Cold start issues with 2024 GMC AT4

[Brian_East6]

Currently up in Eureka for work and ran into a weird issue with my truck. Started it remotely at -18°C ran fine till it shut off. Later, hit the start button and got a strange intermittent cranking noise before it finally turned over. Restarted again and it seemed normal, but now the check engine light is staring me down. It was plugged in beforehand. Any idea what's going on?

 

[poison_sky]

That sounds really annoying! it might have been a temporary sensor glitch from the extreme cold, or maybe something related to the fuel system.

Did the cranking sound different than usual when it struggled like slower or more strained?

 

[Brian_East6]

That sounds really annoying! it might have been a temporary sensor glitch from the extreme cold, or maybe something related to the fuel system.

Did the cranking sound different than usual when it struggled like slower or more strained?

The cranking was the strangest part. It wasn't so much strained as it was choppy like it would try to turn over and then pause for a split second. It's a real headscratcher and being this far from my own tools has me flying blind for now.

 

[rigreadynation163]

The intermittent pattern points to possible issues with the starter relay or solenoid, especially when it's cold. Those brief pauses suggest that there are problems with electrical contacts rather than mechanical blockages

 

[Brian_East6]

The intermittent pattern points to possible issues with the starter relay or solenoid, especially when it's cold. Those brief pauses suggest that there are problems with electrical contacts rather than mechanical blockages

My apologies for the very delayed response, my original post was from a work trip back in June. Thank you for offering your thoughts on the starter relay, which is a very specific and helpful suggestion. I took the truck to the dealer as soon as I got back home so they could pull the code from the check engine light. They found a stored fault related to the starting circuit but were unable to replicate the intermittent cranking issue. Is a failing relay a component that would typically act up only in extreme cold? The truck has run perfectly since I returned to warmer weather, but I am keeping your advice in mind for when winter arrives.

 

[rigreadynation163]

Hey, no problem, and thanks for the info! That fault code pretty much says it's an electric thing. And yeah, relays can act up when it gets cold, mostly if their insides are old or rusty. Good to hear it's running okay now, but who knows, winter might bring the problem back.