ok, brief story, we got a lot of rain, followed by freezing rain, and then snow here in CT a few weeks back one day. I left my car parked on the side of my house, where the snow drifts and the wind blows the snow/rain horizontally. While i brushed off my car at night i tried to start it, and it sounded like the starter was frozen to the point where i could only hear the starter spinning, but not engaging with the flexplate or trying to start the car etc.

went out the next morning, still a lot below 32 degrees and everything still frozen, same problem. well a few days later, i wake up and its 50/55 outside and there isnt snow anywhere. try to start my car, and it starts on the first try. Ive started it for the past 4 or 5 days multiple times a day and it always starts right up with no sign of hesitation. ive come to think the only reason the starter wasnt working was because the snow/rain froze it up. i mean it froze my doors shut to the point where i had to crawl in through the hatch and slam on my doors to pop them open.

anyone else have this problem? just a one time deal with the weather or should i be shelling out 180ish dollars for a new starter asap? its a 96 z28 a4, im in college and come home on the weekends, so it sits at home during the week, and i drive it on the weekends, so not necissarily a daily driver.

 

It's from the grease in the starter drive getting frozen and not letting the one way clutch on the drive engage. I have had to build a small fire under the starter to make the car crank(not advised) A new one will probable work better but no guarantees. That's why in Alaska we left things running 24/7.

 

thanks a lot, thats a good explanation of what would cause my problem

 

Anytime