Not starting, battery full, std Matrix

[lolo2]

Hi to all!

I have a 2003 Matrix that have an intermitent problem. It seems that every time that we have a very cold night (like -15 ans downward), the car don't start during the day. When its a mild day, the car start!!!

The starter doesn't not make any noise. The battery is brand new (and tested 12+). We changed it two weeks ago because it was starting to ware out when it was cold, the car was starting - but with several try.

The car otherwise never had problem starting, even in very very cold condition.

When we try to start the car, the dashbord light goes down.

Any clues?

Thanks a lot!

Lolo2

[toyomoho]

Check the battery cables and terminals for damage and corrosion.

Jump start the starter solenoid to see if it works OK, if so then cables. If not then the solenoid may be the issue.

[mistamatrix]

If yours is a manual it could be as simple as not depressing the clutch all the way to the floor to activate the switch.

[redmgb]

Originally Posted by lolo2

Hi to all!

I have a 2003 Matrix that have an intermitent problem.

When we try to start the car, the dashbord light goes down.


Lolo2

It's a tell-tale signs of,there's a electrical resistance in the engine-starting circuits - battery connections,starter connections,and grounding points.

As outside temperatures dipping lower,more electrical power demands from that little battery.Thats why you have to crank few more time.
If temps dips even lower,plus you have problems with the starting circuits.
You will need a boosting.
Hope this will help.

[tgidavid]

Originally Posted by redmgb

It's a tell-tale signs of,there's a electrical resistance in the engine-starting circuits - battery connections,starter connections,and grounding points.

As outside temperatures dipping lower,more electrical power demands from that little battery.Thats why you have to crank few more time.
If temps dips even lower,plus you have problems with the starting circuits.
You will need a boosting.
Hope this will help.

This is incorrect. Electrical resistance generates heat and resistance slowly goes to infinitely I.E. electrical short at high temps not low. Electricity actually flows faster at low temps such as the properties of superconducters. Having said that

Its definitely your battery. Batteries have a cold crank amp rating, that is 300-350amps for 30 seconds at 0 deg F. Any lower the battery electrolysis process slows even further and prevent the amps needed to crank your car. Even though the voltage reads 12V+ it doesn't necesarily mean that your battery is fine. Amperage is what keeps your starter spinning.

What you need to do is wrap the battery in a thermal blanket. That's how I used to do when I had the Jeep. Also, you can buy a specific brand of battery made for cold weather apps like Odyssey or optima with the AGM (absorbed glass mat) technology.

[tgidavid]

To illustrate, Battery Council International statistics indicate:
• When the outside temperature is 80oF, a fully-charged battery has 100 percent of its
power available to start the car.
• When the temperature drops to 32oF, a fully-charged battery has two-thirds of its power
available.
• At 0oF, that same fully-charged battery has only 40 percent of its power available to start
the vehicle

http://www.exide.com/products/trans/..._on_winter.pdf

[Corolla_reps]

try starting your car wire from starter to your battery(-)...this should work because i had the problem before....it has something to do with the clutch switch...by the way im running AC Delco battery very highly recommended !!!

[redmgb]

Originally Posted by tgidavid

Its definitely your battery. Batteries have a cold crank amp rating, that is 300-350amps for 30 seconds at 0 deg F. Any lower the battery electrolysis process slows even further and prevent the amps needed to crank your car.

In this case,certainly not the battery problem like you had mentioning.
The other poster had said " he have a 2003 Matrix that have an intermitent problem.

When we try to start the car, the dashbord light goes down."

He had said " intermitent problem ",meaning sometimes,not always.
And he didn't said he got engine cranking problems.

If his battery needs to be replacing.His problem won't be happening
sometimes.It will repeating itself every single time,when he turns the
ignition key.

[redmgb]

Originally Posted by Corolla_reps

try starting your car wire from starter to your battery(-)...this should work because i had the problem before....it has something to do with the clutch switch...by the way im running AC Delco battery very highly recommended !!!

this is one of best method of testing,it will eliminating all possible
symtoms of ........ either the battery or ground or even the starter itself.

[tgidavid]

Dimming dash lights, no crank/slow crank in extreme cold, intermitent failures, is a typical battery issue, especially in cold weather conditions. He did state that the car eventually crank after several tries. If you read the PDF form exide it clearly states that when you encounter these conditions and finally get your car started, it will take a while for the battery to charge in cold temps. If your making short trips, its very easy to run the battery low.

You going to tell me that I'm wrong about electric resistance in low temps too?

[redmgb]

Originally Posted by tgidavid

You going to tell me that I'm wrong about electric resistance in low temps too?

oh ! did I said that ?
if there's electrical resistance,it will occur at any temperature.
am talking about outside air temp.