Kodiak535

It takes longer for my 3.4 engine to catch than it should when temps are near or below freezing. The battery seems to be cranking fine.

I've just replaced the coils and plugs. They were old but there's been no improvement.

Before I get the battery tested, are there any other likely suspects?

fast1

How old is your battery? Hard starting in cold temperatures is a good indicator of a weak battery. Is your Porsche your DD? Any car that is driven irregularly should be hooked up to a trickle charger. My battery is nearly 7 years old and I have no problems starting in cold temperatures, but I've used a CTEK charger almost from day one of ownership.

Kodiak535

I dunno how old. The car is new to me.

Yes, it’s my DD.

I’ll get the battery checked.

Thanks!

NuttyProfessor

Remember, we're talking 20 year old cars here with aging fuel injectors, coil packs, plugs, SAI, MAF sensors, catalytic converters... on and on it goes. Even though you're not getting a CEL because it hasn't met the threshold, the car will struggle during extreme cold starts. Where are you located? What fuels do you use for this car? Have you done basic maintenance like changing the filter, coil packs, etc? Do you have a Durametric? You should probably analyze fuel trim, camshaft deviations, and a manometer reading to get a picture of the health of the engine.

Dr_Strangelove

So if you're confident about spark & air, that leaves us fuel and compression. Injectors or fuel pump may be items to take a look at.

Kodiak535

I’m in Toronto.

Coils and plugs are new. Everything else is a question mark.

I use Petro Canada premium (94 octane). Petro-Canada is a mainstream top-tier brand here, as Sunoco or Chevron are in the US.

I have a durametric but am inexperienced with it, so thanks for the tips — any more advice on what to look for with the durametric would help.

Fuel filter sounds like a cheap possibility that’s worth doing anyways, so I may order one.

Once the engine is running it seems completely normal, so I’m inclined to suspect the battery over fuel, but I appreciate these tips and will check them out. Many thanks.

Horsepwr

Can you post a video of what its doing? That would help us identify possible issues.

993GT

turn the key to the ON position for a couple seconds before cranking and see if that helps

Kodiak535

​​​​​​​Three videos here: cold, warm and hot starts. Only the last seems normal to me. The first is especially nasty and it wasn’t even that cold today.


https://share.icloud.com/photos/0KtB...OA#Mississauga

https://share.icloud.com/photos/0gA5...nd_Town_Centre

https://share.icloud.com/photos/0jrG..._-_East_Credit

mattie_k

Not to turn this into an oil debate but what are you running currently and is it fresh?

Dr_Strangelove

Watching that volt meter, especially in your first video, it drops all the way to 10v as you turn the key on an attempted start. That battery is low, brother. I'd definitely give a new battery a try. Much simpler than futzing with the fuel system. It jumps to 14v after it starts because it is reading charging power from the alternator at that point. Good sign for your alternator.

Kodiak535

Castrol Edge Ti 0W/40, A3 approved.

It had 3000mi on it before I changed it yesterday.

Gonna pick up a new battery now. I’ll report back.

993GT

it's cranking fine based on videos.. not battery related

Mike Murphy

I trend to agree. I would check the fuel filter and if it’s easy to do, check fuel pressure (suspecting a fuel pump problem).

Kodiak535

Thanks for the tips. It also occurred to me that fuel injectors are probably overdue for replacement. Let’s see what Durametric says about fuel trims...