my first cold weather problem......

[300cdT]

well, its been pretty cold ever since i picked up the CD (anywhere b/t 10-40F) and its always started right up. went out this morning to get her warmed up and nothing. doesnt even want to turn over now im stuck at home b/c my wife already left for work in the truck! doh!

[JimmyL]

Measure voltage at battery to see if the cold killed a weak battery....

[300cdT]

yeah, i checked it already. reading a bit over 12 volts. now the starter isnt even clicking or anything. fantastic.

[JimmyL]

Did you try wiggling/cleaning the battery cables? Let's hope it isn't the starter...

[kerry]

Try jumping wires 1 and 3 in the junction box on the right inner fender in front of the battery (after glowing).

[300cdT]

yeah, it seems to have battery power. i drove it all day yesterday w/o any problems. its always something.

[300sdToronto]

My SD does this to me once in a blue moon and it's an ignition switch problem in my case. Give the ignition tumbler a squirt of WD40 and wiggle it a bit with the key in the accessory or ON positions before turning to START.

Just a shot in the dark. Otherwise it sounds like a wiring or ground problem. Usually the whirly parts of the starter (advanced mechanical terminology) fail before the solenoid does.

If all fails, have a cup of coffee and warm up. At least you are at home and not in the middle of a deserted parking lot at 2am.

[300cdT]

i am supposed to be in class right now, but i am glad im not stranded in a parking lot. my kids would be with me. ill give the key idea a shot. the guy i bought it from didnt drive it b/c he said it was "hard to start" in the cold. i figured when i went to drive it and it started in cold weather i could probably get away with "anti-gel" addative or something.

[300cdT]

i guess it would be worth mentioning that the ign. is a bit tricky. you have to wiggle and move the key just right to get it to move to start position. think that could be taken care of with a new tumbler/lock cyl.?

[kerry]

Jump the wires I described and you'll have your answer. If the starter engages, the problem is almost certainly the key switch. (although there is a possibility it could be a problem elsewhere in the wiring--but this unlikely given your description of the key switch)

[300cdT]

Originally Posted by kerry

Try jumping wires 1 and 3 in the junction box on the right inner fender in front of the battery (after glowing).

the tiny box with 3 junc. points?

[Magoo]

Could also be the shifter lock-out. If messing with the key switch doesn't do it, try making sure it's in Park.

[300cdT]

well, it seems as if ye ol starter has crapped out. after glow i jumped at the junction block and all i get is a click. thing is, how much of a PITA is the starter to take out on this thing. with my luck im sure its a nightmare.

[JimmyL]

It ain't fun on the turbo engines, but it ain't rocket science with the right combination of extensions and swivels. You should be able to search and find instructions with pics.....

[Jkid]

Originally Posted by 300cdT

yeah, i checked it already. reading a bit over 12 volts. now the starter isnt even clicking or anything. fantastic.

So what is the voltage exactly? 12.00 volts is a pretty dead battery. 12.65 volts is fully charged, so even a voltage of 12.2v is only about 50% charged and you will need a lot of juice when it's cold. even a small drop in temperature will really test your battery strength.