Hey guys, my 02' civic which i bought last summer with 250000k on it, recently will not start. A few months ago i stopped driving this car due to personal issues, but i would start it every couple of weeks. Recently i have tried starting it again, with no success. The past week or so it has been hovering around -20c, which is most likely the reason this is happening. At first i thought it was a dead battery, so i tried jumping it. No luck. It just makes a chugging sound like it is almost starting but it never catches. Also the red Battery light stays permanently on when the key is on start. Anyone have any suggestions? Faulty alternator? Gas line freeze? Thanks..

 

First off, starting in extreme cold puts a lot of stress on the engine because the oil doesn't flow well. So you shouldn't try to start the car now unless you have to drive somewhere. You're going to need all the power you can get from the battery. Charging it for several hours with a battery charger is the best way. Prolonged charging will warm up the battery, which improves its performance. If the battery is completely flat the acid may have frozen, in that case you would need to bring the battery indoors and allow it to thaw before attempting to charge.

Gas line freeze up is a thing of the past in the USA since most of our gas contains ethanol now; alcohol-based antifreezing additives are reundant. When it does happen the only cure is to have the car in a warm place until it thaws.

The alternator doesn't need to do anything until after the engine starts, so it's not that.

 

you need a new battery your current one is shot i suggests a duralst gold.