Stuck during rush hour on Kenaston Boulevard or broken down on the Perimeter Highway? Our drivers are stationed nearby to get to you in 30 minutes or less.
The main cause of such problems is a dead or damaged battery, particularly in the harsh winters of Manitoba. Other causes could be a defective starter, a broken alternator, dirty engine oil, frozen fuel lines, malfunctioning spark plugs, or the security system being on. We will go through all these possible causes one by one and give details of what each cause is and what steps you should take prior to calling.
Why Does Cold Weather Affect Winnipeg Vehicles?
Consult any mechanic in Winnipeg, and you will hear the same thing – the period between November and March is harder on your car than the rest of the year put together. With temperatures consistently below freezing, often down to negative thirty or lower, the cold weather affects not only how comfortable driving is but how your engine, battery, fuel, and electrical systems function.
At 32°F (0°C), the power of a battery drops by 35%, while at 0°F (minus 18°C), the power decreases to 60%. This applies to the city of Winnipeg, which regularly has winters when temperatures drop to below minus 20°C. This occurs for every driver in Winnipeg, including those who live in St. Norbert, St. Andrews, River Heights, and other neighborhoods of the city.
The best part is that in nearly all cases of no-start conditions, there is always a definite cause and a definite cure. The following are the most common.
1. Dead or Weak Battery
A weak or dead battery is the number one cause of your vehicle not starting during the cold Winnipeg winter mornings. Your battery can be functioning normally but not work during wintertime when you try to start your vehicle. It is important to have high cold cranking amps (CCA), meaning the power needed to rotate a cold engine.
There is an electrolyte solution which helps the battery chemistry to generate power. The reaction slows at low temperatures, so the battery can’t deliver enough power to start the engine. This is especially true for batteries more than three years old.
Signs your battery is the problem:
- You hear rapid clicking when you turn the key, but the engine does not crank
- Headlights are dim or flickering
- The dashboard lights come on, but nothing else happens
- The engine cranks very slowly and then stops
What should you do? First of all, jump-start your vehicle if you have cables or a jump pack. However, in case your vehicle starts up but stops shortly after that, you should consider replacing the battery or finding the problem in your charging system. But if nothing helps, contact roadside assistance professionals.
Being stuck with your dead battery in the middle of the Winnipeg winter season is always an unpleasant experience, but we provide you with battery boost service 24/7 no matter what part of Winnipeg you are located.
2. Faulty Starter Motor
A worn-out starting motor is one of the most common causes of a car failing to start on cold mornings. When you find that your engine easily starts in warmer conditions but fails to start suddenly when it is very cold, cranks slowly, or makes just a sound, it means that the problem with your starting motor is that it has worn out and is taking up too much energy from the battery.
The starter is the electric motor that powers the turning of your engine when you turn the ignition key. It has to work with thick oil and stiff engine parts in cold weather while draining an already stressed battery.
Signs the starter is at fault:
- You hear a single loud click when turning the key, then nothing
- The engine does not crank at all even though the battery appears charged
- The car starts intermittently, sometimes working and sometimes not
A starter motor cannot be fixed with a jump start; only a reliable tow truck in Winnipeg can transport your vehicle from the breakdown location to a mechanic shop.
3. Alternator Failure
The problem with a faulty alternator can be confused with a dead battery since the signs are quite similar. An alternator is an auto part that charges the battery when the vehicle is running, and when it stops working, even a new battery gets drained.
Symptoms of a bad alternator include dim or flickering headlights, a battery light warning on the dashboard, the engine stalling immediately after being jump-started, and electrical components not functioning properly.
Steps to take: Do not drive a vehicle that is experiencing alternator failure. Tow it to a repair facility so that the battery doesn’t run out of power and leave you stuck in an even less convenient location.
4. Thickened Engine Oil
This might surprise you, but the viscosity of your engine oil affects the startup of your engine when it is cold outside. The engine oil lubricates all the components of your engine and reduces the resistance that the starter needs to work against when starting up. The oil becomes thicker when it gets colder.
What should be done: Check the condition of the oil in the car. If it is thick or sludgy, change it before winter comes. Ask the mechanic to recommend some synthetic oil, which is good for Manitoba winters.
5. Frozen Fuel Lines
It is less common now for fuel lines to freeze due to fuel injection in automobiles; however, it is still something that does happen, especially in cities such as Winnipeg because it gets extremely cold.
However, when the temperatures fall below the freezing point, moisture in the fuel line freezes up, thereby preventing the fuel from reaching the engine. This usually happens in vehicles with an almost empty fuel tank.
Signs of a fuel system problem:
- The engine cranks normally but never fires
- The car starts briefly and then immediately stalls
- The issue appeared after a recent fill-up with low-quality fuel
Action steps: Add one bottle of fuel-line antifreeze or isopropyl alcohol fuel additive to your tank. Make sure that your tank is always more than a quarter full during the winter season.
6. Worn or Fouled Spark Plugs
A spark plug provides the spark that ignites the fuel-air mixture in your engine’s cylinders. However, with use, these spark plugs become worn out, clogged with carbon, and stop sparking. Cold weather makes them even worse.
Signs of spark plug trouble:
- Engine cranks but refuses to start, even after a boost
- The car starts occasionally but runs very rough
- You notice reduced fuel economy in the weeks leading up to a no-start event
What should be done: A replacement of spark plugs is a reasonably cheap procedure that can be carried out at the repair facility. This is not an on-road solution; hence, your vehicle will have to be towed there for this problem to be resolved.
What To Do When Your Car Won’t Start in Winnipeg
Before asking for assistance, check out the following points:
Switch off all other components. Your heaters, seat warmers, and headlamps consume electricity. This will give your battery and starter an edge when you try again.
Check the key switch. Switch the ignition on and off without holding it in place. This might warm up the contacts of the battery, as well as prime your fuel system.
Look for evident problems. Dull dash lights indicate that there is a problem with your battery. No lights at all means that your battery is dead or the fuse is blown. A flashing security light indicates a problem with your immobilizer.
Try a jump start, if possible. If you have a set of jumper cables or a battery jump pack available, give a jump to your car. Once you get your car going, let it run for 20-30 minutes so that the alternator can charge the battery.
In case it doesn’t work, or if you don’t feel confident enough trying to fix the problem on the freezing streets of Winnipeg at -25, then the best thing to do would be to contact a professional orca towing service.
How To Avoid a No-Start This Winter
Proactive maintenance is always easier than breakdown service. These are the best things that Winnipeg drivers can do to prevent no-starts in advance:
Have your battery tested before November comes around. Battery testing only takes about five minutes at any auto parts store or mechanic shop. If your battery is more than three years old or has lost its power, replace it right away.
Use synthetic oil in winter. Synthetic oil provides sufficient lubrication under extremely cold conditions, which relieves the pressure on your starter and battery each time you attempt to start the vehicle.
Keep your fuel tank half full or above. Doing so prevents condensation from forming in your fuel tank and increases the likelihood that you will avoid freezing in the fuel line.
Check your spark plugs. If they are worn out, replace them. Ignition spark becomes increasingly crucial as all other systems become stressed.
Park your vehicle in a heated place if you have one. The slight increase in temperature due to being in the heated enclosure will make a big difference to your battery performance when you are attempting to start it.
Use your block heater if you have one. A block heater is a device that keeps the engine coolant hot overnight and greatly reduces pressure on all other systems when you start the vehicle.
Q/A
Why do I hear a rapid click but my car won’t start in winter?
The fast clicking is due to the battery’s inability to provide enough power to energize the starter. A one-time loud click indicates that the starter solenoid activates, but the motor doesn’t turn. The issue lies either in the battery or starter.
Is it okay to repeatedly jump-start my car?
It’s okay to use a jump-start once in order to drive the car to a repair shop. However, doing it repeatedly is to avoid fixing the problem and to put extra strain on your battery, alternator, and electrical system.
How long should I leave my car running after jump-starting?
At least 20-30 minutes are required for the alternator to charge the battery again. Just driving for a few blocks is not sufficient.
