My wife has an 08 and twice now when it gets to -30 or below it just cranks but wont start. The first time we assumed it may have some condensation in the fuel lines. So we got it into my shop and let it thaw out. Fired right up. Put some new fuel in along with some gasoline antifreeze. Seemed to help, but this morning It happened again when she went to leave work. Any others having problems in the cold or not? Mini told her they dont have a block heater for her car yet. So I put a pan heater on it. But it wasn't plugged in last night anyway.

 

We were below zero (but not 30 below)mine fired right up ...sat out allnight with a good coat of new snow over the car

 

Yeah we are minus 35 tonight right now so probably gonna have to tow it to the shop and let it thaw out.

 

Is it cranking slow ??? might be the battery is just to cold ... Since they loose cranking amps at colder temps the battery might be the trouble...

 

Does crank slow by itself but with jumper cables on it, it cranks fine, but wont fire. Frozen injectors/lines???? No spark for some odd reason. Only things I can think of. Just need fuel and spark to fire.

 

I'd try heating the battery before starting ...

 

Well it never did start. Just ended up getting it towed to Mini. It was scheduled for a block heater of some sort to be put in anyway. figured they could deal with it. Atleast leaving it in the no start condition would allow them to figure the prob out. Plus all still under warrantee so no charges. Just a grumpy wife who loves her car but is getting very sick of having to get it towed. 3rd time this winter all for the same reasons. Not starting in the cold.

 

I'm wondering if the voltage goes to low if it "locks" or prevents a restart

 

But it cranks fine. I know we had a suburban in the shop that had that where the voltage went too low it wouldn't do anything. put the cables on it and fired right up.

In other news Mini told my wife today that their computer said its her thermostat that is not allowing her car to start. Which after going to school to be a dealership mech I don't recall the thermostat to control a no start. Especially when mini told her when she bought the car that it doesn't need a block heater cuz it will start in -50. Wrong. It wont. Anyway I asked if she got the anti freeze kit they offer that they were going to put in. Thats what her appointment was for today. They said it didn't show up on the computer that that was the problem so its not getting put in. They are doing the t stat. which will take two weeks to get here from germany. then if it happens again I guess its getting towed into mini again. And probably after that getting traded in. Sorry for my rant. Its just a pain in the bum to have to go through with this every time the temp gets below -30 which here in the winter is quite often.

 

Yes that just doesn't sound right ... The thermostat should have no input in the start circuit , maybe the temp Sensor giving a bad signal could do it