# Car Problems In the Cold

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-problems-in-the-cold/40587>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Tags:** mazda3, mazda\
**Created:** [December 10, 2009, 7:02pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-problems-in-the-cold/40587 "2009-12-10T19:02:47Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![pinesshia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b5a626/32.png) [@pinesshia](https://community.cartalk.com/u/pinesshia)\
**Post date:** [December 10, 2009, 7:02pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-problems-in-the-cold/40587/1 "2009-12-10T19:02:47Z")

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I have a 2006 Mazda 3 with a little under 40,000 miles on it and it won’t start. The temps here in Southern Colorado have been between -16F and 10F… The car had been running great and I just had the oil changed as I do every 3months. I first thought the battery had died, but the lights on the dash still turn on… there is this clickingish sound when I turn the key in the ignition to start it up, but nothing else happens. It also is a manual transmission. Wondering if anyone has any helpful ideas as to what may be going on…  
  
  
  
 Thanks!

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**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\
**Post date:** [December 10, 2009, 7:05pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-problems-in-the-cold/40587/2 "2009-12-10T19:05:54Z")

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It doesn’t require a lot of current for the dash lights to come on. But it does require a lot of current to operate the starter. Check the battery to see if it’s fully charged.

Tester

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**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\
**Post date:** [December 10, 2009, 7:08pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-problems-in-the-cold/40587/3 "2009-12-10T19:08:07Z")

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Sounds like battery to me.

Lights will maybe draw 30 amps from the battery…A starter will draw a few hundred amps from the battery.

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**Author:** ![lion9car](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/59ef9b/32.png) [@lion9car](https://community.cartalk.com/u/lion9car)\
**Post date:** [December 10, 2009, 7:20pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-problems-in-the-cold/40587/4 "2009-12-10T19:20:38Z")

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This is probably the fifth winter for your battery. That’s about what’s expected for the life of a battery these days.