Why wont my Ford Escape start in very cold weather sometimes?
Sometimes when its very cold in the morning i go to start my car and it cranks but does not start. Only when I turn the ignition to ON for a few seconds and try to crank it does it start? why is this, this only happens early in the morning.
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cause your car hasnt been on for a while and its very cold.. turn it on earlier so it can run for a few minutes
if youre car is a diesel it just means that the glow plugs are warming up thats why it only starts after being left at on for a while.
Bad batteries usually give you trouble in cold weather. Get it checked, or actually ,you’ll probably end up getting a newer one. This time, get the mid or higher level battery, and dont go for the cheap economy one. They usually wear out faster, and have less power. You may need a strong one, if you live in a cold weather(up north).
Is it diesel? I was listening to a radio show yesterday while running some errands and they were talking that diesel fuel gels at 21 degrees and you need some kind of additive or kerosene to thin it out. Many up here where it is below 10 degrees are upset the price of it…10 bucks for 40 gallons.
Just thought I would throw that out in case. I don’t know what cars use it and which don’t.
the fix you have discovered suggests something akin to a capacitor, where electrical energy must be accumulated for a short time prior to generating enough power to spark the plugs. But I thought those were obsolete in the newer cars. Perhaps not. In any event, it sounds like either an ignition component or just coincidence if you are repeating very similar number of attempts, then pausing, then trying with success. Have you varied the number of attempts before the pause? If so, then I think a trip in for diagnosis is probably worth your time.
The battery suggestions seem to miss the point that you are cranking successfully each time. Is it with the same level of vigor each time, or does it get progressively slower? Even if that were the case, the wait time would not get you much more than the first attempt.
Is the car diesel? If so, the glow plug answer is probably your ticket. My response assumed a gasoline engine
One other possibility is there is an old trick used by folks way up the map. When the battery isn’t strong enough due to frigid conditions, they turn on their lights for a minute or two. This has the effect off heating up the battery releasing cranking amps that weren’t there before. Not really sure why this works, but turning on the ignition would have the same effect. Cure? If your in frigid conditions, you should have a block heater going. If your not, you could try a higher CCA rated battery.
Luck!
Sounds like you may have a fuel system related problem. Turning the key to on causes the fuel pump to kick on and get fuel pressure up to the engine. You could have a partially clogged fuel filter. The air filter could be clogged not allowing enough air into the cylinders for combustion right away. The fuel pressure regulator may be going bad. It could be a number of things. Try changing the fuel and air filters first and running a few tanks of 92-93 octane fuel to help clean up the combustion chambers. If it still has trouble starting, get it in to a shop for a diagnostic analysis.
You’re battery does not have enough cold cranking power(amperes). There are batteries that you can buy that are good at starting in the cold. Not too much more expensive than a regular battery either. It could also mean that one of the cells is dead (dying rather) and the first thing to suffer is your CCA (Cold Cranking amperes)