What Causes Difficulty Starting a Car After Prolonged Sun Exposure?
2 Answers
Difficulty starting a car after prolonged sun exposure is caused by a malfunctioning carbon canister purge valve. Solutions for starting difficulties caused by a faulty carbon canister purge valve are as follows: 1. Turn off the engine, disconnect the connecting pipe, and attempt to suck air through it. If the carbon canister purge valve is functioning properly in its closed state, you should not be able to suck air through it. If air can be sucked through, this indicates damage and the valve needs to be replaced. 2. If the external ambient temperature is too high, affecting the coolant temperature sensor and causing it to malfunction, the vehicle will activate a self-protection program to prevent damage. This keeps the vehicle in a shutdown state. Once the external temperature returns to normal levels, the vehicle can be started normally.
I've had firsthand experience with the difficulty of starting a car after it's been exposed to scorching sun. During summer heat, the engine compartment temperature can soar to over 70 degrees Celsius. The most direct impact is the formation of vapor lock due to gasoline evaporation, where bubbles in the fuel lines cause insufficient fuel supply. Last year, my car wouldn't start at all after being parked in the sun for three hours, and even opening the hood was too hot to touch. Later, I learned that car batteries also fear high temperatures—evaporation of internal electrolyte reduces voltage, making it hard for the starter to turn over. Another lesser-known fact is that temperature sensors can misreport data under extreme heat, causing the ECU to incorrectly adjust the air-fuel mixture. If you encounter this situation, it's advisable to first open the hood to let the engine cool for about 15 minutes. If that doesn't work, you should check the fuel line seals and the battery's condition.
