91 Dodge Colt...frozen?

Hi everyone. I have a 91 Dodge Colt, 200 series, and I am unable to
get it to turn over. It has been freakin' cold here. The last two
days have been around -40 degrees with the windchill and I couldn't
start my car in this weather yesterday. I would have plugged it in,
except my lazy caretaker in my apartment building doesn't have my
parking stall cleared of the 3 feet of snow in it.

Anyhow...When I try to start it, it cranks but it doesn't want to turn
over. I even tried bringing my battery in and warming it up last
night, which did not help. So this morning, I went out and bought a
bottle of gas line antifreeze and threw that in there. That was an
hour ago and I just went to try it again and it didn't do anything. I
actually put some new oil in too...5W30 this time. Also, I only have a
quarter of a tank of gas in it, so I imagine that it may just be frozen
up really well (the water in there, that is).

Is there anything I can do beyond what I have already done?

Also, will a bottle of gas line antifreeze fix this problem in the
first place? If the lines are frozen, will the antifreeze actually do
anything with the lines, or would it just stay in the tank?
Thanks for any help and suggestions.

Just another quick question:

If I wait for my lines to thaw out, will it have to actually get warm
out? It's about -35 degrees today, but tomorrow is supposed to be only
-12...it's obviously still below freezing, so will it have to actually
get to be above 0 for the lines to thaw on their own? Or is it
possible that the milder temperature will make it easier to turn over?

In article . com>,
says...

>Hi everyone. I have a 91 Dodge Colt, 200 series, and I am unable to
>get it to turn over. It has been freakin' cold here. The last two
>days have been around -40 degrees with the windchill and I couldn't
>start my car in this weather yesterday. I would have plugged it in,
>except my lazy caretaker in my apartment building doesn't have my
>parking stall cleared of the 3 feet of snow in it.

Maybe you should shovel your space. It would probably be worth it to get
your heater plugged in.

>Anyhow...When I try to start it, it cranks but it doesn't want to turn
>over.

Huh? Do you mean it cranks but does not start? If it is cranking, it is
turning over.

>I even tried bringing my battery in and warming it up last
>night, which did not help. So this morning, I went out and bought a
>bottle of gas line antifreeze and threw that in there.

If your lines are frozen, that is not going to help. You would've had to
do that before things froze.

>That was an
>hour ago and I just went to try it again and it didn't do anything.

Not surprised.

>I
>actually put some new oil in too...5W30 this time. Also, I only have a
>quarter of a tank of gas in it, so I imagine that it may just be frozen
>up really well (the water in there, that is).
>Is there anything I can do beyond what I have already done?

Get the block heater plugged in and let it warm things up.

>Also, will a bottle of gas line antifreeze fix this problem in the
>first place? If the lines are frozen, will the antifreeze actually do
>anything with the lines, or would it just stay in the tank?

Depends on what the problem is.

------------
Alex

Yeah sorry, I meant that it sort of sputtered and whatnot, but it
wouldn't start. It's still doing that and the more I turn the key and
make it sputter, the less sputtering action I get.

I would have no problem shovelling out my parking spot to plug it in,
but there's no way I can really get my car there. I guess I have to
get it there somehow though. It's just all the way around this
long-ass block...

"Son of Sam" > wrote in message
ups.com...
> Yeah sorry, I meant that it sort of sputtered and whatnot, but it
> wouldn't start. It's still doing that and the more I turn the key and
> make it sputter, the less sputtering action I get.
>
> I would have no problem shovelling out my parking spot to plug it in,
> but there's no way I can really get my car there. I guess I have to
> get it there somehow though. It's just all the way around this
> long-ass block...
>

HOw about asking someone nearby to use an outlet and buy yourself a long
extension cord?

"Son of Sam" > writes in article . com> dated 5 Jan 2005 13:14:32 -0800:
>wouldn't start. It's still doing that and the more I turn the key and
>make it sputter, the less sputtering action I get.

I'd try some starting fluid. Just spray it in the air intake before you
crank.

-- spud_demon -at- thundermaker.net
The above may not (yet) represent the opinions of my employer.

Thanks for your suggestions, gents.

What is starting fluid? I'm also not too sure of what you mean by the
air intake. Pardon my ignorance, but I am not a mechanic or anything.
Can you tell me what spraying this in the air intake would do? Thanks.

On 5 Jan 2005 17:58:00 -0800, "Son of Sam"
> wrote:

>Thanks for your suggestions, gents.
>
>What is starting fluid?

Canned ether in an aerosolizing can.

> I'm also not too sure of what you mean by the
>air intake.

You have an air filter, you know where that is. The air - intake if
forward of that, where unfiltered air comes into the duct work that
carries it to the air filter. Spray it up -there-.

> Pardon my ignorance, but I am not a mechanic or anything.
>Can you tell me what spraying this in the air intake would do? Thanks.

Put a highly combustible mix of air/ether into your cylinders that
will detonate much easier than a gasoline/air mixture. But don't over
do it. The idea is to start your car, not blow it up.

Lg

"Son of Sam" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> Just another quick question:
>
> If I wait for my lines to thaw out, will it have to actually get warm
> out? It's about -35 degrees today, but tomorrow is supposed to be only
> -12...it's obviously still below freezing, so will it have to actually
> get to be above 0 for the lines to thaw on their own? Or is it
> possible that the milder temperature will make it easier to turn over?

Yes, you will need to wait for it to get above freezing to thaw the fuel
lines, if water in the gas is the problem. (for probably a day?) Milder
temps, even below 0, will make it easier to turn over though.

However, plugging in your block heater will help (won't hurt anyhow), and
putting the correct kind of oil in as you already did will help. You
probably want 5w-30 in there year-round anyways. See the owner's manual.
Leave the block heater plugged in overnight; a few hours won't do it.

The gas line antifreeze won't do any good until it's had a chance to get to
the engine, which won't take long after the car starts & stays running.

Wind chill has no effect on non-living things, and make sure you test the
block heater's outlet first with a light or something to see if it's
working, or get one of those extension cords with a neon light built in to
the socket. If you can't move into your parking spot, see if someone near
where you're parked now will let you plug in. If they mention the cost of
the electricity, buy them some beer.

Once you get it started, drive it for a while. Cars don't warm up when
idling forever.

"Bob M." > wrote in message
...
> "Son of Sam" > wrote in message
> oups.com...
> > Just another quick question:

> Wind chill has no effect on non-living things,

Huh? This isn't correct at all. I've had carburetors ice up due to 'wind
chill'
through the venturi when the outside temp was 40 degrees and very foggy.
(OK so the carb was on an insulating spacer, what do you expect, I was
dragging it on the
weekend at the time)

Ted