE the cables are tight at both battery and starter and ground and CLEAN. take them off and wire brush the ends. have your old battery checked and if bad get a NEW one. you don't have to get an OPTIMA- too much $$$$$$$ you can get a good little batt at walmart for a decent price and return it each year for a FREE replacement.

What is the temp today in celsius ?:flipoff2:



Yeah I am push that thing !pull it down the street!see if it will run,,if it does then do this:
1.check battery and cables(battery out of a car that works is fine,put new cables,they are cheap !)
2.solenoid
3.remove starter and hook it w/jumper cables to a good batt,does it spin ? does the gear kick out ?If it sounds crappy get a new 1.
4.pull your dipstick out..is your oil look like thickened epoxy ?if so change it !
If it did not start when you push ,pulled or whatever do this:
1.sell it
2.j/k
3.ask somebody else ,I am tired of typing right now
later


:beer:

being parked on a hill backwards could expain it if you are getting everything including getting the starter to engage then get the vehicle facing uphill...the fuel maybe too low to get picked up in the tank since it is all forward and the pickup is in the rear...try this and if it still wont start then I vote push it down the hill forward and try and start it that way(but only if its a stick):D:D:D

What are we looking at here. 4.0 4.2 2.5 ??? did i miss that?

Based on what has been done, I would say: Borrow a GOOD battery, put it in, try to roll start it. If that doesnt work, have a buddy tow it back up the hill, (facing down) and try again.

I have actaully used the slant of my 600' driveway to start the jeep... roll her out of the garage, point down and push ...

are battery cables generic or do I have to order them from Chrysler?

btw, thank you so much for all your help/patience guys:beer:

DEALER? ye shall be SHOT at dawn:)
i'm sure you can pick them up at your local parts house. you can measure their length and note the ends. and seek them out. it's even possible that if you call autozone or equal, that they will have them in the computer. NOT a dealer item.

Well here is the latest test I did. I used jumper cables, attached a to battery that is known to be good. I connected (+) to the small wire on the back of the starter solenoid, and grounded the (-).


Aside from a few sparks, I get the same single *click* sound. From what I understand, this tells me that
a) My battery (although dead) is not my major problem.
b) My battery cables are not the problem.

So does this mean it is the starter solenoid, or is it the starter motor itself? I'm just about to run to the store to get a Torx socket so I can pull the starter out. Apparently a new starter will cost $160 CAD ($220 - 60 core deposit)

Can a vehicle be push started if the battery and starter are both dead? (in reverse - the jeep is parked facing uphill)

Yes.If you have a manual tranny.....push the damn thing and see if it runs.
After that ,if it runs...pull the starter and test it w/the jumpers(see above post)

hey simon.......
let's see...$160 canadian is what USA????????
i bought a starter for my YJ at pep boys for $40 USA. works great with a lifetime warranty.

for the price of a starter- get another one. sounds like that is your problem now. and get a new battery.

break out the $$$ and get it runnin:)

yes it will "jump start" with a dead battery and fried starter. this is the advantage of a manual tranny VS auto, although i own both. little tricky in reverse though- can't say as if i have ever tried it in reverse. the only prob i see is the reverse gear is pretty low ratio and a lot like first gear which normally you would'nt use to jump start. usually have better luck with a higher gear to get the engine turning faster.

can't you coast it down the hill a ways till you can turn it around and then jump start it with the remaining hill? or then have someone pull you back up the hill?

TORX socket? didn't need that for my YJ....................

$160 CAD is $100 US. You may have a different starter than mine - in fact, my hanes manual says that some require torx sockets while others don't........my shyte luck I guess.

i hate torx

so have ya roll started it yet?

I tried roll starting it........it came slamming to a halt and just skidded across the snow. Twice. Now it is sitting at the bottom of the hill because I definitely can't push it up by myself.

Then I realized that my battery cables weren't attached to the battery. Please tell me that doesn't matter - but why else wouldn't it start? Maybe I wasn't rolling fast enough? I'm getting severely impatient with this whole situation.

don't need batt cables conected- the alternator will supply enough spark for the plugs. it's an old trick not recommended by some but if i want to check my alternator to see if it is charging, i will dis-connect the battery with the engine running- if the engine keeps running, the alternator is working.

like i said- kick starting in reverse is not a good idea- and in the SNOW????????????????????????? $hit dude- you gotta have traction to turn the engine over.

now get it turned around and winch it back up the hill with that new battery you bought:)

without the battery connected you won't maintain a full circuit, therefore you won't have any spark, therefore your vehicle will not run.

OK

I pulled the #$%^ starter out, and hooked it up to good battery. I hooked up negative to the frame, and positive to the large terminal on the starter. Then I used a screwdriver to short the large terminal to the small terminal on the starter. I heard the click, and the starter motor spun into life.

I also tried hooking positive directly to the lead that goes into the starter. I got an even bigger spark, and once again the starter motor spun.

Now I am severely confused. Why would it work when it is not connected to the engine? Does this test prove the starter is functioning properly??? Or could it just be too weak when hooked up to a heavy load like my engine???

I was gonna go pick up a new starter this afternoon, but now I'm not so sure.

Maybe you just have a shiatty ground connection. Go run a $2 ground strap from the frame to the block.

Buddy, Have you tested your starter.
I have changed my starter 3 times on my 2000. I live in Montreal, Quebec, and because of the trails we run down here, I end up with water in my starter, then whenever the temp. gets below 10, the water frezzes.
Have it checked, or try getting a pull when you are in 2 gear. if it works then it's your starter.