Your vehicle won’t start again? Too often people do not realize the difference between a dead battery or a bad fuel pump, which is causing the trouble with your engine. It is therefore important to know what to check when your car refuses to start. It is frustrating but every car owner has experienced this at some point. Make sure you know how to troubleshoot to solve your car not starting.
To make it easier for you to diagnose the problem, here are the top 10 things you need to check:
1. Battery – This is the first thing you need to check when your car won’t start. You could either have a dead or discharged battery. There could also be other components in your car that are draining your battery. Make sure that your battery is not low in charge or if it needs to be replaced.
2. Ignition – When your turn the key in the ignition, the car won’t start for either one of two reasons: the ignition lock is on or the ignition is faulty itself.
3. Starter – The starter is responsible for transporting the voltage from the battery to the ignition switch, neutral safety switch and then crank the engine. If you have a faulty starter, then this would impede the engine from running.
4. Engine – Make sure that you regularly monitor the engine of your vehicle. If there is an internal problem, such as old engine oil or lack of oil, then it can result in the failure to start your vehicle.
5. Fuel – This is something that might be obvious but can be easily overlooked by the driver. If there is not enough fuel, it would cause the engine to crank but it won’t start the car. Always monitor your fuel levels to prevent this problem from arising.
6. Spark plug – A bad or damaged spark plug can also be the reason why your car won’t start. Without the spark plug, your car might crank but it would not start.
7. Timing belt or chain – When there is lack of compression, it can also prevent your car from starting. It might crank but you will never be able to get your engine to start. Make sure your timing belt or chain is not broken or clogged.
8. Neutral safety switch – The neutral safety switch is responsible for completing the circuit from the starter to the ignition switch. If the neutral safety switch is damaged, it won’t complete the action required to get the car started.
9. Fuse – You need to check the fuse linked to the car’s starting system as this could be the reason why the engine won’t start.
10. Electrical connections – There are several electrical connections within the fuel injection system. If any of the connections are damaged or broken, this can prevent your vehicle from starting. Make sure that they are tight and unbroken to keep the engine running.
When you need to diagnose your car’s starting problem, it is important to know where to check first so you can fix it. If none of these factors are the cause of the problem, make sure to consult a professional auto mechanic so they can fix the problem for you.
