Why Is My Car Not Starting Up? Despite advances in technology and the many computer controls you’ll find in modern cars, they all still run on internal combustion engines. These engines have changed little in the last 50 or 60 years.
Internal combustion engines need a spark, air, and fuel to run. Because of this, there are 10 common reasons your car might not start.
Your alternator needs to show 14 volts otherwise your car is not going to start. As modern cars have now moved away from including alternate gauges on their dashboards, you may need a technician to check it for you.
One of the easiest ways to spotters is your headlights dimming or your starter being very slow to crank.
These mechanisms have become far more reliable in the last decade, it’s not common for starters to fail but it can happen. If you hear a clicking noise when you turn the key in your car, this is a clear sign that the starter has failed.
As you mentioned before, cars need a spark on this comes from the battery. If your battery is dead or too weak to generate another electricity to send a spark to the engine, then your car will not start.
This can happen for a variety of reasons, from corroded cables, all the way to faulty cells. Whatever the reason, if your battery isn’t working it may need replacing.
Along with a spark, your engine needs fuel pumps through a filter. If it becomes dirty, your fuel can stop circulating and this can prevent your car from starting.
The next port of call if your car might not start is that it’s not getting enough air. Air filters can get clogged with many things, including grease and road dust. Without the ability to breathe your engine can’t function, simple solution is to change air filter regularly.
Directly related to the alternator and battery in your spark plugs, I want to deliver the fire to ignite the fuel in the engine. If they are faulty, there is no way your engine can start. 30 years ago they were a vital part of automobiles and need changing regularly, this no longer the case.
Another part of the fuel injection system is the pump, if your car cannot deliver fuel from its tank to the combustion chamber then it won’t start. Even the earliest model automobiles work with fuel pumps and if one of these fails it will have to be replaced before your car will start.
A faulty fuel pump will directly affect your car’s reliability.
Some people are completely unaware of the fact that they can lock the steering wheel in their cars. Facebook directly impacts your ability to turn your key. This is an old but very effective anti-theft feature. when inserting your key, you must turn the wheel to the right location before the wheel lock will release.
Obviously, if you’re running a combustion engine, you’ll need fuel so without it your car cannot start. Technology and modern dashboards will tell us exactly how many miles are in our tank.
However, as large petroleum companies become more dominant in the market, you may run low on fuel in an area where there’s no access to a gas station. Unfortunately, sometimes the most obvious answer to a problem is the right one and your fuel tank is just empty.
As cars are becoming less reliant on internal combustion engines and other mechanical parts and more reliant on technology and electronics such as remote starting devices and keyless entry fobs.
This technology is notoriously unreliable and regularly causes havoc with people remaining one of the primary reasons is your car might not start. For example, if you lose your proximity key leaving them at home in a pressure jacket while you scramble to try and find them.
Other fobs and keys can be faulty or break and depending on your car improve extremely expensive to replace.
As you can see there are a wide variety of reasons that your car may not start, the easiest way to avoid these is to schedule regular service.