Car engine won’t start is something very common and it can be very headache for car dummies. Diagnosing car engine problems can be very simple if you catch the tricks, in the mean time it can be very anal. If the problem is serious, you will need a car engine diagram to troubleshoot the problem. Angelina will give you some tricks and tips to find out why the car won’t start so that it can avoid car dummies from being overcharged by untruthful mechanics. Let’s see the Top 10 easiest way to find out why a car engine won’t start.

Top 10 ways to find out why

1. Flat or Dead Battery

The no 1 decease causes a car won’t start is always the dead battery. The symptom is when you turn on the ignition switch, it has no sound, no lights, even the door lights will not on when you open the car door. Try to press horn, switch on head lights, signal, if all doesn’t working, it is the battery problems and it is a total dead battery. If you battery is an old battery (3-4 years old), you will probably have to change a new one. If you battery is barely new, it can be recharge.

Why cause this? It is very common the car drivers forget to turn off the lights overnight and causes the battery discharge. If the symptom is when you turn on the ignition, you can see a dime light, or try to press the horn, if the sound is able to hear but in a very weak mode, means your battery is discharged. All you need to do is to get a jump start cable to jump start the car and let it run for awhile to recharge the battery.

2. Fuel problem

Another simple yet make the car engine won’t start is the car died without gasoline or with little gasoline in the tank. This may cause by the fuel gauge is not working especially old cars or cars under 500 dollars. The sign that indicate low fuel in your tank is the car go jerking, lack of power, lugging…etc. According to gasoline price history, the gasoline price is up and down over the years, but we still have to make sure the gasoline is enough in the tank to go for the journey we want.

3. Can’t turn the key in the ignition

This has always happened to new driver, especially those cars with power steering lock. Most of the power steering cars will automatic lock up the steering when parking on hill or when the front wheel is pushed against something. Turn the steering wheel to left and to right and softly turn the key ignition, this will solve the problem in just a second.

4. Security lock, flashes lights, immobilizer

If the car still did not start when you turn on the ignition, and you notice there is a flash lights is flashing around the ignition (usually in red lights), this is the immobilizer. Most of the new cars nowadays equipped with it. For some cars like Ford, Accura, BMW, Toyota, or even Mercedes-Benz, you can just press the alarm button (bigger button) on your remote control. You can start the car right after the see the flash lights disappear.

5. Check engine lights

This is something has to take note, every time you turn on the ignition, it suppose to wait until the check engine lights come on indicating for 1-2seconds until it off automatically, then only start the engine. This is the engine computer (ECU, ECM, PCM) powered on. If the light does not come, means the wiring problem, relay faulty, fuse burnt…etc. But this is not happen frequent.

6. It just won’t start after I repaired the car recently

It is very common that a mechanic forget to connect something back or screw something that belongs to your car back. If the car just suddenly won’t start you will just have to call back the mechanic who handles your car.

7. You just had your car wash yesterday!

The engine will definitely won’t start if the water got into the engine compartment. It can cause a serious short-circuit if water with car wash shampoo touches the important wire. If this happen, a tow car is need to tow the car to the nearest or the mechanic shop where you service your car. Solution is blow drying the engine if there is no serious harm or rewiring if there is something burnt up.

8. The starter sounds very slowly

You hear “click click click” very slowly from the starter when you turn on the ignition, this is probably due to the same problem where battery is discharge as explain in no 1.

9. Starter cable, Starter motor, Coil, Distributor

Well, if you can hear a click sound from the engine compartment, but you can’t hear the any sound form the starter that going to make the car start. This can due to your battery, starter cable, starter motor. If the car is older car which running on platinum, you will have to check the coil, distributor, plug cable, plugs…etc. If you are not familiar with all these, leave it to a mechanic.

10. The starter cranks normally

Here comes a deeper problem, if everything 1 – 9 working fine and you have make sure your batter is working, starter is working, and it could be a wide range of problems. This usually happens to older car and it could be the fuel delivery system, bad fuel pump, fuel pump relay, clogged fuel screen…etc regardless it is running on carburetor or injection. Another reason could be the engine electronics, ignitions system problems, faulty of car security system, internal engine problems such as the engine compression and fuel mixture…etc. Angelina would suggest you call a mechanic or tow the car to the nearest mechanic shop if you do not familiar with all these problems.

If the car engine won’t start, you can follow step 1 – 10 to check it out easily. Car engine troubleshooting can be easy if the car is running daily and not a car that has not been start for years. You should always take care of your own personal safety when performing all the checking especially for girl driver. Check out the owner’s manual for safety purposes before you start any work on it. Learn well about cars, Angelina believes girls can handle a car well!