Car Battery Starting Issues - Temperature?
Every so often, our 1989 Jeep Cherokee would not start. Still cranked, didn't drain down to nothing upon cranking, just wouldn't turn over.
We took it in to our mechanic ... and he couldn't get it to crap it. Started fine every time, over a three day period. Of course, he explained that he could start replacing things, but that would be silly since it would just be a guess, and we might end up replacing something that was fine. So, we brought it back home.
Fine for a few days, and then after sitting in the parking lot at work, it cranked, but didn't start. We had bought a battery pack charger thing. Hooked it up for the jump, fine ever since. However, we did notice that the last few times it wouldn't start, there was a huge temperature swing. We live in the North - below zero in the morning and up to 60F or so in the late afternoon.
Coincidence? Could there be something to the temp thing?
I should add - It's not at the *cold* end of a big temp swing day that it won't start. It starts fine in the freezing cold.
9 starts out of 10 are fine no matter what the weather is. It's just at the warm end of a big temp swing that it seems to have problems ... and then it jumps just fine.
We do the fuel pump/computer thing every time - turn the key and let it run a few secs before cranking it. We've always done that. Doesn't help.
Someone asked "Why the battery pack?" This is why - Because the battery pack makes it start. It seems like every so often, as I explained, it cranks, but not quite enough juice to turn over. The jump DOES start it when this happens.