Why My Car Wont Start In The Morning?

If a car wont start in the morning, it can be a challenging thing for anyone. With the temperature up north reaching the freezing point, it can be a very frustrating and embarrassing experience for many as sometimes the car just refuses to start. The car engines basically run on combustion and for that to happen, several conditions have to be present. There are many reasons which can cause the car not to start in cold weather early morning.

Happily enough, solving these problems is not much of a headache and a proper guide can solve them easily. Let us dive into it.

What Causes A Car Wont Start In The Morning?

There can be many causes for the car not to start in the early morning. From a bad battery to weak glow plugs we are discussing them in the following points-

1. Weak Battery

A car battery is like an energy reservoir that is required to start the car’s engine. A car engine requires a lot of amperage at the time of starting because it has a higher compression ratio and it is not that easy to turnover. The ECU needs a minimum amount of voltage to run properly. So a weak battery can easily cause the engine not to start properly or to take a long time to start. In cold weather, the situation gets worse as the battery gets weakened due to the lower temperatures. 

2. Poor Engine Compression

The car’s engine runs on a combustion process and to achieve proper combustion, it first compresses the air-fuel mixture before igniting it. Now for that to happen, the car engine has to have a minimum amount of compressor in the combustion chamber and if the engine has worn out, then it is highly likely that the compression ratio for the engine compression has reduced.

A weak compression would not create a sufficient amount of pressure and as a result, a proper fuel burn would not happen. The cold weather makes it even worse and a weak compression can cause the car wont start in the morning.

3. Weak Glow Plugs

Now, this is specifically related to cars having diesel engines. Diesel engines don’t rely on a spark plug for the ignition to happen, they combust their fuel with high compression. It so happens that in cold weather, they require and assistance in the form of extra heat from the glow plugs to preheat the combustion chamber, for the combustion to happen.

If the glow plugs are weak or have failed, the combustion chamber would not reach an optimum temperature and as a result, it would cause a very hard cold start for no start at all.

4. Bad Fuel

Fuel issues can also cause cars wont start in the morning. It so happens that sometimes a car is not used for a very long time and as a result, the fuel the tank gets deteriorated. The problem is much worse in ethanol-blended fuels because they can eat up fuel pump rubber parts and other fuel injection system components.

Also in winter, there is special winter fuel for the car and you need to fuel up your car with that. An improper fuel or bad fuel can cause the car not to start in the early morning. So ensure that proper winter-grade fuel is used.

How Can I Fix Cold Start Issue?

Fixing cold start issues of the car is easier than you thought. Depending on your mechanical inclination. you can yourself fix these issues. Here are the solutions for the problem-

1. Replace Battery

The battery is very critical for the car to start and it becomes very important when the temperature is low.  As the battery provides initial energy to turn over the engine it needs to be in perfect working order and cold weather, along with age can really affect it. The good news is that the car battery is not that expensive component and can be easily brought from a parts store nearby.

They come in a wide variety with many options and you can choose them according to your own budget. Replacing them is also a very simple job, but if you haven’t done it before, then be very careful about the polarity of the current, because crossing the polarity can fry a very expensive electrical system. 

2. Replace Glow Plugs

In a diesel engine, glow plugs play an important role in the early morning cold start. If they have failed or have gotten weak, then they need to be replaced. Sadly there is no option to repair them as they are basically a heating element. They are very easy to replace and can be considered as replacing spark plug of a petrol engine. Also sometimes the glow plug controller or module needs to be checked too. 

3. Engine Rebuild

A weak or worn-out engine is a cause for a cold start problem then the only option is to get them to rebuild. A week engine will cause a lower compression reading, which is the main cause of starting problems. It can be partially rebuilt or fully rebuild according to the condition. But in the case of certain complex aluminum engines, sometimes replacing them is the only option. 

4. Using Winter Grade Fuel

The winter-grade fuel must be used during cold cold weather. Winter grade fuel is specially made not to freeze at freezing temperature and is mixed with certain chemicals to help combustion in lower temperatures. Also, it is very important to use winter-grade diesel as diesel tends to gel up in cold weather. 

How Much It Costs To Fix Cold Starting Problem?

Luckily, fixing a car won start in the morning is not a job that will burn a deep hole in your pocket, except in the case of an engine rebuild. It costs anywhere between 100$-500$ if only components like battery etc need to be replaced. In the case of an engine rebuild, it can cost upwards of 1000$.

Conclusion

It can be concluded that fixing cold start issues are not that difficult and time-consuming to fix. They do not require any special knowledge, except in the case of engine rebuild. It can be really frustrating but if you follow this article, then you can solve it fairly easily. Comment down below any further questions.

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