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I have a remote starter on my 2003 grand am 3.4L engine. When it’s around 25 to 30 degrees out it starts great with the remote starter, but when it hits 10 or colder with heat on high or heat off and the car sits all night the remote starter can’t start it. It set to crank the starter motor for 2 sec. If I start the car with the key and run it for a few seconds shut engine down the remote starter starts it right up. My installer said he can’t program the starter to crank for more then 2 sec because the starter could overheat. He did say I might try a bigger battery but no guarantee it would work. My current battery is 700 cca is about 5 years old and has no problems starting the car in extreme cold
Anyone think a bigger battery would help or any other advice?
Thank you
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Have you actually had the battery tested? At 5yrs it’s very likely it’s past due to be replaced anyhow. 700 CCA is fine, but doubtful that battery is able to do anywhere near that currently. 4-6yrs is about the max you can expect out of one depending on the region you live in, and how well you and your alternator treat it. If I’m wrong, great, but I’d have it tested, as you’d due well to replace it before it strands you regardless, and might clear up the r/s problem at lower temps.
Not sure where you live, but most parts stores again, will test your battery for free, even most service places like Sears and the like, giving you it’s current CCA, showing you it’s overall health.
Hold on here. Is the problem that the car doesn’t start or that the remote start isn’t working? When you use the remote start does the vehicle attempt to start?
The battery has never been tested and those temps are F
The car starts great it’s just with the cold temps its like the remote starter isn’t cranking the engine long enough. When the key is used on those cold temps it takes maybe 3-5 seconds to start depending on temp. My installer didn’t recommend programing the remote for more then 2 sec because it could damage the starter. He had no other advice other then trying a bigger cca battery. They never told me this before having it installed.
have the battery load tested at an auto part store
its free.You could try and hook up a bump box or jumper
cables on one of those cold mornings and see if the remote
start starts the car.If it does.Then battery is suspect.+1 to college man. If the battery is 5 years old it is probably close to the end of it’s life. You may want to get a new battery anyway, so you don’t run the risk of getting stranded. It’s like batteries know the worst possible time to crap out.
The battery isn’t a bad idea based on it’s age however that may not be the issue. You may actually need to crank it longer to get it to start but I understand the reluctance of your installer. If that’s the case then a new battery may not be the answer.
Just an update. The old battery was replaced however it had no effect. I’am thinking the same thing as Eric that it needs to be cranked longer, but don’t think I’m gonna risk burning my starter out to find out
If temperatures are normally that low in winter where you live and you don’t want to replace or re-engineer the remote starter, install a block heater. The block heater may eliminate the need for the remote starter or make it work better since the coolant would be warm. We used them in Alaska along with small electric heaters for the inside of the car.
The easiest and cheepest solution would be to re-program the system to operate the starter up to 6 seconds. You are going to turn the engine over for that long anyway, it sounds like, when you start it manually, so I don’t see an issue there. Or you could move to where the temperatures aren’t rediculously cold lol. Good luck.
I would say that it should not be a problem to run the starter at 10 second intervals. That should be plenty, heck, even 5 seconds sounds like it would work. I’ve cranked the heck out of engines in the past to clear a flood and there weren’t any problems. I understand your trepidation however and stand by whatever you decide. Good luck and keep us posted.
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