Q&A for How to Start a Car in Freezing Cold Winter Weather

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How long does a car take to start in the cold?

Audra Fordin
Certified Automotive Technician
Audra Fordin is a Certified Automotive Technician, the Founder of Women Auto Know, and the Owner of Great Bear Auto Repair in Flushing, New York. With more than 38 years of experience, she has intensive knowledge about foreign and domestic auto repairs. Audra has been featured on numerous news and talk shows such as The Today Show, Inside Edition, and Anderson Cooper.

Audra Fordin

Certified Automotive Technician

Expert Answer

Around 15-30 seconds! Depending on the temperature and reaction of your car, it can even take as long as a minute.

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Question

Is there any way to use a spray to start a fuel-injected engine?

Community Answer

You should never need to; fuel-injected means it's automatically injected by your computer. If your car isn't getting fuel, check the fuel pump pressure, fuel lines, fuel filters, fuel injectors, relays, and PCM/ECM.

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Question

My car won't start, and it's -30 F here. Will a jump start it?

Andrew Geep

Community Answer

There is no reason it shouldn't. If the outside source — either a battery or running vehicle — is up to par and the cables are in good condition and attached properly, you should be good to go.

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Question

Does it help to use premium instead of regular?

Andrew Geep

Community Answer

Not a bit. Premium gas is high-octane gas. Its purpose is to prevent engine "knock," a problem in some high-compression engines. Most modern cars can use regular gasoline.

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Question

Should I drive or idle after a boost and, if so, how long?

Community Answer

After a boost, you need to keep the engine running for at least 15 minutes. It’s better to drive it around, though, than to idle it.

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Question

How long can I leave the car sitting with a dead battery before damage is done?

Heather Kenyon-Haff

Top Answerer

Quite a long time! In long-term storage a car usually has its battery removed. A car with a dead battery is not in any immediate danger at all. A car can be left safely for months or even years on end in this condition. Corrosion of the battery terminals and a risk of a battery having structural issues can be a problem if a dead battery is left in a car for a very long time (years), but even that is not typically a serious problem.

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Question

Does this method of starting a car in freezing cold winter weather only apply to electric cars?

Andrew Geep

Community Answer

It does not apply at all to electric cars, as they use a motor instead of an engine. It only applies to cars with engines, either gasoline or diesel. (Motors use electricity directly from the battery to operate, while engines burn a fuel.) Of course, it also applies to hybrids, which have a motor and an engine.

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Question

What should I do if my engine clicks but doesn't start?

Community Answer

Wait a couple of minutes, then try again. If it still does not work, call your local automotive store/automative maintainence facility.

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Question

Should I start my car in cold weather, even if I am not going anywhere?

Community Answer

No, that would be pointless, because it's probably going to freeze again.

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Question

If I cant start at what temperature will it thaw out?

Heather Kenyon-Haff

Top Answerer

It depends on a number of factors. Cold alone is generally not the issue unless you are in an Arctic climate. The battery may be dead in which case even if it is warmed up it will not start. A properly winterized car will tend to start at colder temperatures than one that is not.

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Question

Should I start the engine once a day in the winter to prevent issues?

Community Answer

That would be pointless, because it would drain the battery and would just go back to being cold again.

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