GM 3800 V6 won't start in the cold..
 

so anyways, when its freezing outside, I'm not talking sub-zero, just at or slightly above freezing, the car just won't start...

it turns and turns and turns, so the starter is working, and the battery is holding a charge, but it just won't turn over and run...

now, if I just keep on doing this (while hooking it up via jumpers to another car) eventually it will start.

any ideas what the problem is? batter has been replaced with a much beefier (1000cca's I think) one, the plug wires look good, and once the thing does start it runs good.


only thing I can think of is mebbe at some point someone put in oil that was the wrong weight? mebbe the plugs are bad (but like I said, warmer temps, it starts no prob)


any theories out there?

car is an 89 buick.

Kinda sounds like frozen fuel. Or rather, water in the tank, freezing in the fuel pump.

Do you think the jumper cables really had anything to do with it, or did it just give you a longer amount of time to keep cranking it?


How long has this been happening? It ALWAYS starts just fine in warm weather?


Usually temps have to be several degrees below freezing, or more, for it to start mattering, when your battery is fine. *scratches head*

I'm gonna agree with DEI37 on this. Get a couple bottles of that "fuel antifreeze" stuff, put it into your tank, run the engine long enough to work it thru the fuel system, and then see if the problem doesn't go away. I hope it works.

i disagree, it is highly unlily that it is water in the line,

i DO however believe that it would be your distributor. depending on the year you will have a distributor cap or coil ignition, go get something called "WIRE DRYER" meant for drying out wires. or even brake cleaner, and spray your whole distributor cap and stuff. if this fixes it it is time for a new cap rotor and wires

I believe most of the 3800 series motors had coil packs in '89, two per cylinder. I know the Olds '98 we had did, as did a friend of mine's LeSabre.

I think it gave me more time to crank and crank and crank...

thats what eventually got it started.

Spark Plugs

I have to agree with J.R.V.A........start with the plugs and wires. See if there is any difference. If not, take it to Autozone or a similar place and have the electrical system checked, they should do it for free.

yup, its definatly an electrical problem, either spark plugs or as i originally said, cap and rotor and wires, but when i do one i do them all.

No cap rotor in that car, just a ignition module and 3 coil packs. Usually if the ignition module or coil packs go bad it won't cause it to be a hard starter, it will just misfire like crazy. Still do you plugs and wires.

My bros work truck had that problem last winter....what a pain in the ass to try and keep the gas tank warm!