Since it's been getting cold out, my car has started cranking a couple times before actually starting up. it started off as maybe a second or two before starting, but it dropped to about -10 degrees Celsius the other night and in the morning, it took about a ten second count before it actually started.

The alternator has recently been rebuilt and things checked, so i'm fairly convinced it's just the battery and the cold temps these days.

I bought a new battery and it's in my trunk so i'm not worried about getting stuck or anything, but i'm wondering if it could cause any harm to run on a battery that's obviously dying. I wanted to get as much out of it as i could before putting the new one in.

 

the only harm is draining the battery even more...otherwise nothing really bad...maybe just finally kill the batery...but apparently u have that base covered..so no worries

 

use gasline antifreeze, when its cold out and you dont keep your gas tank full moisture builds up therefore sometimes that could lead to some of that moisture getting into the gas lines and freezing up. IM in jersey and its really cold too. they sell this stuff at every gas station its called HEET. and with the cold the cars not going to start up right away mine does the same thing.

 

I came out of walmart the other day and I started the car and let my foot of the clutch and was gonna sit there for minute while i let the car warm up and check my blackberry. Thought I was in neutral but I was in first. Car lurched hard and stalled. Tried turning the key and got nothing. figured it was a good time to swap my battery. Everything's running fine now

 

I did this a lot when I first got my ra, it was my first manual car.

 

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yea sounds like the batt was going to me. i had the same thing before. just got a new battt. problem solved.
-Flip

 

Actually you should try to keep the tank full(er). But I never had any problems.

 

Frozen engines = harder to start. That's all there is to it.