Older ('06?) Hyundai SUV (3.3?) - Not starting in the cold

[Number_35]

My son is helping out an immigrant family in his neighborhood with an older Hyundai SUV that won't start.

He's thinking it's a 2005 or 2006, and it's on the larger side with a V6, so likely a Santa Fe with the 3.3 rather than a Tucson with the 2.7.

The battery was very weak. He charged it, but found that the voltage dropped right off (12.x V down to 6.x V) while cranking, indicating a very unhealthy battery with high internal resistance. He replaced it with a new Kirkland battery from Costco. The engine cranks strongly now, and will fire intermittently, but won't start.

The vehicle is parked on the street. They've run out a long extension cord from the apartment to the block heater, which should help.

My suspicion is that at this point it's flooded. Unfortunately, it's a DOHC V6, so it's not a simple matter to pull spark plugs in the dark at -27 C (bonus: with a howling W wind of 21 kph, Environment Canada says it feels like -39 C).

I may try to take a look tomorrow. It's possible it wouldn't be too bad pulling and cleaning the spark plugs from the front bank. That might be enough.

He hasn't tried starting fluid yet. I've never used it - I've heard scary stories about engine damage.

Perhaps the real solution is to get it towed to a warm location so it can thaw out.

Thoughts? Thanks.

 

[GSCJR]

Trying depressing the accelerator pedal while cranking. Good luck!

 

[Number_35]

Trying depressing the accelerator pedal while cranking. Good luck!

Thanks, I advised him to do that, but I think the plugs were already wet from repeated cycles.

 

[Propflux01]

It might just be cranking too slowly, even with the newer battery, to fire off. being that cold and all. One method in lieu of starting fluid is Gumout carb cleaner. I stress the Gumout brand. not store or off-brand. If you spray that in the intake, and there is spark it will fire. It may be all you need to get it going.

 

[dumkid]

Ether is fine in moderation. Unless you have a glow plug diesel, then you can get nice backfires and broken turbos when the ether lights on the hot glow plug before it was supposed to light.

 

[Number_35]

Son got it started after the block heater had been used for several hours. It ran poorly at first but then smoothed out. He drove it around to warm things up and recharge the battery.

14.4 V across the terminals while running, 13.x not running.

Hopefully it will start this morning.

 

[joekingcorvette]

I know you have it running now however here is a little trick that works well. If you have or can borrow a Knipco style kerosene heater run an extension cord and keep the heater on it until it starts. It works really well when it is 20 below zero and your car won't start. My dad used to do this once in a while on a vehicle or tractor back in the late fifties to early sixties.

 

[SC Maintenance]

I know you have it running now however here is a little trick that works well. If you have or can borrow a Knipco style kerosene heater run an extension cord and keep the heater on it until it starts. It works really well when it is 20 below zero and your car won't start. My dad used to do this once in a while on a vehicle or tractor back in the late fifties to early sixties.

I have seen a tiger torch on tractor oil pans when it got really cold growing up. I would be afraid of lighting a modern car on fire with a kerosene heater. However I wonder out loud if you could throw a blanket or something and set a 1500W electric heater under the thing? Let it go for a few hours. Might still be a fire hazard - don't know?

Glad the OP was able to help out their neighbor. Well done!

 

[joekingcorvette]

I have seen a tiger torch on tractor oil pans when it got really cold growing up. I would be afraid of lighting a modern car on fire with a kerosene heater. However I wonder out loud if you could throw a blanket or something and set a 1500W electric heater under the thing? Let it go for a few hours. Might still be a fire hazard - don't know?

Glad the OP was able to help out their neighbor. Well done!

My dad would jack the car up about six inches and actually point the knipco heater about a foot away from the front bumper. Those tank heaters they used to put on cars really worked well. I actually had an 06 Civic and I installed a block heater on that car. It had a bolt in the block you could remove and permantly install the block heater and it worked great.

 

[cjcride]

Had an old 75 Dodge slant 6 in the early 80's. When it got down to -30C, only starting fluid spray would git her running.
Runs rough for a few minutes and then smooths out.

 

[nickaluch]

I remember as a kid my dad had a sanitation company. On a early Monday morning in dead of winter they would load small hibachi grill with charcoal put them under the diesel engine shockingly it worked trucks started after coffee

 

[meep]

Underbelly shields would reduce heat getting into the hood, and many of them are plastic. Heaters that heat air in this case might be safer than anything radiant, which could overtemp exposed points or small objects.