8 Common Reasons a Vehicle Won’t Start

One of the most common and frustrating things you can experience as a driver is that your vehicle won’t start. You’re already late, and you have 100 places you need to be, but you’re stranded. So, is there anything you can do that will prevent the need of an Uber to get you to your destination?

Common Reasons a Vehicle Won’t Start

There are numerous reasons why your vehicle won’t start, and it could be any one of them. Here are the most common issues we handle at Cloverdale Auto that keep your vehicle from turning over.

1. Battery Cables are Lose or Corroded

The battery provides the electricity needed for the automobile to turn over. It sends the charges that ignite the spark plugs and allows the engine to fire. Over time, your cables can become corroded with rust, and a simple cleaning may be all it needs to restore the connection.

Another issue is that battery cables can loosen from bumpy roads and time. It’s possible that your connection isn’t tight, and the engine is not getting the spark it needs to turn over. These are both simple fixes and one of the first places you should check if the vehicle won’t start.

Before cleaning the battery terminals, unhook them from the power supply. Since this is an electrical component, use extreme caution.

2. The Battery is Bad

Batteries last about 3-5 years on average, and you can almost always tell when one’s going bad as it starts to act up during the cooler months. When the temperatures change, a bad battery will fail to charge on those cold mornings. Another hallmark sign of a bad battery is you will hear a clicking noise when you try to start the car.

It’s got some power, but it’s not enough, and your vehicle won’t start. Replacing a battery is easy for some, and others need professional assistance. The worst thing you can do is keep charging it and hoping it will hold the charge, as eventually you will become stranded.

3. Alternator

Your battery may be fine, but your alternator could be prohibiting it from staying charged. These two components work together to keep your car running. The alternator will last anywhere from 40,000-100,000 miles. A sign that it’s your alternator causing the problems is when the lights dim and brighten while operating the vehicle.

If you have a strong battery and a weak alternator, you will get about 60 miles max before the entire vehicle dies. This should allow you to get it to our station for help. In most cases, your alternator warning light will appear on the dash.

4. Broken Timing Belt

Timing belts last around 60,000-100,000 miles. This is one belt that people almost always wait till it breaks to fix. It’s costly because it’s very challenging to access this belt, and many things need to be moved. It’s always better to do this service as a preventative measure rather than a mechanical breakdown.

There usually is no indication that the belt is worn other than a visual examination, but some will squeak a bit before they snap. When they break, they can cause additional damage to your engine. It’s costly to replace this belt because of how challenging it is to access it.

This repair could cost you anywhere from $500-$2,000 depending on the vehicle and what else it messes up when it blows.

5. Dead Key Fob Battery

The new cars start with key fobs, which adds a whole other element of issues. Since the fob is required for the vehicle to start, it can be something as simple as a low battery. Simply replace the battery in the key fob if the vehicle won’t start, and many times it will turn right over.

6. Clogged Fuel Filter

Just like your air filter, your fuel tank has a filter too. If this filter becomes clogged, it won’t allow fuel to pass from the tank to the spark plugs, which might be the cause of why your vehicle won’t start. The whole process is stopped because of a lack of fuel. In most instances, when you replace the fuel filter, you must replace the fuel pump, too, as it can cause them to blow. Fuel pumps are another expensive service item that we regularly handle.

7. Bad Spark Plug

Your vehicle has anywhere from 4 – 8 spark plugs, depending on the size of your engine. If just one of these plugs fouls out, it can keep your car from starting. It may try to turn over, but it won’t fire. This is a simple fix, if there’s nothing leaking into the cylinders, caused by something like a worn valve gasket cover.

8. The Starter

Lastly, the starter can wear down after time. The lifetime expectancy of this part is anywhere from 30,000-50,000 miles, but some will get even more. The starter will be making a clicking noise much like a bad battery, so it’s sometimes hard to tell the difference. A bad battery will usually allow you to jump-start it, but a bad starter won’t jump, this may be the cause of why your vehicle won’t start.

Take Away on Vehicles Not Starting

It’s often hard to tell what issue your car is having if there’s no clear indication, like the clicking noise of a weak battery. Thankfully, we can help! Call us at 336-331-3448 for all your automotive needs or more information why your vehicle won’t start.