My car will not start when the temperature drops below freezing. The battery is good and the engine turns rapidly, but shows no interest in firing.
When the temperature is above freezing, the car starts immediately.
This condition developed instantaneously. Coincidentally (or not), the problem developed the next morning after filling the tank with gas. I added a bottle of HEET fuel line antifreeze with no change. I did drive the car for 40+ miles after adding the antifreeze.
The car is a 1992 Chrysler Lebaron Convertible, 3.0 Liter V-6, with a little more than 200,000 miles. I have owned the car for about 7 years and it has always started without fail (with very minor exception) in all kinds of weather. The car has no history of hard starts. Fuel pump and filter replaced about one year ago. Distributor cap, rotor, plug wires (and I think plugs) replaced within the last two years. It gets driven only about 5,000 miles a year now. All winter (central Indiana), the car started without fail regardless of how cold, until last Friday.
Except for a single overnight in a parking garage in Cincinnati, the car has never seen the inside of a garage since I purchased it.
I have done no diagnostics since the problem started. As a general rule, during the last week the car would not start when I wanted to leave for work in the morning (and because I wanted to leave for work I simply drove my van rather than try to diagnose the problem), but would start by the time I got home and the temperature had risen. My initial feeling is a fuel problem, but I have been wrong before. If/when the car starts, it starts, runs, idles, and accelerates flawlessly.
I appreciate any suggestions. The problem is that the forecast is for warm weather this weekend (and it is hard to diagnose a problem that is not occurring) and then I am out of town (and away from my computer) for a week starting Tuesday, March 12. Please do not interpret my lack of response as indifference or having solved the problem. I will report back any findings and any resolution to the problem.
To the moderators: If this post should be in the EEK forum, feel free to move it.
Thanks in advance for assistance.
When the temperature is above freezing, the car starts immediately.
This condition developed instantaneously. Coincidentally (or not), the problem developed the next morning after filling the tank with gas. I added a bottle of HEET fuel line antifreeze with no change. I did drive the car for 40+ miles after adding the antifreeze.
The car is a 1992 Chrysler Lebaron Convertible, 3.0 Liter V-6, with a little more than 200,000 miles. I have owned the car for about 7 years and it has always started without fail (with very minor exception) in all kinds of weather. The car has no history of hard starts. Fuel pump and filter replaced about one year ago. Distributor cap, rotor, plug wires (and I think plugs) replaced within the last two years. It gets driven only about 5,000 miles a year now. All winter (central Indiana), the car started without fail regardless of how cold, until last Friday.
Except for a single overnight in a parking garage in Cincinnati, the car has never seen the inside of a garage since I purchased it.
I have done no diagnostics since the problem started. As a general rule, during the last week the car would not start when I wanted to leave for work in the morning (and because I wanted to leave for work I simply drove my van rather than try to diagnose the problem), but would start by the time I got home and the temperature had risen. My initial feeling is a fuel problem, but I have been wrong before. If/when the car starts, it starts, runs, idles, and accelerates flawlessly.
I appreciate any suggestions. The problem is that the forecast is for warm weather this weekend (and it is hard to diagnose a problem that is not occurring) and then I am out of town (and away from my computer) for a week starting Tuesday, March 12. Please do not interpret my lack of response as indifference or having solved the problem. I will report back any findings and any resolution to the problem.
To the moderators: If this post should be in the EEK forum, feel free to move it.
Thanks in advance for assistance.