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So my 1998 has an ongoing no start issue in cold weather, I have been able to get it to start up until a few days ago when the temperature dropped to 7, I tried repeatedly without luck, it cranks but will not start. Later when the temperature climbed to 20 I tried again, almost started, but no dice. After a few more attempts I noticed the cranking getting progressively slower, like it was a low battery.
I just tried again, it is now 27 degrees, still no start and crank remains slow, now it barely turns over at all and all the dash lights turn off while it is trying to crank. Battery indicator barely comes off the stop.
For context, normally when I move the key to the on position the voltmeter barely reads 10 volts (or a bit under), ditto for cranking, but after starting it shoots to 14 and stays there.
Restarting is seldom an issue, as long as it has only been a few hours or less since it last ran, otherwise it gets harder the longer it sits.
Do I have a battery issue, a fuel pressure (injector?) issue, or both?
Battery was new as of last summer, but was the cheapest advance auto had in stock.
I’m thinking that my battery was questionable and my repeated failed start attempts killed it, what do you think?
Last edited by Small Arms Collector; Feb 15, 2020 at 09:06 PM.
With cold weather and slow cranking, I good place to start is suspecting the battery. Besides, it is super easy to have it tested. Sometimes you get a dud and only when it is cold does it poor quality become apparent.
You might take it to a place other than Advance Auto to check to get a second opinion before taking it to Advance Auto.
Before I jumped it, this is what the battery gauge looked like:
Battery almost drained.
After restarting it the gauge moved to just under 14 volts. I drove it back to Advance Auto (This is Sunday) and they tested the battery, said it was reading normal and putting out 12.48 volts, suggested I might have a corroded connection somewhere.
Do you think they are right? Where should I look? Could a corroded connection have been the source of my cold start issues all along?
Last edited by Small Arms Collector; Feb 16, 2020 at 09:11 PM.
A proper battery test uses a carbon pile or wire coil resistor load to check the voltage drop under a heavy load, after the battery is fully charged.
You can get close with:
1) Fully charge the battery. Turn on the headlights for 30 seconds to knock off the surface charge. Measure the battery voltage at the batt terminals and confirm.
2) While cranking, measure the voltage at the battery terminals and then again at the large battery cable on the starter and a ground nearby.
This will tell you if the battery is getting fully charged, what the voltage drop is under a massive load and what the voltage drop is in the connection and cabling.
Before I jumped it, this is what the battery gauge looked like:
Battery almost drained.
After restarting it the gauge moved to just under 14 volts. I drove it back to Advance Auto (This is Subday) and they tested the battery, said it was reading normal and putting out 12.48 volts, suggested I might have a corroded connection somewhere.
Do you think they are right? Where should I look? Could a corroded connection have been the source of my cold start issues all along?
What could be happening is that there is a bad ground that is limiting the current that allows it to be charged and, if charged, limits the current that can flow to the starter.
In the process of doing a jump start, the regular grounds now have another ground path in parallel to them. So that if they are bad, then current can flow thought he wires.
A proper battery test uses a carbon pile or wire coil resistor load to check the voltage drop under a heavy load, after the battery is fully charged.
You can get close with:
1) Fully charge the battery. Turn on the headlights for 30 seconds to knock off the surface charge. Measure the battery voltage at the batt terminals and confirm.
2) While cranking, measure the voltage at the battery terminals and then again at the large battery cable on the starter and a ground nearby.
This will tell you if the battery is getting fully charged, what the voltage drop is under a massive load and what the voltage drop is in the connection and cabling.
That said, it's my experience that these Blazers start SOOOOO easily in the cold weather it amazes me. Barely turn my engine over at 0° and it's running. I would stick a fuel pressure gauge on it. You may have more than one problem.
Battery or fuel injector?
