Top Reasons Your Car Won’t Start
Posted August 9, 2017
It can be extremely frustrating when you hop in your vehicle, turn the key in the ignition and it won’t start! While dead batteries are the usual suspect for a car not starting, that is not always the root cause of the issue.
Here are some of the top reasons why your car won’t start.
Dead Battery
As we just said, the battery is usually the main culprit. In particular when the weather is either very cold or very hot, a dead battery is usually the most likely cause.
How to know if it is your battery? The first thing you need to do is check your car lights by turning them on and off. If your car lights are dim or fail to come on at all, your battery needs to be charged. You may also want to look under the hood at the battery itself and see if there is any corrosion on the terminals or a loose connection. You can clean the battery posts or tighten the connections if this is the issue.
If the issue is truly the battery, it is usually fixed by jump starting your car according to the manufacturers recommended procedures. When that doesn’t remedy the issue, we recommend you bring your car into an auto repair shop that has ASE certified technicians.
Electrical System Issues
There are many potential issues in your electrical system in your car that may cause your car not to start, ranging from loose connections to issues with the comptuer. The only way to properly diagnose this is to being your car in for a full diagnostic evaluation at an auto repair shop.
Faulty Auto Ignition System
Something as simple as a faulty ingition switch may be the cause of your vehicle not starting. One way to know if there is an issue with this is if when you turn the key in the ignition, most cars will have warning lights turn on or flash on and flash. If there are no lights, you may have a problem with the ignition switch.
Other Starting Issues
There are many other potential issues that may cause your car not to start, to include:
– Bad Alternator: This means that your car’s battery can’t stay fully charged and won’t replenish the power to start your car.
– Damp Conditions: When you are in a very wet environment, moisture on your spark plugs or other components may cause issues with your car starting.
If you experience repeated issues with your car not starting, and a simple jump start of your car doesn’t fix it, please stop by our shop and have your car fully inspected immediately.
If you’d like to have you battery tested or your vehicle looked over in general, contact us online or call us at 303.347.1010
Categories: Car Care Tips
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