You turn the key…and nothing happens. Here in Jacksonville, cold weather certainly isn’t the culprit, especially in August. Multiple issues can keep your car from starting properly.
First, it’s important to differentiate between the key simply not turning in the ignition, and the car not turning over. If your key won’t turn, try turning the steering wheel a bit to disengage the steering wheel lock. You may also want to make sure that your car is completely in “Park.”
But what about when the key turns and the engine simply won’t turn over, or it turns over and dies? The problem could be electrical, fuel related, or a host of other mechanical failures.
Electrical Problems
In older cars, a bad fuse could keep a car from starting. However in most cases, the problem is more complicated.
- Dead battery: The most common—and easiest to fix—reason a car won’t start, a dead battery also has other telltale signs. Simply clean your battery posts, jump the car, or replace the battery, and you’ll be back on the road. If your battery keeps going dead, the problem might actually be your alternator.
- Bad battery cable: The cables that connect the battery to your car can get corroded over time. One sign of a bad battery cable is a rapid series of clicks after you turn the key in the ignition.
- Bad ignition switch: If your battery shows no signs of malfunction, it could be time to replace the ignition switch. Put the key in the “on” position, but don’t turn it all the way to start the car. The ignition switch is probably bad if the red warning lights on the dashboard don’t come on.
- Bad starter: Testing the starter on your own can be done, but it’s best to trust that work to a reliable mechanic. Your mechanic will use a circuit tester to measure the voltage produced by the starter.
Generally these electrical problems keep the car from turning on at all. However, if your battery and cables check out, the starter works, and the ignition functions properly, your car trouble probably isn’t the result of an electrical problem. Bring your car to Sandalwood Car Care for a complete diagnosis you can trust.
