Blizzard hit - no crank no start, obd not responding

[m1dn]

Haven’t started Yukon for about a week since everyone at home was sick.

Blizzard hit yesterday on Southern Ontario, close to Detroit.
Not much snow, but winds are nuts.

Went from 40 to -30.

Went to open the car, solid frozen doors, managed to get one open.
No crank no start is back again, radio and everything else works.
OBD port is not responding, engine light with “service suspension” is on.

Will wait til next week when it goes back to 40 before i start trying to do anything.
But meanwhile, had anyone had anything similar and what would be best plan of attack?

All ground cables are brand new, battery condition is unknown, but i imagine if it was bad I’d still hear a crank?
Any fuses could be the cause?

What else is connected to the whole chain and obd besides ECM, ABS module?

P.S Theres snow under the hood, pretty much on everything, wind and snow were blowing really hard sideways, got there under the tire

 

[OR VietVet]

Interesting statement...."battery condition is unknown, but I imagine if it was bad I'd hear a crank?"

Charge the battery with a trickle charger for a day or two while sitting around. Gotta start there first. The battery is the HEART of the electrical system.

 

[m1dn]

Interesting statement...."battery condition is unknown, but I imagine if it was bad I'd hear a crank?"

Charge the battery with a trickle charger for a day or two while sitting around. Gotta start there first. The battery is the HEART of the electrical system.

So i go out to take off battery and charge it home, it starts right away :facepalm:
Same set of codes as in past, bunch of modules in chain, clear and car is good to go again.

Had exactly same issues recently very frequently and replaced all ground cables, then it stopped!
Until it hit super cold, car staid for a week AND i tried to remote start it.

Exact same issue happened before with remote start!

Makes me wonder if battery is weird and remote starting sends shit sideways.
Or could be the remote start having some grounding issues when being called in?

Anyway, will let it warm up and do a quick drive.
Will not remote start until i figured this out and when it warms up, will get it inside and go through every single fuse and do a battery test.

 

[Just Fishing]

Unknown battery condition and age?

For me: I replace my batteries after 5 years no matter how well they are working.
Questionable battery = change it anyways.

A bad/dying battery can damage your alternator if you try and nurse it along as well...

 

[Geotrash]

+1 on replacing the battery.

 

[Onlyone]

Bad batteries make shops a whole lot of money.…..they make a bunch of weird stuff happen.

 

[m1dn]

Warmed up a little, replaced the battery today.
Old battery is CAA, installed 5/21, so not that old.

However old battery reads 12.0 on charger, so it was quite empty.
Wonder whether something discharges it or alternator wants to die.

Voltage in car never read below 14-15 though.
Might replace alternator when it gets warmer as well just incase.

Everything works and drives fine so far, no issues, we will see how it holds up!

 

[TollKeeper]

I doubt its your battery.. I would be leaning more towards the starter relay, or a trace on the fuse block board. Fuse block board is a known problem for GM.

 

[m1dn]

I doubt its your battery.. I would be leaning more towards the starter relay, or a trace on the fuse block board. Fuse block board is a known problem for GM.

That’s a good suggestion, thanks!
Ordered 4 pack of relays, will replace the starter one and other same sized ones just incase.

 

[Onlyone]

Warmed up a little, replaced the battery today.
Old battery is CAA, installed 5/21, so not that old.

However old battery reads 12.0 on charger, so it was quite empty.
Wonder whether something discharges it or alternator wants to die.

Voltage in car never read below 14-15 though.
Might replace alternator when it gets warmer as well just incase.

Everything works and drives fine so far, no issues, we will see how it holds up!

It was your battery. That’s how they go. 12.0 is dead, dead and dead. Cold like you had will kill a battery that was even just a little suspect. The chances of all those things going bad, are much less than just a battery.

 

[Foggy]

I vote for battery as well.... but that's just speculation based on info given/
Remember, Your remote start will NOT WORK if there are any current Check Engine codes
active... So don't base your diagnosis off just that

To add: battery voltage doesn't mean shit when you need to start: it's the starting amps that
matter.. You'll need to test that with the appropriate tool

 

[B-train]

Totally agree with the above. I've seen batteries that read 12v, but as soon as you try to even light a bulb they are dead. Bad cells can still give the appearance of charged.

If you don't have a load tester, you can use a multi-meter with the MIN/MAX function. It will record the lowest and highest voltage across the battery while cranking. A good battery, even in that cold, should still stay around 9v or higher when cranking. Anything less is weak and needs to be replaced.

 

[intheburbs]

Definitely have the alternator tested.

Cold doesn't kill batteries. It just slows down the chemical reaction that creates the electricity/current, which simply reveals a bad cell or other damage. Heat is what kills batteries. But usually there's still enough output that the battery can start the vehicle. Only when it gets cold do a lot of batteries reveal their shortcomings.

 

[m1dn]

Thanks for the feedback everyone!
How’s everyone’s experience with CAA batteries?

 

[B-train]

I'm not familiar with that brand but they seem to have a good warranty. I've had good luck just using AC Delco replacements myself, but have used Crown and other brands when needed and they all functioned. The biggest thing with batterris is weight - more lead means more potential energy and more longevity.

As stated in other threads related to electrical on these vehicles.......sticking with OEM stuff seems to yield the best longterm results

 

[repairman54]

I sprung for an Odessey battery 5 yrs. ago. I'm a snowmobiler and my truck can see -30f winter starts and below 0f on a regular basis in the winter.

 

[intheburbs]

Thanks for the feedback everyone!
How’s everyone’s experience with CAA batteries?

I don't buy brands, so much as contruction. AGM only for me. Two of my kids went to school in cold places - Houghton, MI (north side of the Upper Peninsula) and upstate NY. Never had any battery-related issues.
Frankly, Walmart's Everstart AGM is a good battery. That was my most-recent purchase.

 

[Charlie207]

I posted in another thread about getting a new battery. Mine has been starting 100%, quickly, but it had been tested a very recently at 38% capacity. It's been pretty dang cold (not Canadian cold, but single digits at night) and after throwing in a brand new alternator I figured I should replace the current battery with unknown history.

My issues were lights flickering at night (noticable) with the music, and random stereo/display shutdowns. (probably a separate issue, but whatever...)

Link to what I got: https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/automotive-battery-group-48-odyssey-48-720

 

[BG1988]

Warmed up a little, replaced the battery today.
Old battery is CAA, installed 5/21, so not that old.

However old battery reads 12.0 on charger, so it was quite empty.
Wonder whether something discharges it or alternator wants to die.

Voltage in car never read below 14-15 though.
Might replace alternator when it gets warmer as well just incase.

Everything works and drives fine so far, no issues, we will see how it holds up!

the cold discharges it :/
Lead acid batteries freeze at
+32°F when discharged