Hey guys happy New year! I’ve a 2005 Dodge Durango that has a hard time starting only when the outside to temp is low -31 or close to it right now but generally when the wind chills are negative 20 or more it seems to flood and it takes a minute or 30 to get it going again any ideas?
I’ll start. First is battery fully up to capacity? All routine maintenance up to date?
If you live in an area where the temperature will be consistently below zero
and in as much as you are long out of warranty, I would consider going to a lower viscosity oil, then go back to recommended viscosity in March.
From your post I am guessing your car sleeps outside without access to AC power for some of the other winter techniques such as block heaters.
BTW, I don’t think windchill affects vehicles.
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Do you mean it turns over close to normal speed, but does not fire up and run right away?
Or turns over very slowly or sometimes not at all?
Wind will cool down a car faster than still air, but you’re right in that it does not affect the actual low temperature of the car, or its performance.
Thanks for the reply Purebred! This has only happened 4 times in the 3 yrs I have had this Durango, and only ONLY when it gets below zero like it was New year’s Eve and yesterday and a week or so ago. When I wrote this the actual outside temp was -5 below I think or close to it anyways. Any other day I hit the key and Bam! It’s off to wherever but when it gets below 0 it turns over a few times but won’t fire straight away so then I have to flood start it. I know my way around cars. I work for a local dealership as an OLF, tire, and alignment tech, but for whatever reason it just wouldn’t go yesterday so I ended up running the battery down and had to charge it. After an hour + on charger it started after I held the accelerator to the floor. I have new plugs just haven’t put them in yet probably should do it soon tho. Thanks again for the replies! I’m looking forward to future topics…