Q: Car won't start in cold weather
My Hyundai Elantra doesn't start when the weather got colder, which means it was starting before. I checked the car battery with a multi-meter and got a voltage reading of 12.6V. I jumped started the car, but also didn't work. I put some gas line antifreeze, in case something is frozen in the gas, but didn't work either. Any ideas of what the problem can be?
Thank you.
My car has 174000 miles.
My car has an automatic transmission.
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Hello, thank you for writing in. There are a few more basic things to try before worrying too much. One of the main issues is that occurs in cold weather is that weaker components really struggle. One of the most critical for starting is the fuel pump. A very simple step you can do is to turn the key to the "On" position for around 15-30 seconds before attempting to crank over the engine. This gives the cold and heavily used fuel pump a chance to prime before the engine demands it to work. You may also want to help the engine by using a good oil for winter time. Also for winter time, you should make sure your coolant is in good condition and has a low freeze point. Older coolant can loose these properties. Prime the pump before starting and see if that helps. If it does, you may consider switching out the pump.
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