Car Won’t Start? Here’s What Could Be Wrong

When your car won’t start there could many things responsible. Always make sure you’ve got to the bottom of the problem before you continue using the car. Otherwise you might compromise your safety. Here’s a guide to some of the most common problems and what you need to do to fix them.

If your car won’t start then you might simply have left your lights, or the radio or some other electronic device on. (Always best to start with the obvious.) This means that your battery won’t have enough power to start your engine.

But there are a number of other issues that can cause your car not to start. You may hear a clicking noise when you turn the key, you may notice it only happens when it’s a cold day, or you may have replaced the battery recently and still not know why the car won’t start.

Modern cars have a lot of computer-controlled systems that can make it more difficult for you to work out what’s wrong. If you’re in any doubt, contact us at Kays and we’ll be able to help. Here are the most common problems and what could be causing them:

– Your car remains silent when you turn the key

If you’ve not left any electric items on in the car, then this is likely to be your battery connections, battery or starter motor. Unless you know what you’re doing under the bonnet, you’re best to have a mechanic look at this.

– The car turns over but won’t start

Have you got fuel in your car? You have? OK it could be a faulty engine sensor or your car immobiliser.

– The engine makes a clicking noise but it won’t start

This can indicate that your battery is dead. It could also be a loose connection in the starter motor.

– The engine starts but then conks out

This could be related to a fuel injection problem or engine sensor problem. You’ll probably want to have a mechanic look at it. If your car has fuel injection, then you’ll definitely want to see a mechanic. REJIG

– You turn the key and nothing happens

It could be security system error. Modern cars will not start if the security protocols are not perfect. It could be the battery again. This is one you should have a mechanic check using diagnostics.

– The engine won’t start and there are warning lights on your dashboard

This could be anything from a loose wire to a problem with your engine management system. Your car’s handbook will tell you what any illuminated symbols mean. If you pop in to see us at Kays we can run a diagnostic check and let you know exactly what’s wrong.

– Things you can do easily yourself

Try jumping the battery first. If it starts straight away then it’s most likely you do need a new battery. If that doesn’t work then get a cheap battery tester and measure the amps from your battery.

– Modern cars can be tricky

Cars now rely on a lot of electronic systems to keep them running. There are also a few safety things to be aware of. Like being very careful when you’re near the battery as they’re very corrosive. Also, even though it might seem silly, please make sure the jump lead connections are actually on the right way. If not, you run the risk of seriously damaging your cars electronic system! That means more money out of your pocket!

For peace of mind

Call us or pop in and we can give you a rundown of exactly what’s wrong with your misbehaving car. We’ll have you back on the road with the minimum of fuss.

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