# Car problems **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 26, 2013, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-problems/677211 "2013-12-26T14:57:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![lawbuff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/13edae/32.png) [@lawbuff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lawbuff)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2013, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-problems/677211/1 "2013-12-26T14:57:13Z")
It was so cold today, my starter would not start, my crankshaft would not crank, my pistons would not piss! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2013, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-problems/677211/2 "2013-12-26T15:00:56Z")
> [@lawbuff](#): > > It was so cold today, my starter would not start, my crankshaft would not crank, my pistons would not piss! 🙂 Ouch. Sounds like your ho-ho-ho is going to have to be A-A-A… Good Luck! ---
**Author:** ![JerrySTL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e274bd/32.png) [@JerrySTL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JerrySTL)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2013, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-problems/677211/3 "2013-12-26T17:30:24Z")
How old is the battery? Might be time for a change. Also check the battery cables to make sure they clean, tight, and not corroded. One trick it to put a drop light with a 60-100 watt incandescent bulb near the battery. A warm battery works better. Another option is to take out the battery and store it inside. Install it just before you need to start the car. Sometimes this is much easier said than done. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2013, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-problems/677211/4 "2013-12-26T17:34:09Z")
> [@lawbuff](#): > > It was so cold today, my starter would not start, my crankshaft would not crank, my pistons would not piss! 🙂 I would have said, ‘My starter won’t start, my crankshaft won’t cranks and my pistons won’t… work.’ Yes, I like The Cramps. _Your carburetor don’t carb, got a hammer down miss Your generator gens but your pistons don’t…work_ ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2013, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-problems/677211/5 "2013-12-26T17:34:31Z")
My gf’s Subaru turned over fine, but sounded like it was outa gas. Turns out she had filled her tank on the way home the previous evening. One can of dry gas and it started up fine! ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2013, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-problems/677211/6 "2013-12-26T17:40:39Z")
> [@JerrySTL](#): > > One trick it to put a drop light with a 60-100 watt incandescent bulb near the battery. [If you can find a 60 - 100 watt incandescent bulb.](http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2428279,00.asp)I bought two 24 packs of 100s the other day and the cashier told me they were the last ever (for that store). We use them in the barn water compartment to delay freezing. ---
**Author:** ![Kenm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bc79bd/32.png) [@Kenm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kenm)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2013, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-problems/677211/7 "2013-12-26T17:59:02Z")
I had a teacher whose VW didn’t have a block heater. That afternoon, the south-facing school rooms were treated to the site of a fire engine putting out the flames caused by the light bulb he placed on the engine and plugged in. ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2013, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-problems/677211/8 "2013-12-26T18:04:50Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > My gf’s Subaru turned over fine, but sounded like it was outa gas. Turns out she had filled her tank on the way home the previous evening. One can of dry gas and it started up fine! I’ve never figured out the magic of dry gas. You have to figure that once the fuel line is frozen, there’s no way that the dry gas could reach the blockage from the tank. But every time I’ve had to use it, it somehow zeroes in on the problem and the car starts right up. Magic in a can. ---
**Author:** ![lawbuff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/13edae/32.png) [@lawbuff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lawbuff)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2013, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-problems/677211/9 "2013-12-26T18:21:39Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > I would have said, ‘My starter won’t start, my crankshaft won’t cranks and my pistons won’t… work.’ Yeah, it was a joke thread, but thanks everyone for the car advice, I can still use it! ---
**Author:** ![JerrySTL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e274bd/32.png) [@JerrySTL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JerrySTL)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2013, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-problems/677211/10 "2013-12-26T18:24:19Z")
> [@Finagle](#): > > I’ve never figured out the magic of dry gas. You have to figure that once the fuel line is frozen, there’s no way that the dry gas could reach the blockage from the tank. But every time I’ve had to use it, it somehow zeroes in on the problem and the car starts right up. Magic in a can. Another thing about dry gas treatments is that they are almost always alcohol based. If you are using gasohol already, that little bottle isn’t going to help as you’re gasoline is probably around 10% alcohol already. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2013, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-problems/677211/11 "2013-12-26T18:41:55Z")
> [@JerrySTL](#): > > Another thing about dry gas treatments is that they are almost always alcohol based. If you are using gasohol already, that little bottle isn’t going to help as you’re gasoline is probably around 10% alcohol already. Isn’t Heet et al. methanol/wood alcohol? Does that have more water-binding capability than ethanol?