4 Common Reasons Your Car Won’t Start and Troubleshooting Tips
One in three drivers on American roads will suffer a breakdown this year. That equated to 69 million drivers needing to call for some roadside assistance. Many of these calls are made when a car won’t start. This issue is usually caused by a simple mechanical failure or a lack of power.
Remember, the reasons a car won’t start going back to simple chemistry. An engine to turn over and stay running needs a spark, air, and fuel. If any of these three elements are not present, you are calling for help on the side of the road. Often, a few minutes under the hood can get you running again. But there will be times when the car won’t start but clicks or you don’t have the necessary parts and tools to get the job done in a pinch.
In the following article, we’ll discuss how to troubleshoot a situation when you are left asking, “Why won’t my car start?”
1. Dead or Corroded Battery
A common problem is that a battery that has reached the end of its lifespan or refuses to charge up as the car is running. Unfortunately, as the days get colder, the problem is more prevalent as the frigid battery struggles to supply enough spark in the winter months.
Besides your battery being faulty, batteries can also build up corrosion around the negative and positive leads that lead to the starter. This corrosion is often greenish-white chalk and can be scraped off. In many cases, scraping off this excess corrosion will allow a proper charge to get through.
Also, often a quick jump start to an old battery will get you back on the road until you can get the battery replaced or serviced.
2. Faulty Starter Motor
If you turn the key and absolutely nothing happens, no clicking, no sound of the engine laboring to turn over, you could have a bad starter motor. If you look at your car and decide, my car won’t start, but the lights come on, then the starter motor is likely the culprit. This means power is flowing to the electrical system, but the motor is broken and won’t crank the engine.
3. Broken Ignition Switch
Do you have a fat key chain with a lot of weight on it? Believe it or not, this can harm your ignition switch over time. The ignition switch turns on your electrical system and allows power to flow to the starter motor.
If you have flickering dashboard lights and difficulty getting your car key to turn, a faulty ignition switch is a likely culprit.
4. Do You Have Gas?
It may sound ridiculous, but the leading cause of breakdowns out there on the road is still running out of gas. People try to run that extra mile or never get their fuel filters cleaned, resulting in the car failing to start or shutting down.
Make sure you change your fuel filters with your regular service appointments, and as soon as your low-fuel warning light comes on, look for a gas station to fill up.
Finding out that you misjudged how much gas you left in the tank can cause you all sorts of delays in your day.
Play It Safe
No one wants to break down on the side of the road, but chances are it will happen to you eventually. If your car won’t start or you get a flat tire, it happens.
Prepare for trouble with a roadside assistance service you can trust. Then, when you have 24-hour peace of mind, you know you’ll be covered when you need help the most.
Are you ready to sign up for assistance? Contact us today to get started.
