Not starting

[thirstycanadian]

My 85 one ton (454) isn't starting today.  It's -18 degrees C here (about 0 degrees F) and I think that might be why.  I have never had problems getting the starter to crank until this week when it was almost, but not quite as cold as today....the last few times, it turned over pretty slow, but it always fired.  Today it won't turn over at all.  I think the battery is alright (my multimeter showed it at 11.3V., it is almost new, wires all look fine, and I'm sure the alternator is charging.  It ran last night and I parked it after a few hours of highway driving, so it was good and warm around 1:30am.  I tried to start it today around 3:00pm and all I hear is a few seconds of crackling/grinding, not even the normal hard start cranking, then nothing.

Any ideas?  I am hoping it is just the cold weather, but the problem is it is blocking in my other car and the forecast says it will be just as cold for a few more days.

Also, I haven't tried boosting it yet because none of my buddies or neighbours are around today.

Thanks a lot for any input.

[Lt.Del]

It sounds like your battery.  Have you tried to warm up your battery before shocking it trying to turn the motor over?  Warm it up by cutting on your headlights for about a minute---letting the juices flow a little in the battery.  Then hit the ignition.

I think you need a battery charger, or, at least a set of jumper cables.

You mentioned you drove it for a while the night before...did you happen to notice the alt guage--whether it was charging or not??  It could be your alternator.  

11.3 volts sitting is not that great, in fact, it is pretty poor.   It should show over 12 volts.   When running, it should show about 14 volts w/ alternator running.

Just a few thoughts.  

SgtDel
aka "Andy"

www.delbridge.net

1979 Big 10 383 stroker
1991 Blu 'Burb 3/4 ton 4x4

[Blackstone]

I'd invest in a fresh battery. 11 volts may be sufficient 9 months out of the year but if you have the battery tested at your local parts store, you'll probably find that your cold cranking amp output is what's ailing the charging system. They'll put a full charge on it and load-test it, usually for free. Cranking power is far more crucial than voltage in these conditions. Here in Maine, most people don't realize they need a new battery until temps hit single-digits.