The Sunday News
Lovert Mafukure
There are countless reasons why a car may not start. Some of them are simple reasons that do not need you to call the mechanic.
Some of them can cost you a lot of money yet its just simple thing that need you to just know what to check and correct.
First question the mechanic would ask is, is the starter clicking or its just dead? Most modern cars make a clicking sound when the battery does not have enough power to crank. When that happens you need another battery or a jump start.
If you constantly have to jump start your car then you need to check your electrolyte level and if that does not help then have the battery checked for dead cells or simply replace the battery with a new one.
If there there’s no sound at all and no lights on the dash, it could be a bad battery or bad connection. Check battery terminals for carbon build up. Also check the wiring for broken lines.
I had a car that had a stubborn starter solenoid wire. It would always come out at the most inconvenient of times. When that wire comes out, your car simply will not crank no-matter what you do. You may also need to check for corroded battery leads and replace them if necessary.
Starter fuse or relay is another first port of call when there’s no crank and no sound whatsoever from the starter.
If the starter cranks but the engine won’t start then you need to check fuel, oxygen and spark. First of all, check whether you have fuel in your car.
I know of people that have called mechanics for breakdowns and got charged huge amounts of money for a fuel problem. You may not always have to depend on that fuel gauge because it can get stuck or read wrongly. Some fuel gauges get stuck on full, some on half and some on empty.
So make sure you have fuel in your car before checking anything else. Wrong diagnosis usually mean you spend more money than you should on things that are not the problem.
Blocked fuel lines may cause such mayhem as well. Every car comes with two or more fuel filters. These filters need replacement every time as the service manual directs.
Cars need to maintain a clean flow of fuel. Over time filters however, get clogged up with dirt and can block the fuel lines to the point of not starting at all. With most cars, you will find one filter by the tank and another in front near the engine.
Broken fuel lines on the other hand can cause problems. Fuel injection systems use pressurised fuel. When there is not enough pressure because of a leak, you may have problems starting your car. Always maintain a tightly sealed fuel tank as well or you will get bad fuel economy.
Modern cars with fuel injection have High Pressure pumps that are inside the tank. They sometimes fail. If you always run your car on empty you may experience this problem quite often because the fuel acts as a coolant for the electric fuel pump inside the tank.
Low fuel means that it will be exposed and will overheat. It is wise to keep the low fuel light off. Older cars with diaphragm pumps can also have issues. They may fail after a long time due to internal wear and tear or camshaft wear and tear.
The same older cars also have what you call an ignition coil. It transforms low voltage into high voltage required to create electric spark in the spark plugs to start the process of ignition. These little things can be a menace and when they go bad the car may not start. Modern cars have individual coil packs for each cylinder and do not usually go bad all at once.
Bad plugs may also give issues if they are clogged up with carbon. Always change and service your car according to your manufacturer’s recommendations. Check that your plugs are not oiling up and are firing as they should.
Sometimes we give our cars a wash every now and then, remember, distributors do not like water. They do not get along at all.
If you happen to let water slip in to the distributor, your car will not start until it’s completely dry. If you are lucky it will start but misfire until it’s completely dry. Keep the plug wells free of water as well.
These are some of the pointers to look at when your car suddenly decides to play tricks and not start. Happy motoring.
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Disclaimer: This material has been prepared with the intent to provide reliable information; no warranty either expressed or implied is made to its accuracy or completeness. No liability is assumed for any loss, injury to persons, property or other damage resulting from either the use of or reliance on the material presented. Always consult the professionals.
