Why would your car be constantly hard to start?

Answer 1

This depends greatly on what kind and year of car and what kind of engine. This is just too general to answer. Joe Sounds like a major lack of maintenance, I'd start there if it isn't too late.

Answer 2

In the morning, all the metal parts in your car are literally smaller, because as science tells us, things shrink in the cold and expand in the heat. Some metal components in your ignition system, being colder, and thus smaller, are now farther apart. So it takes more electrical potential (voltage) to jump these larger gaps. So everything from your battery to your starter motor to your spark plugs are using more energy to get you going. Add to all this the fact that your oil is much thicker when it's cold, and tends to act more like pancake syrup than a lubricant, which your engine has to work harder to pump.

It could be a number of things....if the distributer has a hair line crack it could be drawing moisture over night.

Getting a new battery with more cranking amps or taking your starter apart and cleaning it might solve the problem.

Answer 3

The reason why it is so difficult to sometimes start a car on a rainy day is simple. The rain creates condensation inside the intake that enters the combustion chamber of the engine and causes the fuels rate of ignition to decrease. This in turn causes the ignition at the spark plug to be delayed and hence the engine cranks and cranks when this condition exits. If this doesn't make sense, then maybe read other answers. Several reasons: When objects get colder they expand. this causes small ammounts of restricion in the cylinders. Your oil is cold. oil becomes thicker at lower temperatures preventing quick circulation through the engine. Reasons 1 and 2 work together. poor initial lubrication and slightly restricted cylindars cause friction and make it harder for your engine to turn over. If this seems illogical then keep reading. * Only water expands as it gets colder due to the polarity of the water molecule. All other matter generally contracts, becomes more dense, and takes up less volume. * ** The argument is wrong, but the idea is right, lower temperature, higher viscosity, that's what I guess the above answer is trying to say.

On cars with distributorless ignition systems spark plug wires and spark plugs, on the old ones replace the dist. cap,rotor button,spark plugs and plug wires and if older then a 1974 all of the above except you'll have points & condensor to replace.Actually a properly tuned engine runs better on heavy misty air(drizzel) Contrary to the anonymous answer above, things DO NOT expand as they colder. They contract as they get colder and expand when heated (we learned this in 8th grade). As to why it is harder to start, it could be one of many reasons. All I know is when it rains the humidity in the air is HIGH (hence the rain). If you have a carbuerated car, then you idle mixture is already set and this extra humidity in the air/fuel ratio is not accounted for and causes the setting to be less than optimal and thus causes poor combustion in the cylinders. If you have a newer car, i.e. one that has a computer controlling the car's ignition (mixture and idle rpm's, etc.), then there could a problem with a sensor because the computer is supposed to take the humidity and air temp (ambient air factors) into account. I think the next answer by Bunting of TO, is the right one. however. Your ignition system needs servicing. The high humidity has created a ground path for an electrical short to occur due to cracks in your distributor cap or plug wires. When these things are dry the path is not available. Spray windex on these components while the engine is running to test the theory. By doing the spray test in the dark, it will be even more evident where the cross spark problems are.

Answer 4

There are several reasons why an engine may be difficult to start when it's cold.

1. Carbureted engines required that the choke assembly be properly adjusted to accommodate better cold starts.

2. Injected engines need accurate readings from the temperature sensor to make sure the engine starts properly when cold. Other parts of the computer control system need to be function properly as well, and depending on the manufacturer there are different ways of dealing with cold starts.

3. Worn engines often loose compression. Once the compression is diminished the engine will be more difficult to start.

4. Stale fuel, weak fuel pump or a faulty fuel pressure regulator can contribute to starting problems.

5. Faulty ignition components can result in a weak spark. If the spark is not strong enough the engine will have difficulty starting.

Answer 5

If it is a newer car, it should start at any time of day and in any time of year if it is working properly.

If you have an older vehicle, it takes some time. I have a cool old 1978 Toyota Pickup that takes a couple tries to start it in the winter, and I have to hold the gas pedal for a second or so. Sometimes it's easy to flood it, too. I underestimate its capabilities and pump the pedal too much before starting it. Then I just have to run the starter until it chokes to a start.

Answer 6

its probably cold where you live. plug it in.

Answer 7

get a new car