Starting Your Car in the Cold

Are you wondering why your car won’t start when it’s cold, but starts when it’s warm? Lots of Kingman drivers have had the occasional difficulty trying to cold start a car. What is a cold start? Our service department wants to help you keep your car running in top shape, so we’ve put together the guide below on how to cold start a car and why this is sometimes hard to do. So, if you’ve been wondering, “Why won’t my car start when it’s cold?”, keep reading!

Why Won’t My Car Start When It’s Cold?

So, you’re wondering, “Why won’t my car start when it’s cold?” Cold weather causes an engine to work harder to start. More fuel is required, and so the engine must idle higher than it would otherwise. If the engine doesn’t idle high enough, the excess gas could clog the ignition system, causing the engine to stall. But there are other reasons why a car won’t start when it’s cold but starts when it’s warm. Here are a few:

• The battery isn’t designed for the cold. The winters in this region of the country aren’t as harsh as in other regions. So, you may have noticed that most batteries you can buy from Lake Havasu City retailers will have an “S” after the size of the battery. This stands for “South”, and indicates the battery is made for warmer climates. It could also just be time to replace your battery.
• The oil is low or needs to be changed. Oil must flow smoothly through the engine to start in cold weather. Dirty oil or low oil will affect this.
• Moisture in the fuel line. Moisture in the fuel line can freeze in the winter, causing a clog. This can happen more commonly in diesel engines.
• The carburetor is clogged. This applies to older cars since most modern cars have fuel injectors instead of carburetors.

What is a Cold Start?

So, what is a cold start? To cold start a car means to start the engine when the ambient temperature is lower than your engine’s operating temperature. Will this hurt your car? No, not as long as you keep your oil changed and refrain from revving up your engine to warm it up.

How to Cold Start a Car

• Turn off all electrical systems.
• Dip the clutch while turning your ignition (applies to manual transmissions, of course).
• Make sure your battery posts and cable connectors are not corroded.
• Check the oil and top it off if it is low.

Let the Service Department at Anderson Auto Group Help

If your car won’t start when cold, but starts when warm, bring it into one of our service centers and let our trained experts take care of the problem. We’ll get you back on the road in no time. And if you found this guide to be helpful, check out our guides on how to change a car battery and how to jump start a car. We have several convenient locations, like the ones in Lake Havasu City and Bullhead City. So, schedule an appointment with us today!