So, my 1991 91 Chrysler New Yorker, 6 cyl. 3.3 liter engine didn’t start the other night. Temp: 0 degrees, mol, windchill. Today, temp: 24 degrees. My baby started right up.
My question: What is the difference?
Thanks,
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Forgot to add-snow and ice, etc, although I didn’t drive through any puddles or anything else.
Thx.
Check your battery strength. Check your terminal connections clean and lube them. Have the starter tested.
A 24 degree difference is pretty significant. Your oil is going to be more viscous and the chemical reactions in the battery are going to be less active. So yeah, probably time to replace the battery. Maybe even switch to a winter weight oil if its going to be down around 0 degrees a lot.
You need a battery. Cold weather doesn’t deplete the battery, it just reduces the amount of power it can deliver to the starter. So the (I assume) very old battery you’ve got can deliver enough juice at 24 degrees, but not at 0 degrees.
Mighty fine!
Thanks, guys.
Question: By “didn’t start the other night” do you mean that it didn’t turn over at all; turned over and sputtered some; or just turned over without sputtering?
If it turned over there could be other causes such as a frozen fuel line or ignition problems. However I’d discount the frozen fuel line if the temps didn’t get above freezing between the other night and now. Still it might be a good idea to put in a bottle of fuel line anti-freeze (unless your gasoline already has alcohol in it).
Still it’s probably the battery. When buying a new battery, don’t go cheap. Get the best that you can afford as it will probably be cheaper in the long run. Speaking of the long run, if you are thinking about selling the old car soon, well, maybe then go cheap on the battery.