It's way too cold and my car doesn't start

[duragezic]

[rant]

This is just absurd. All week it's been ridiculously cold and worst of all windy as hell and snows most everyday. Yesterday I started my car to go somewhere after not using it for a couple of days and it fired right up in 5° F weather. I left it completely warm up and left it running for a total of 45 minutes or so.

Today I needed to move my car so the landlord could plow, as well as return some movies and get to school. Well, the car cranks VERY slowly and hardly at all. Won't start. I didn't leave anything on so I can't see how it started fine yesterday and ran for that long yet won't do a thing today. So I was gonna get my roommate to jump me (battery probably isn't dead, but doesn't have enough cold cranking amps) but both of our hoods are frozen shut. My car is parked right up to a huge snowbank so I could barely get at it. Pulling the lever didn't do a thing and the hood is completely iced up.

It was -13° F this morning with a wind chill of -25° or worse! What's worst is that these temperatures are staying this way for as far as the forecast goes. No way in hell am I gonna get it started without it warming up or getting the hood up. And the hood won't come up unless it gets above freezing (not gonna happen for at least a month) or I get the engine started which won't happen because of the cold.

WTF?! :| I hate this place (Houghton, MI).

[/rant]

 

[Toastedlightly]

what sorta car is it?

 

[EagleKeeper]

Clean off the hood and pour hot water along the edges or use a hair dryer to allow you thaw the hood edges.

Learn about a dipstick or block heater along with a battery that is cold amp rated and not pushing it's age.

Also, ensure that you have cold weather oil.

 

[Toastedlightly]

Originally posted by: EagleKeeper
Clean off the hood and pour hot water along the edges or use a hair dryer to allow you thaw the hood edges.

Learn about a dipstick or block heater along with a battery that is cold amp rated and not pushing it's age.

Also, ensure that you have cold weather oil.

I had warm weather oil in my engine and attempted to start at 5 below Fahrenheit... impossible.

 

[duragezic]

It's a Mazda 626.

The oil should be switched to cold weather rated since it was changed in late November which in this area is winter time. I'll have to make sure. It's 5W-xx for cold vs regular 10W-xx for warm, right?

Yeah I'll have to get this report done with and get some hot water before it gets late and -10°. I hope I don't need to get a new battery since I barely have any money.

 

[Sinsear]

walk?

 

[iamwiz82]

Michigan Tech? I dunno how you guys do it.

 

[JMWarren]

You could try one of those through the cigarette lighter charging solutions. A 626 shouldn't have any problems with one due to the simplicity of the electrical system.

 

[Looney]

I'm letting my car heat up 10mins so i can drive 5mins to the gym... when i could walk to the gym in about 20mins.

 

[giantpinkbunnyhead]

What year 626 is it? On some years, the grille is open enough that you can buy a bottle of aerosol de-icer and shoot it straight at the latch mechanism. 9 times out of 10, that's that freezes. Once it sits for a while, the latch should automatically release itself since you already pulled the release cord (if not, pull it again after the deice fluid sits for a bit.)

 

[JM Aggie08]

its a nice 64F outside of my house .

 

[DrPizza]

Thump on the hood a couple of times with your fist while you pull the hood release.