For starters, once a battery is discharged in freezing weather, it is damaged and should be replaced. As a battery dischrges, the electrolyte, (acid) is consumed and acutally becomes water, which will freeze and do internal damage to the plates.

When getting a jump start, the process relies on the vehcle battery absorbing and then being able to deliver some current. Unless you have really heavy jumper cables, it is impossible to transfer enough current to start the engine. Not only does the engine have to turn over, there needs to enough current and voltage to provide spark and operate the fuel pump and injection system. Those portable engine strt boxes work becuase the cables are short.

Contanstly trying to strt the engine with a low battery is not good. Each time you try, some fuel will be injected into the engine. This will cause flooding and if done enough, you can even fill the cylinders with enough fuel to hydraulically lock the engine.

Get a new battery and then try.

Dennis

----- Original Message -----
From: Cindy Taykowski <JUNAMOSS@MSN.COM>
Date: Wednesday, January 25, 2006 10:02 pm
Subject: van won't go

> Hi,
> I am the owner of an 87 westy. We had not driven it in a while, it
> was really really cold.....and now it won't go. The battery was
> dead, I am sure. We jumped it, it had power for the beeps and dash
> lights. But the engine wouldn't turn. So we tried to pop it. the
> speed wasn't good, but the battery was already completely dead.
>
> When we were jumping it the engine would crank very slowly, it
> never got good speed. Any ideas on where to go next?
> thanks,
> cindy and tim
>