I have a stock 08 GT. This morning the car started fine. I drove the car to work for about an hour this morning. It sat outside for 12 hours today as usual but today the temperature was below freezing. On my way out the car wouldn't start. It just sputtered like a dead battery would. A jumpstart couldn't get it going again.

The only things that worked were the headlights, parking lights and gauge lights. The interior lights, the fog lights, windows, power locks or radio were totally dead. Could it be just the weather?

About an hour and a half later I tried another jump and it worked.

This happened once last winter but in the morning on the way to work. Couldn't get it started to leave for work. Then it started about six hours later after a jump and it got a little warmer out.

Is it time for a new battery or should I just let it run for a few minutes every three to four hours when temps go below freezing?

 

I think I would have your battery checked. Cold weather has a negative effect on battery operational use. So if your battery is on its way out, the low temps could be effecting it enough to prevent it from working correctly. The time difference between the times you try starting the car may be enough time for the temperature to rise just enough for it to work.

 

Both cold and hot weather put a negative effect on a battery. I would recommend taking your car to an auto parts store (Autozone, Advanced Autoparts, O'Reilly's, Pepboys and etc.) and have them check the battery and alternator. Within a few minutes, they can tell you if they are working properly or if there are any issues. If you have issues starting your car, take the battery out and have someone take you to an auto parts store to have it tested.

 

Hint for jump starting--Have the donor car run at a couple of thousand rpm for a few minutes before you try to start your car. Your battery needs a certain level of charge or the jump start sometimes won't work. It's due to the different chemicals on the plates used in batteries these days.

 

I agree; start with having the battery (and alternator) load tested.

HOWEVER, I find it strange that certain items worked and others didn't which makes me think of electrical issues common with the water leak TSB associated more with the 05-07's than the later models.

 

Any updates? fixed? still broken?

 

My car is 18 months old and the battery just crapped out on me.

 

I had the same problem last year. I couldn't start the car in winter. It got worse this year, I couldn't even start it in a 40 degree temp. I finally went to replace the battery. Now there's no problem at all.

 

Ever since that night the car has started up just fine every time. I think that day and the one time last winter may have been the only times the car sat in single digit temperatures with a wind chill that pushed things below zero. Haven't gotten around to have the electrical system checked out yet. And I am absolutely positive I left nothing on to kill the battery. I'm a little ocd about making sure everything is off and hanging around long enough to wait for the map lights to turn off. Just seems so weird that at the time only the headlights and gauge lights worked.

 

Your car doesn't care what the wind chill factor is. The temperature is what it is. Wind chill is a measurement as to how the temperature feels to a human.