4 Things to Do When Your Car Won't Start (Updated)

Regular car maintenance is a must to avoid the hassle brought upon by certain car issues. However, sometimes, your ever-reliable car encounters an issue despite trying your best to keep it in tip-top shape. Issues such as engine overheat, a flat tire, or a faulty air conditioner are obviously not a welcome sight to any car owner. Another unpleasant thing you might experience is when your car just won't start. With that in mind, here are four things you can do when you find yourself in a similar situation.

1. Check your car's battery

One of the reasons why a car won't start is because of its battery. It might be discharged or already dead, especially if you've been using the same car battery for around three to five years. On the other hand, if your car battery is relatively new, the thing you need to do is to check the terminals. The battery terminals might have a loose connection which prevents your car from starting. You should also look at the state of the terminals as it might already be rusted or corroded which hinders your battery to perform at its best.

2. Honk and light it up

Check your car's horn and honk it. If it produces its usual sound, chances are your car's battery is working fine. The next thing you need to do is to light it up, which means that you turn on your car's headlights and interior ambient lighting. Your car's battery is not the reason why your car won't start if all of the lights are working properly.

3. Shift from park to neutral

If you're driving an automatic car and it won't start, one technique you can do is to shift the gear from park to neutral. After shifting the gear, try to start the car, but if it still won't start, shift the gear from neutral to park. Now, if your car still won't start, maybe its time to move on to the next thing you can do, which is a technique we would like to call crank the starter.

4. Crank the starter

Another indication that your car's battery is fine is when you turn the car keys and hear a clicking sound when you try to start the engine. When this happens, you need to do the technique called key cycling, which is easy and simple to do. What you need to do is to twist the ignition key to start the car and crank it repeatedly. Rotate the ignition key back and forth for 10 times. Of note, hearing a clicking sound while doing the key cycling is normal. After cranking it for 10 times, wait for around three to five minutes before you try to start the engine. When you've survived and successfully revived your car, the next thing you need to do is to let your car be checked by your trusted mechanic. This is to ensure that all the possible reasons are covered and accounted for, which will help prevent the issue from happening again. In addition, getting your car checked is also a preventive measure as you'll now if your car needs further servicing.

Updated on August 28, 2020 by Gail Alcabaza

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