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My Hyundai Elantra won’t start in the cold. What can I do?
My Hyundai Elantra has been on the road a long time. Now there’s one big problem in winter: it won’t start at all. Could you explain why my Hyundai Elantra won’t start in cold weather? Do I need new parts or something?
Matt Terzi · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
As engines run up these higher odometer scores, their components start to show their age in different ways. Your cold weather troubles most likely aren’t related to your mileage, though—it’s more of an age issue. In particular, the age of your car battery.
There’s a good chance your Hyundai Elantra won’t start in cold weather because the battery is three to five years old, or maybe even older.
Your car’s battery doesn’t like cold weather. It slows down the chemistry happening inside the battery, and that makes it harder for your engine to start up in cold weather. So if our first guess is correct—if your car battery is getting old enough that you can see this being an issue—we’ll need to try a few things to get the car going.
The first thing to do when your Hyundai Elantra won’t start in cold weather is to turn off everything. The headlights, the stereo, the heater, all of it. Anything in your car that requires electricity is going to put strain on the battery as you try to start it up. This will give it a better chance of getting started.
If that gets it started, it’s important to leave the engine running for a while, by driving it or just letting it idle. The battery will get recharged by the car’s alternator, but only if you give it ample time to get the job done. If this doesn’t work, you may need to try
getting a jumpstart
.It’s also possible that this isn’t a battery issue. There could be small amounts of water trapped in the fuel lines. If the water gets frozen, the ice blocks the engine’s fuel flow. It might also be an issue with your motor oil’s viscosity—if it’s too thick for your climate, it may not start in cold weather.
We hope this information helps!
MORE: Why do car heaters blow cold air?
View full answer
- Gregory R.
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Jerry partners with more than 50 insurance companies, but our content is independently researched, written, and fact-checked by our team of editors and agents. We aren’t paid for reviews or other content.
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