Frozen Car?

[sarah81g]

So Christmas day we had a nice little snow storm and the next morning i go to start my car and it starts but the engine was running really loud then died. Hasnt started since. Any suggestions? And the battery is not dead I am a young mother of two toddlers and I dont know much about cars but I love my car. I need help please.

[avguy]

Most of the time on these forums advice is given for running some basic tests to try to diagnose the problem. Unfortunately, without some mechanical ability and tools, you will need to have it towed and get an estimate for whatever repair it needs. So you should try to find a reliable shop with a good reputation, unless you already know of one. Then, after getting the diagnosis of the problem and the estimated repair, you can post back here again to see if anyone has advice to offer about what the shop tells you. Also give the make/model, year, mileage, and whatever you know about the oil changes for this vehicle.

[Pickles]

More details would be nice too. By "loud" do you mean it was running at high rpms? Does the car turn over at all now? Do you have a check engine light? Do the lights (dash and headlights) still come on? How do you know the battery isn't dead? (Interior/dash lights can still come on with a dead battery).

My very first thought was the 02 sensor but I'm not sure if that's the problem. That would explain the car being "loud" but I don't think that would cause the car to not start

[Scanman]

Also, do you happen to know if it was filled with Anti- freeze or just plain water? How cold was it there?

[Lola]

I've got an 04' and on really cold mornings the Power Steering pump used to wine real loud. About -20° starts it'll sound like a street bike was doing a burnout. After a minute or so it warmed up enough to run quiet. Changed the pump/complete fluid blow out and flush and it's been good.

A quick easy test on No Starts is to listen for the fuel pump. You should hear a 2 second hmmm from the gas tank when you put the key in the "Run" position. It's real easy if you have a buddy put their ear close to the gas cap as you roll the key over. Fuse checks are also a very easy thing to test.

[Chevy Customer Svc]

So Christmas day we had a nice little snow storm and the next morning i go to start my car and it starts but the engine was running really loud then died. Hasnt started since. Any suggestions? And the battery is not dead I am a young mother of two toddlers and I dont know much about cars but I love my car. I need help please.

Hello Sarah81g,

I apologize for what you experienced with your Aveo the day after Christmas. Hope you still managed to enjoy your holiday in spite of what happened. I would like to research this issue further for you but would need a bit more information. Please private message me the last 8-digits of your VIN, your name, current mileage in order to check to see if there are any open recalls or special coverages that may be related to the issues you're having.

I look forward to your reply, so you can get your Aveo back up an running quickly. Have a good evening!

Vanessa
GM Customer Service

[sarah81g]

it was about 20 degrees outside when i went to go start it. it started, revved really loud i guess then as soon as i let go of the clutch to let it warm up like i do every morning whether it was freezing or not, it just died. it turns over, and makes like a humming noise but it wont do anything. i tried to jump it off, nothing, even bought some HEET for the gas line cuz i thought maybe it was frozen from some things i have read online. sounded better when i tried to start it but still nothing this is just depressing and i can not afford to tow it anywhere. i live 30 miles from town so any tow is over 150 dollars minimum. so i am just hoping there is a cheap solution to my problem.

[Lola]

Oh nooooo.... my fingers are crossed. But When they die, fail to start and make a humming sound it's a recipe for Timing Belt issue. I hope its a quick fix whatever it is, but.... it may be a timing belt. I've done lots. It's possible that it slipped a tooth causing it to rev high before it let go and the motor died. The humming sound may be the Crank spinning freely because the Cam/Valves aren't building compression... but, there's good news! Well kinda... its very easy to test. Pull the Oil Fill cap and the Camshaft is right under it.
Crank it over and see if it turns. If nothing happens than it fails the Timing Belt test. If it turns than you're safe. Its best to have somebody watch as you crank, or you can also look at it, crank for a second and look again to see if the egg shaped portion on that shaft turned. If it's turning than the belt's not broken... Another possibility is it may have slipped a few teeth and it'll take a mechanic to verify timing.

Do that quick oil cap belt test and let us know if your stuff turns or not...

Another possible humming sound could a bad Starter. Easy test. Find the belt on the left hand side of the motor. Crank it and see if it turns. Mark it with anything and check after a second of cranking. If that belt turns than the starter passed the test. If it doesn't turn but humms or whines when you crank it than it's sounding like a bad starter.

[sarah81g]

"Lola" Me and my husband did exactly what you said and it didnt move. It is the timing belt and we are having it towed to the dealership to get it fixed. Thank you! It isnt that much to have it fixed and since it didnt break while going down the road it shouldnt have messed anything else up, so the mechanic said.

[Lola]

Glad we got it figured out. It's also a good idea to log the miles/date of the new belt into the maintenance history section in the Owners Manual... Chevy's are awesome! It's small things like placing the oil cap above the cam that makes them better cars... in my opinion....