It’s always a stomach-dropping feeling when you put your key in your car, turn it, and nothing. The car won’t start. We are here to give some advice for you if you find yourself in this situation. Depending on the sound that is happening beneath the hood of your car – or the lack of sound – you can tell the next steps to take. You might be able to fix it yourself, or you might have to give a tow truck a call.
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No Lights, No Sounds
Possible causes include:
If you are turning the key and nothing comes on, no lights, and there are no sounds, you might have a problem with the connection to the battery.
What to do:
Check the connections between the battery’s cables. Even if they appear in good condition, you should try turning the cables or twisting them by hand to see if it is loose.
Sometimes they need cleaning to make a good connection. Cleaning the cables doesn’t require any special training, but you may need the right tool to tighten the clamp down again when you are finished. A paper towel or an old rag is perfect for cleaning the cables. After cleaning, reconnect them and try turning the engine again.
Dead Battery
What to do:
Attempt a jump start if necessary. You will need wires and someone with a car to connect your battery to theirs, as well as someone who can help you. Find out how to jump-start your automobile in this video.
No Sound, But Dash Board Lights Go on
Possible causes include:
Failure to engage park or neutral, or the park position switch on the transmission’s left-side switch assembly.
Your first step, in this case, should be to change the gear to neutral and check to see if your car starts now. You can also try pressing the brake (or clutch for a manual) and see if that makes a difference.
One possibility is that your starting motor has failed or that the ignition switch or wires connecting the ignition to the starter are not functioning correctly.
affWhat to do:
Immediately call for a tow truck and make your way to a repair shop. The difficulty might be caused by a problem with the key fob, such as a faulty signal receiver or the battery in the fob that needs a change.
Before heading in, though, you should check to see how you can start your automobile if the key fob battery is completely dead. Look in your owner’s manual to see the method they indicate.
A Clicking Sound From the Engine
You may have a faulty battery. You can check the battery by turning on the headlights. If your headlights are bright, your battery is likely in good condition. If they click, you either have a connection issue or need to replace the starter.
You may have a weak battery, in which case you should try a jump start to get the lights to work again.
Normal Cranking But Engine Not Working
In the case of an older automobile with a carbureted engine, the problem might be a flood in the engine. This occurs when there is excessive gasoline in the engine, and the spark plugs are moist and unable to ignite.
What to Do:
Using the gas pedal to its fullest depressurization, begin to crank the engine. This will remove any remaining gasoline from the combustion chamber.
Some possible causes include:
The fuel pump or ignition circuit fuse has blown.
What to do:
The failure of a fuse is easy to identify since the metal strip is fractured and has a little amount of black surrounding it. Check your owner’s handbook for the location of the fuse box and replace the blown fuse. Most automobile manufacturers provide spare fuses in additional places in the fuse box.
Slowly Dying Crank
Possible causes include:
You have a faulty battery.
What to do:
Take a leap of faith. Then get yourself to a mechanic as soon as possible because this will happen again.
A Crank Making a Grinding Sound
Possible causes include:
The starter is not contacting the flywheel properly.
What to do:
Turn the ignition to on and off 3-4 times, and the flywheel should engage, and the engine should begin to run. However, this indicates that you have damaged teeth on your flywheel, and you should take your automobile to the repair shop as soon as possible.
Cranking At A Rapid Speed With A Spinning Noise
Possible causes include:
A timing belt has failed. The connection between the top half of the engine and the bottom half of the engine is no longer functioning properly. Because some valves are still open, there is no resistance between the pistons, and they are going up and down quicker than usual.
What to do:
Stop starting your engine immediately and ask for a tow; you have a severe situation on your hands. You can avoid this problem with good regular maintenance. Have your timing belt replaced when needed.
A tow truck is a beautiful sound when your car would not start and you need help.