# Motor *slowly* turns over but doesn't start; Temps dipped below freezing last night.



## Rivergoer (Mar 30, 2017)

mlt896 said:


> 2014 Diesel Cruze that I bought in May 2015 -- the last one on that dealer's lot. Bought it with 3 miles and it's at 37k miles now; just got back from a 3,600 mile thanksgiving roadtrip STL to LA and back. I had the fuel filter changed out when I got back. Other than that, besides a few emission CELs, no problems. Also the motor cuts out after all of a second of turning.
> 
> I suspect it's a battery issue, and I'm not quite ruling out diesel gelling but I don't know enough about it either way. I had a F-250 6.0 that would always start in the dead of winter, so there's that.
> 
> ...


So if it ran fine after the fuel filter swap, it’s not a fuel starvation issue.

With the abs/ps warnings, sounds electrical. What’s the age of your battery?

http://www.cruzetalk.com/forum/64-g...scussion/155881-factory-battery-replaced.html


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

Sounds like it needs a battery. If fuel was gelled, it would crank forever and not start.


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## mlt896 (Dec 11, 2017)

Definitely only cranks for about a second then nothing. I've got a friend coming over to jump it at lunch. It's the same battery that came with the car and I do admit that I live very close to my work so I make two 15 minute commutes every day and a couple of runs to the nearby stores.

If the jump works, then it'll definitely be the battery. I'll reply back then.


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## ChevyGuy (Dec 13, 2014)

My understanding of diesels is that unlike gasoline engines, they have to have enough cranking speed to "catch". Gasoline engines only have to get "over the top" and have a spark and they're off and running. A diesel has to turn fast enough that when it compresses the fuel mixture, it gets so hot it ignites. Crank too slow and the heat "escapes" before it builds to the flash point.


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## CruzeDan (May 17, 2015)

Original battery? Thats your problem, guaranteed or your money back! Most of us have had 2 batteries in these cars in the span you have had one.


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## IndyDiesel (May 24, 2015)

I wouldn’t even think about it, just replace the battery.


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## justin13703 (May 2, 2016)

Yeah it’s your battery. All the other warning messages are just an effect of very low voltage on an all-computerized car.


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## MRO1791 (Sep 2, 2016)

Battery, they undersized the OEM Battery, and many failed early. New batteries in both my 2015s already. Replace the battery. Amazon has the 94RAGM with a 20% off coupon, it's an improvement over the original, from 730cca to 850cca.. direct and exact replacement. Do it, the damage from a weak Battery is far more expensive, trust me. 

Sent from my Moto G (4) using Tapatalk


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## MRO1791 (Sep 2, 2016)

This is about $150 with the 20% coupon: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B006N91C2M?psc=1&ref=yo_pop_mb_pd

Sent from my Moto G (4) using Tapatalk


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## snowwy66 (Nov 5, 2017)

Where's the coupon?


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## snowwy66 (Nov 5, 2017)

Where's the coupon? And wouldn't that be buying the same original battery. Everything else i've looked at don't use the 94ragm number. It's all the H7. If you want 850cca.


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## MRO1791 (Sep 2, 2016)

snowwy66 said:


> Where's the coupon?


Should display near top of page to the right of the picture. Assuming it's still good, was yesterday when I checked. Just bought mine last week.

Sent from my Moto G (4) using Tapatalk


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## MRO1791 (Sep 2, 2016)

snowwy66 said:


> Where's the coupon? And wouldn't that be buying the same original battery. Everything else i've looked at don't use the 94ragm number. It's all the H7. If you want 850cca.


Technically it would be the OEM, but it's different in ratings, higher CCA and higher load test. It appears they improved the battery. Oddly the window sticker said 800cca Battery, but it wasn't, it was 730cca. It appears most all these cars got that batch of 730cca batteries. The new one cranks over very well and noticeably better than the original.

Sent from my Moto G (4) using Tapatalk


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## snowwy66 (Nov 5, 2017)

MRO1791 said:


> Should display near top of page to the right of the picture. Assuming it's still good, was yesterday when I checked. Just bought mine last week.
> 
> Sent from my Moto G (4) using Tapatalk


Yeah. It's displaying now. Wasn't last night when i looked.


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## LulzT1 (Aug 24, 2015)

My car has been cranking much slower (still enough to light off... barely) since the cold air moved in. Measured 11.8v at the battery. Ordered a new Interstate (850 CCA) and installed today. Night and day difference. Original battery had 79k and was made mid June 2014. Car has been in service since Nov 2014. $230 after core return, well worth it.


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## PanJet (Jun 18, 2013)

I'm still on the original OEM at 57k miles and in service since Nov '13. Given how many have failed, I'm surprised mine has lasted this long. There has been a noticeable slowing in the cranking speed in the last couple of months especially if it sits for a couple of days in cooler weather, but it still starts.


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## mlt896 (Dec 11, 2017)

So weather warned up, and a friend jumped my car.


It was the battery. I added winter cetane stuff just in case, but most assuredly it was the battery. Oddly enough I havent swapped it out yet, and its been running fine, but I've also been idling it for about 15 minutes before driving when the weather turns, and i take a longer route to work which tacks on about 5 minutes.


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## jakenkaiser (May 17, 2017)

the other morning my 2014 cruze td sat for 2 days in the negatives, morning i tried to start it was -6 F with -13 F wind chill. Engine cranked for about 3 seconds, started, spit and sputtered with black and gray smoke for 2 seconds, then shut off. Then the car would crank and not start, and i noticed there was no smell of diesel fuel/exhaust or smoke coming from the exhaust, as usual. so i guessed that the initial hard start pushed the pcm into some kind of "limp mode" or something of that nature. i ended up having to reflash the PCM to get the car to start again. as soon as i reflashed, the car fired right up with no issues at all. 


Unsure of the actual cause, or correction, for that matter. Maybe someone else has dealt with similar issue before and can fill in the blanks for me.


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