Car barely moves in 0F temps.

[LeakySeals]

06 Altima. Was 0F overnight. Started this morning. Warmed up 15 mins. Backed up, put it in drive, stepped on the accelerator and... nothing. Barely moving. No revving just idle. Best way to describe it is as if the accelerator pedal was disconnected from the throttle. Or a limp. But no codes. Battery was definitely weak but I figured the cold. Fresh oil. New coolant. Transmission fluid is unknown but red in color. Any ideas what to check next?

 

[HowAboutThis]

06 Altima. Was 0F overnight. Started this morning. Warmed up 15 mins. Backed up, put it in drive, stepped on the accelerator and... nothing. Barely moving. No revving just idle. Best way to describe it is as if the accelerator pedal was disconnected from the throttle. Or a limp. But no codes. Battery was definitely weak but I figured the cold. Fresh oil. New coolant. Transmission fluid is unknown but red in color. Any ideas what to check next?

I spent years in the barren wasteland of below zero winters. Every car I drove struggled for a few blocks when it was zero or below. Clutches on manuals were slow so you'd grind gears if you weren't careful, acceleration was sluggish at first because everything had more friction, etc. If you've never changed transmission fluid, might not hurt to see if there's a synthetic fluid that works in your car. When it reached -10F or colder, I'd often take a couple slow laps around the block before heading out to work because it felt like I had to floor it to overcome the added jelly like fluids in everything. Idling for 15 basically only warms the engine, not much else. Probably better to idle for 5 and take a slow drive the long way through town before getting on it.

 

[Rand]

if you arent moving but the engine is revving fairly normal.. transmission related. unless one tire was on ice I suppose.

First thing to check would be transmission fluid level or change transmission fluid.

 

[350Rocket]

06 Altima. Was 0F overnight. Started this morning. Warmed up 15 mins. Backed up, put it in drive, stepped on the accelerator and... nothing. Barely moving. No revving just idle. Best way to describe it is as if the accelerator pedal was disconnected from the throttle. Or a limp. But no codes. Battery was definitely weak but I figured the cold. Fresh oil. New coolant. Transmission fluid is unknown but red in color. Any ideas what to check next?

Sounds like electronic throttle body didn't like the cold maybe? Or a TPS problem? Maybe it will revive itself once the temperature comes up.

 

[LeakySeals]

I did smell something the other night in a snowstorm. A lot of cars were spinning tires and traffic because they were getting stuck. So I figured it was somebody around me because the car continued to operate okay. The smell was electrical or maybe like a clutch smell I hope that wasn't the transmission

 

[PimTac]

I did smell something the other night in a snowstorm. A lot of cars were spinning tires and traffic because they were getting stuck. So I figured it was somebody around me because the car continued to operate okay. The smell was electrical or maybe like a clutch smell I hope that wasn't the transmission

It did move in reverse so there is that. It does sound like something between the accelerator pedal and the motor.

Did it ever decide to go ?

 

[Greasymechtech]

Scan for codes, saved/pending/whatever ... don't wait for an idiot light

Cold weather... electrical... probably poor conductivity somewhere

Car started... so battery isn't an issue.
15 minute warmup.... should've been more than enough to drive away without issues... reverse backing up was fine.

Drive by wire or throttle body cable?

 

[mattd]

If it didn’t respond to throttle input, it’s either something with the TAC or the pedal, or wiring. Possible that the TAC has some moisture in it that froze (providing it had normal operation once temp came up).

 

[supton]

Wild guess but I'd say trans. I had the same thing happen my Camry this weekend, just didn't wanna go. Which was odd, as I backed out of the garage, then had to pull forward, reangle, then back down to the road. Drop in to drive, long delay, then felt like it was in second before it finally caught. Mind you it's been in the garage where it stays above freezing! but it had sat for 3 weeks.

Anyhow. Will it rev in neutral/park? Maybe it did break a cable. I had a transmission cable break and it wouldn't shift out of park. Maybe your throttle cable decided to quit? or is it DBW?

 

[LeakySeals]

So I pulled out the voltmeter. 12.29 resting battery. Start the car, 11.2. I was expecting to see 13 or 14. Maybe that smell in traffic with the heat on was the alternator shorting out? Could that somehow prevent the car from moving

 

[Greasymechtech]

Dead alternator causes all kinds of problems. Its not worth asking. Just replace it and fully charge the battery so you don't burn out the new alternator. Hopefully, nothing else fried.

 

[supton]

That's odd, I would have figured it would have tripped the alternator light. I know it's now the "in thing" to monkey with the alternator and save 0.1mpg by not charging to full and/or not having a constant 13.8V, but I wouldn't have guessed that back in 2006.

I'd try charging the battery up, then try driving again. If the the battery voltage stays below what, 13V? with the engine running, it may be a dead alternator, and the root cause.

 

[JHZR2]

So I pulled out the voltmeter. 12.29 resting battery. Start the car, 11.2. I was expecting to see 13 or 14. Maybe that smell in traffic with the heat on was the alternator shorting out? Could that somehow prevent the car from moving

It could make for funky controls and computer operations. That’s not good/right. Do you have a short somewhere? It’s too high for a shorted cell, but something is taking those electrons...

 

[LeakySeals]

It did move in reverse so there is that. It does sound like something between the accelerator pedal and the motor.

Did it ever decide to go ?

I didn't try moving it because I live on a hill so its not easy to get it back in the driveway. Fully charged the battery overnight and ordered a new alternator. Back to driving the old reliable Chevy Classic for now..

 

[brages]

Similar problem, perhaps: https://www.nissanclub.com/threads/i-need-help-engine-wont-rev-above-1500.268001/

GL

 

[benjy]

similar to that link while driving to work on a very cold 2-3 or similar i was enjoying the instant high boost you get on colder days, especially since my 2001 1.8T jetta was "chipped" passed a guy + felt someone removed my key so i drifted to the side of the road, only idle no throttle response. repair was a throttle body as the sensors in it died + it laid on the dealers floor with MANY others!!! $500 for part $50 labor to scan + install. the price of technology for better mpg's + meeting the EPA!! drive by WIRE!!!

 

[LeakySeals]

I sure hope its not that. But it wouldn't surprise me. I'm running out of things to repair on this car. The list is long. it's getting down to engine and transmission LOL.

 

[Astro14]

if you arent moving but the engine is revving fairly normal.. transmission related. unless one tire was on ice I suppose.

First thing to check would be transmission fluid level or change transmission fluid.

This.

When it is that cold, a transmission fluid level that is slightly low in normal temps becomes one that is so low that the transmission is sucking air.

So, even if the radiator is warmed up, and the coolant temp reads normal, the transmission itself is still 0F, because it isn't moving fluid through the radiator yet, and it's so low that it can't.

 

[Jetronic]

brakes could be frozen on one or more wheels aswell, especially if they were hot enough last time you stopped the car (traction control). You smelled something burned, could it have been hot brakes?

 

[atikovi]

06 Altima. Was 0F overnight. Started this morning. Warmed up 15 mins. Backed up, put it in drive, stepped on the accelerator and... nothing. Barely moving. No revving just idle. Best way to describe it is as if the accelerator pedal was disconnected from the throttle. Or a limp. But no codes. Battery was definitely weak but I figured the cold. Fresh oil. New coolant. Transmission fluid is unknown but red in color. Any ideas what to check next?

Go to live data on scan tool and check accelerator position as you slowly floor it.