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Car Starting Problems
Some of the common car starting problems stem from a discharged battery, a bad fuel pump (or no fuel), a weakened starter motor, or a broken electrical connection. Checking each part will help troubleshoot why the car won’t start.
5,524 Questions
What is the problem if a BMW 320i won't start and has no spark at all?
1. It sounds like you may have a Flat Battery
2. Dead Crankshaft Sensor
3. Blown Starter Fuse or Relay
4. Dead Immobiliser
5. Factory ground cable???
Using a test light, clip check for ground at coil (-). If ground is present with the key in the "on" position but goes away when cranking, it is most likely that the anti-theft system (imobilzer) is taking ground away from the coil to prevent the car from being started. If this is the case, go to the alarm module (below the dash to the left of the steering wheel) and locate the large connector for it (leave it plugged in). If you jump wire the upper and lower far right wires, the car should start. If the car now starts, you have a fault in the anti-theft circuit.
(Factory Ground Cable)
I had my 1982 BMW 320i for 17 years and the last few years intermittently I would turn the key and nothing at all , Just would not start,. It could be the very first thing in the morning or after coming out of an hours shopping at the market. Wouldn't make any sound at all when I would try to start it. And of course It would never happen when it sat at the mechanics. I was so fed up I had some time and drove to my long time friends shop, and low and be hold with gods help I'm sure...It happened! After testing a few things under the hood he asked me to step out of my car and raised it on the rack, he walked under the rear wheel and said yep here's the problem...The Factory Ground Cable was lose and full of dirt and grease and was not grounding. He cleaned all the dirt and grime off and tightened the bolt and it never happened again. Mystery solved.
How do you confirm that it is the battery that is dead when truck won't start?
When do you turn the key does the truck make any sound or does not turn on the gauges or anything else. If it makes a sound like the starter is trying to turn the motor over than the battery is dead. If it doesn't do anything the battery might be dead or something isn't hooked up right. I would take it to a car parts place and have them check it for free. Also you can check the alternator by seeing if the little circle on the back of the alternator is magnetic. While the car is running touch a non magnetic piece of metal to is and it should pull the metal to it. Car part places can also check the alternator for free. But it is easier to check it with a piece of metal so that way you don't have to take it off to find out it is working fine. Hope this helps.
How can you tell if your fuel pump is going out?
turn key to on position and listen for a short buzzing noise where your pump is usually in the gas tank
Why won't my 1996 Camry start it cranks but won't start?
Pull off a plug wire and hold it 1/4 inch from the engine. Have someone crank it and see if you have fire. If so then spray a very small amount of carburetor cleaner in the air intake. If it runs for a few seconds then you have a fuel issue. Replace the fuel filter and retry. If it does not run you need to check for power and ground at the fuel pump.
If there is no spark at spark plugs, pull out Distributor cap, you will find Distributor rotor, pull it out, you will find a crack or burn on the other side, replace the rotor, put everything back, it should work. (this is just in case of no spark at spark plugs), try it and tell us what is going on.
It sounds to me like you might have a brake shoe dragging. Try coasting to a stop and then accelerate and see if the noise is still there. The noise could be from a front shoe that is hanging up when pressure is applied to stop the car. It could be caused by a bad caliper piston or warped rotors. Kind of a hard problem to diagnose but sounds like the most probable cause is in the brake system. Hope this helps
Why does the starter make a loud spinning noise and not crank over the engine?
If it happens intermittently, it is caused by a broken tooth or teeth on the engine ring gear. Thus when the starter solenoid throws the pinion gear backwards, the pinion and ring gear will not engage. In some rare cases the pinion gear can come off or the solenoid itself fails, yeilding the same result. You can test this by putting the car into gear and moving it slightly to move the ring gear (in some cars). Sometimes opening the drivers door and jumping up and down on the door sill can rock the engine enough to move the ring (again in some cars). The car might start. The only fix for this ultimately is to replace the ring gear.
Why wont your car start even though the glow plugs have been changed?
diesel engine.bring a piece of wire from battery to glow plug rail to heat the plugs .and count to 20 ,if starts then u have a bad glow plug relay.if it still dosent start open an injector or 2 and crank engine and look for fuel .if fuel appears then it just mite be an air lock/
Can yoy help Peugeot 106 XN Fuel Pump is not pumping fuel any ideas?
have you tried the doulbe action relay under the ecu or to the left hand side of the engine bay its a brown relay i
Why is your 2000 s-10 starting only when you hold accelerator to the floor?
Usually this indicates a super-rich fuel condition. If it makes a lot of black smoke when it starts that would also be a good indicator. Common causes of a super-rich condition at startup would be low coolant level; leaking fuel injector; leaking fuel pressure regulator; faulty or disconnected MAP MAF or ECT sensor. Any super-rich fuel mixture problem should be corrected ASAP as it can cause oil to become diluted with fuel and lead to major engine damage.
You could also have a problem of worn spark plugs, oil or coolant fouled spark plugs, or a minor timing problem. Do you also have a running problem such as misfire while accelerating or check engine light on or flashing? If ignored this can lead to damage of catalytic converters.
If you don't really have to hold the accelerator to the floor, but just press it slightly, consider a stuck IAC. If IAC is found to be at fault, clean the throttle body when replacing IAC.
Should I buy a Dell btp 83mFY20pc ab7110 battery Is the battery good How long does the battery last?
pie Well, I too almost bought a Dell btp 83m,FY20,pc ab7110 battery! But what you want to do, you decide yourself. Some people buy an extra battery just because it will act as a backup for them when the primary ones runs out of juice. A typical battery lasts about 2 hours before it goes down. I have a feeling that if you buy the battery separately from DELL, the price is dearer? Did you check that one out? I think it's in the accessories section of their website. A nine cell battery is a good choice because my colleague bought DELL's six cell battery and her battery goes flat very quickly. It also depends on what you do in the time the laptop is being used, the power saver options on my laptop determines how long it keeps going. Maybe there can help you:http://www.bestebuy.co.uk/laptop-battery/dell/pid-1148.htmlSo what do you do then? The lifetime of a battery is about 5 years or so.
What is wrong with a car when it won't start with no noise when you turn the key over?
Make sure it is in park. Clutch pushed in. Dead battery.
Why will the car start but it will not drive?
first is it automatic or manual? first check the major things like the axles to see if one of them is broken. if one is broken then the vehicle will not move. second kia/hyndai who made the ford aspire still cannot make an automatic transmission that is reliable. the dealers all stock the automatic tranmissions for all there new automatic models. that is why they have to offer a 100,000 mile 10 year warranty because they will break. but only after 100,000
Blown head gasket. But with a blown head gasket wouldn't you notice a kind of milkyness to the oil when you checked the oil because of the mixing?
Keep in mind the #1 problem with these vehicles is fuel pumps. As the fuel pump gets weak it can still allow the car to run but, it will have starting problems like you mentioned. Have the pressure tested.
Sounds like broken fuel pressure regulator. it is loccated on driver side of engine with vacuum hose to it and a clamp similar to ac hose connector clamp. If diaphragm is broken in this regulator it will allow raw gas to "flood the engine" when the engine is warm. When the engine has time to cool, the extra gas evaporates.
Why does the starter continue to run even when the key is turned off?
Sounds like the starter solenoid is sticking, could be faulty. You might have to pull it out and bench test it. First put a multimeter or test light on the starter solenoid wire (without it being connected to the starter) and check that it stops supplying power when you switch the key off to make sure you don't have any wiring issues.
How do you reset autostart car starter after battery died while armed?
When the battery is dead, that the alarm kit setting is usually
reset to default, which more than likely already has the autostart feature on.
If not, it could be something else; perhaps loose connector on the battery?
The info you are looking for can be found in the installation manual
for the remote-start kit. It usually requires combination of key presses
on the remote valet.
The good is that, companies usually make it uniform despite different models.
The bad is, different companies can have different combination keys for activation.
The ugly is that, the installation manual is rarely included when you purchased the kit
or it has been trashed by the techs installing your kit. Generally, only the
user manual kit is included, not the installation manual.
In this case, google is your best friend. Try searching for a pdf document of it.
Then again, you can always ask (or pay) some professionals.
Why won't my car start again if I shift from park to reverse while starting the engine?
Your car has an automatic transmission which includes a "neutral safety switch" to prevent the car being started while the shifter is in any position except "neutral" or "park". This switch is activated by the shift lever and prevents voltage to the starter solenoid when the car is in gear (drive or reverse). This is a safety features that prevents the car from lurching ahead or backward while starting.
Dodge pickup with a 1960-72 slant six that wont start but it does back fire int to the carburetor?
Check ignition timing Timing chain "jumped"?
How to stop engine from turning over?
Assuming that you're trying to stop the engine from rotating while removing the crankshaft pullet bolt, right?
The easiest method is to use an impact wrench. At times, certain vehicles simply don't have the room to accommodate an impact wrench without removing the radiator or, even worse, vital air conditioning parts. Other methods are possible like wedging a screwdriver into the flywheel via the inspection plate cover which usually requires the help of a friend.
I've used a method that is cheap, that works, is safe for the engine, and can be done by yourself. Purchase 2 or 3 feet of nylon rope that is smaller in diameter than your spark plugs. Remove number one spark plug. Rotate crank pulley until it is about 90 degrees ABOVE top dead center. Insert rope into number one cylinder via the spark plug hole. Be sure to put enough rope in to fill a portion of the cylinder. Turn crank pulley counterclockwise with socket wrench. If there is enough rope inside, then the engine will cease to rotate allowing you to give enough force to break that crank pulley bolt loose.
To tighten the bolt according to torque specs after job is finished, rotate crank to about 90 degrees BELOW top dead center, insert rope, turn crank clockwise until rope stops engine, then apply proper torque to bolt.
This method is very useful when an impact wrench is not available or will not fit in the area.
Suzuki alto refuses to start why?
Check the battery condition visually.
If you see any acid leaks, cracks or any other damage - replace the battery. Make sure the battery terminals are tight and not corroded. Corroded terminals will cause many troubles.
To start the engine, the battery, the starter and the starter circuit should be OK.
If the engine won't start - there's no magic - one of these things is probably missing. Most often it's a spark- or fuel- related problem, but often it could be very simple things like dead battery.
If the car won't start, check simple things first:
Make sure you have a fuel in the tank, oil in the engine and the battery is OK
Discharged or dead battery is one of the possible reasons for a car not to start. Very common is situation when we forget to turn lights OFF overnight (for example, dome light) which causes the battery to discharge. In this case when attempting to start a car, all you will probably hear will be clicking noise - there won't be enough power to turn the starter. Here is the simple way to check if the battery is discharged: Turn the ignition on, with the engine off, switch the windshield wipers on. If they move way too slowly, much slower than usual, the battery is probably discharged.
If the battery is relatively new, it can be recharged. All you need to do is to boost your car and let the engine run for a while to charge the battery.
However if your battery is more than three - four years old, you will probably need to buy a new one. Sometimes, an old battery may even die with no apparent reason, even if day before it was OK.
Now simply answer the questions, press "Yes" or "No" (If it's blue, follow the link).
- Do you hear the cranking sound when you're trying to start your car? (Yes No )
- When you switch the ignition ON before starting a car, does the "check engine" light come ON? (Yes No )
If you don't hear the cranking sound when you're trying to start your car, means that starter doesn't work - something could be wrong with the starter, starter wires, relay, or the battery is dead. Also check battery terminals, they could be corroded or loose.
- When you switch the ignition ON, do you hear fuel pump buzzing sound from the gas tank area? (Yes No )
When you switch the ignition ON before starting the car the "Check engine" light supposed to come ON indicating that engine computer is powered. If you won't see the "Check engine" light after switching the ignition ON, there is no power coming to the engine computer. It might be a broken wire (common problem on 2001 - 2002 Nissan Sentra, for example) or faulty relay, burnt fuse, etc.
Before your engine died, did you experience any prior events such as:
- leaving the lights ON overnight (Yes No)
- driving through a deep puddle, or washing the engine compartment? (Yes No)
- trying a jump start? (Yes No)
- having only a little fuel in a tank? (Yes No)
- having had the engine repaired recently? (Yes No)
If your vehicle's engine was repaired just before it died, call back to the repair shop and ask them to check it. May be they just forgot something to connect back.
- the engine was overheated? (Yes No)
If the engine died after it overheated and won't start even after its temperature is reduced, there is probably a severe engine problem (like broken pistons, blown head gasket, etc.). Check the coolant level. It should be between "low" and "full" marks in the expansion tank (look at the image). If it is too low, add a coolant fluid. Even If the engine starts after the temperature is reduced, you have to find reason of the overheating, because the engine overheating may result in serious engine damage. Have your car inspected by the mechanic.
- extremely low oil pressure? (Yes No)
- unusual noises such as knocking, pinging, whistling? (Yes No)
- smoking from exhaust pipe? (Yes No)
- strong smell of a gas? (Yes No)
- black smoke means the engine runs very rich - too much gasoline goes to the engine which most likely means there is something wrong with fuel- or ignition system. For example this may happen when one or two cylinders misfire.
- stinky blue or white-blue smoke means burning oil as result of serious internal engine defect (like broken pistons or piston rings).
Now, let's try again. Turn off the radio, try to crank the engine one more time, and listen carefully. Is the cranking sounds different than it used to be? If it's different, does it looks like the engine being cranked by the starter too slowly? (Yes No)
If you note, that the engine is not being turned over by the starter or being turned over too slowly, it may be because of a(n):
- discharged battery
- a starter defect
- bad connection with the battery terminals
- internal engine defect (bad oil, lack of the oil, etc.)
Is the engine being cranked too fast? (Yes No)
If while cranking the engine is turning over too fast, it means there is probably no compression in the cylinders. It could happen because of engine internal problem (broken pistons, or valves) or if the timing belt breaks or jumps.
If still on midway contact a mechanic soon
the starter, the starter solenoid only supplies power to the starter.. if accessable try to tap on the starter with a hammer with moderate force this will some times cause the internal workings to rotate slightly allowing the starter to turn over.. This also sounds like a dead battery. Usually when your battery dies, all the more your hearing is your Solenoid clicking. If this is not the case, follow the directions above, i strongly agree. BUT.. it could also be a faulty solenoid, it will click, but will not push any power to the starter. If this continues, i would replace the solenoid first, being that it's more probable, and less expensive. If it actually is the starter, oh well.. you spent like 20.00 on a new solenoid (if even that much), and you know it will not go out on you in the future. You may also want to check your power cable leading to the starter to make sure there is no short(s) on it due to insulation being melted off or whatever.
Why is your car not starting up?
Can be a number of things such as a dead battery, damaged starter, broken belt..etc. Ask your local mechanic
