Most of us depend on our cars to get from one point to the other, be it to get your kids to school or get to your job; having a car is a luxury that not all of us can afford but is a blessing if you have one. However, it may have a problem starting sometimes, or it can not start at all, and there are several factors that can prevent your car from starting: a dead battery, a flooded engine, a starting problem, etc. Determining the cause of the problem is essential to fix it quickly and efficiently. Here are some tips to help you do just that.
The battery is dead
A car that won’t start is a common problem for motorists. Often this is due to a dead battery. Turn on the headlights to see if this is the case for you. Your car’s battery is dead or weak if the headlights don’t come on or barely come on. To fix this, you can start the car and let the alternator charge the battery while you drive. The battery light will come on usually. You can also use the jumper cable method if you find another vehicle with a strong enough battery. The famous “kick-start” technique also works. This consists of restarting the car by pushing it and then turning on the ignition and second. After about 10 km/h, you need to release the clutch and very quickly step on the gas.
The battery does not provide enough power to start the engine.
In the event that the battery is full, but the power is not great enough to start the car, the problem may be with the terminals. These are metal clamps located on top of the battery housing. This is where you need to loosen the clamps and clean them with a wire brush or sandpaper. Lubricate them before reconnecting and restarting them. Of course, you can replace the old terminals with new ones. You can find clamps that fit your car and battery on websites that specialize in spare parts.
The engine has an excess of fluid.
An engine is flooded when the cylinders are too full of fuel. This phenomenon can have several causes. For example, you may have missed a few starts and accidentally injected too much fuel into the cylinders. In this case, it is essential to wait about 30 minutes to allow the gas to evaporate before starting again. If the vehicle is running on gasoline, engine flooding can be caused by malfunctioning spark plugs that prevent the spark from burning. Buy new spark plugs from reliable professionals with extensive experience in selling used mechanical parts.
The starter motor is defective.
Starter motor problems are also very common. They manifest themselves in many ways. For example, the car will not start even though the headlights and car radio are working. Before we can determine the different types of starter malfunctions, we must first know what the starter motor is. A starter motor is a miniature motor that uses electricity from the battery to start the car’s engine. Usually, starting problems are caused by the plugs sticking together. This problem can be quickly solved with the hammer method. Basically, this method consists of giving a few small blows with a hammer on the car part and its carbons to loosen them. Note that this is a temporary solution. The connectors of the starter motor will reattach themselves at some point. Sooner or later, you will need to replace the starter.
Your car won’t start? Don’t panic. Evaluate the different symptoms carefully to determine the cause of the malfunction and make the repair as soon as possible. If in doubt, do not hesitate to go to an auto garage.
