# 2013 Ford Focus not starting (months in snow) **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [April 17, 2015, 5:26am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2013-ford-focus-not-starting-months-in-snow/89687 "2015-04-17T05:26:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![united](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/c6cbf5/32.png) [@united](https://community.cartalk.com/u/united)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2015, 5:26am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2013-ford-focus-not-starting-months-in-snow/89687/1 "2015-04-17T05:26:54Z")
So the car was unused and sitting in snow for about 2 months. Now the car will not start, and actually does not make any noise when key is turned. No lights inside the car turn on. No automatic or electronic buttons work at all. Is this a totally dead battery or starter (since it makes no noise with key in ignition) or something else (e.g. electrical)? I tried to jump start the car which did nothing (but honestly not sure if it was done for a good enough amount of time… about 5 minutes). Would sincerely appreciate any advice. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![auto-owner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/50afbb/32.png) [@auto-owner](https://community.cartalk.com/u/auto-owner)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2015, 5:31am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2013-ford-focus-not-starting-months-in-snow/89687/2 "2015-04-17T05:31:00Z")
Yes your battery is dead. ---
**Author:** ![united](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/c6cbf5/32.png) [@united](https://community.cartalk.com/u/united)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2015, 5:34am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2013-ford-focus-not-starting-months-in-snow/89687/3 "2015-04-17T05:34:03Z")
Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2015, 7:06am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2013-ford-focus-not-starting-months-in-snow/89687/4 "2015-04-17T07:06:58Z")
If this happened to me, I’d remove the battery from the car and put it on a battery charger. I’d use the 2 amp setting, and let it charge at that rate for 24 hours. That might revive the discharged battery and you won’t have to buy a new one. Worth a try anyway. While you are doing that, it’s a good time to clean the battery terminals and the cable connectors too. For future reference, attempting to jump start a totally dead battery while it is still in the car isn’t a good idea. It puts way to much electrical load on both the jumping car, and the car getting the jump. And there’s lots of possibilities to damage sensitive electronic components in either of the cars, like the computer. Even with a slightly discharged battery, me, I wouldn’t recommend to jump start a newer car. Or use a newer car to jumpstart another car. It’s just too expensive if even the alternator diodes get damaged, let alone the ECM gets damaged. ---
**Author:** ![dagosa](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/dagosa/32/9837_2.png) [@dagosa](https://community.cartalk.com/u/dagosa)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2015, 7:54am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2013-ford-focus-not-starting-months-in-snow/89687/5 "2015-04-17T07:54:50Z")
Agree on all accounts with George. Remove the battery and charge it. If the battery is low and won’t turn it over enough to start but still runs th electrical system, I would have no problems using a jumper battery ( never liked jumper cables) to help out. I feel these are safer for newer cars. ---
**Author:** ![BillRussell](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/billrussell/32/3179_2.png) [@BillRussell](https://community.cartalk.com/u/BillRussell)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2015, 6:34pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2013-ford-focus-not-starting-months-in-snow/89687/6 "2015-04-17T18:34:38Z")
Replace the battery. Even if you can get it to hold a (partial) charge, it is damaged and probably won’t last past next winter. b ---
**Author:** ![andrewRA](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e5b9ba/32.png) [@andrewRA](https://community.cartalk.com/u/andrewRA)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2015, 10:59pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2013-ford-focus-not-starting-months-in-snow/89687/7 "2015-04-17T22:59:54Z")
You may not have jump started the car correctly or had low quality/amperage cables. You can potentially charge your battery or rehook to jumper cables but let it sit for maybe 10 minutes before turning the key. ---
**Author:** ![Bisbonian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/858c86/32.png) [@Bisbonian](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Bisbonian)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2015, 11:15pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2013-ford-focus-not-starting-months-in-snow/89687/8 "2015-04-17T23:15:04Z")
I agree with those who suggested just replacing the battery. ---
**Author:** ![Honda-Blackbird](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/honda-blackbird/32/3159_2.png) [@Honda-Blackbird](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Honda-Blackbird)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2015, 5:11am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2013-ford-focus-not-starting-months-in-snow/89687/9 "2015-04-18T05:11:50Z")
YOU NEED A NEW BATTERY… One of the biggest batt killers is LACK OF USE and COLD TEMPS…Combine them and you might as well shoot the battery with a shotgun to boot. SIMPLE…Replace the battery and drive on. In the future if there will be a long period of Non Use I would remove the battery…Place it on blocks of wood or a thick rubber mat and connect it to a battery tender for the duration. It also needs to be out of Freezing Temps…so in the basement will work… Blackbird ---
**Author:** ![auto-owner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/50afbb/32.png) [@auto-owner](https://community.cartalk.com/u/auto-owner)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2015, 5:16am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2013-ford-focus-not-starting-months-in-snow/89687/10 "2015-04-18T05:16:15Z")
Honda Blackbird _Place it on blocks of wood or a thick rubber mat…_ **Why?** ---
**Author:** ![PvtPublic](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/pvtpublic/32/13089_2.png) [@PvtPublic](https://community.cartalk.com/u/PvtPublic)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2015, 11:09pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2013-ford-focus-not-starting-months-in-snow/89687/11 "2015-04-18T23:09:13Z")
> Place it on blocks of wood or a thick rubber mat... > > Why? So it can wait out its vacation in comfort of course. ---
**Author:** ![united](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/c6cbf5/32.png) [@united](https://community.cartalk.com/u/united)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2015, 1:24am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2013-ford-focus-not-starting-months-in-snow/89687/12 "2015-04-19T01:24:31Z")
Thanks so much everybody. Greatly appreciate the words of wisdom. ---
**Author:** ![oldtimer-11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e79b87/32.png) [@oldtimer-11](https://community.cartalk.com/u/oldtimer-11)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2015, 2:48am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2013-ford-focus-not-starting-months-in-snow/89687/13 "2015-04-19T02:48:15Z")
A normally charged battery doesn’t need to be removed from the vehicle, at least not to 20 below. All you need to do is remove one battery cable. Batteries discharge less in cold temps . Our average temp for all od feb. was 10.6 degrees. Not the average low, the average temp. My 6 year old lawn tractor battery from NAPA started the mower reight up when I moved the mower. Since my 1978 International Cadet 85 has nothing on it that discharges the battery I don’t even disconnect the battery. A discharged battery will freeze and that will ruin it. Charge it and see if that works.