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Home / Symptoms / No Start

Four common causes for a vehicle not starting and their related parts.

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Is Your Car Not Starting?

Your car isn’t starting because of a battery problem. The battery might have died or has corroded terminals; this could be caused by the battery being old or feeding a parasitic draw (faulty accessory being active even after shutting off the car). Alternatively, it can be an alternator or starter issue.

Watch out: If the engine cranks but the car doesn't start, something may be wrong. Ignoring it could lead to costly consequences, so taking control of the situation and understanding the causes and solutions is crucial.

The most common causes for the car not starting

The most common causes for a car not starting are:

Faulty starter motor: The starter motor uses power to send a signal for the spark plugs, creating the initial spark to start the vehicle. However, if the starter motor fails, it won’t produce any electrical signal, causing the vehicle to not start.
Empty fuel tank: Fuel is the main substance needed to create the initial spark in a vehicle’s ignition. A spray of fuel in the engine creates the needed spark for the vehicle to start. Therefore, an empty fuel tank won’t provide enough fuel to engage ignition and start the vehicle.
Faulty ignition switch: The ignition switch connects to a starter wire, sending a signal to the starter motor that the driver is turning the key in the ignition. However, the ignition switch might develop internal failure and wiring damage, resulting in no signal to the starter motor, preventing the vehicle from starting.
Faulty alternator: The alternator is a charging system component that feeds power to various electrical circuits, ensuring that functions like power steering, A/C, and starter motor, in some cases, work. If the alternator is faulty the vehicle might struggle to start due to electrical issues.
Faulty battery: The battery powers the vehicle, from initial ignition to mid-drive functionalities, and even by feeding the alarm after shutting the vehicle off. Therefore, if the battery fails, it’ll not provide the necessary power for things like starting the vehicle, power steering, headlights, etc.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is your dashboard staying off when you turn the key?

You may also notice the battery light active on the dashboard, the vehicle's accessories not working, and weaker headlights.

The battery in a car powers all its functions and needs to store enough voltage to start the engine. Over time, it may lose its ability to store enough voltage due to wear and tear, leading to a dead battery and a car that won't start. If you notice a weakening battery, consider visiting a professional to avoid being stranded.
Was the battery light flashing on the dashboard the last time you drove the car?

The alternator keeps the car battery charged while driving. If it falls behind the pace, the battery loses charge, and the car won't start or run accessories. The battery light on the dashboard will turn on if the alternator is failing, indicating a problem with the charging system.
Is your vehicle making a clicking noise instead of starting?

You may also notice the smell of burning wires or the engine starting but dying right after.

The starter motor is a small electric motor that helps the engine run. It uses gears to spin the engine fast enough to start running independently. If the starter motor doesn't work, you may hear a clicking sound when you start the car, but the engine won't turn over. This could be due to a problem with the contacts in the starter, which connect the battery and the starter motor.
Is the engine sputtering and dying right after you try to start the car?

The fuel system in a car needs enough pressure for the injectors to spray fuel into the engine. This creates the right mixture of air and fuel to keep the car running. If the fuel level in the gas tank gets too low, there won't be enough pressure to keep the engine running, and it may only start and stop or sputter, dying immediately after.
Is the engine cranking slowly when the car is starting?

The engine might also be cranking pretty weakly or not at all. Also, the battery light might flash on the dashboard, and the battery terminals might look corroded.

Battery cables connect the battery to the rest of the car's electrical parts. Corrosion can get them after years of use. Corrosion on the terminals creates more resistance, reduces current and voltage, and slows the starter motor's ability to crank the engine.
Does the dashboard lit up, but the car stays silent, and the engine doesn't react?

The ignition switch is like a switchboard for your car. It tells the accessories, like the lights and gauges, when to turn on and start the engine. However, if the switch wears out or is damaged over time, it can cause a problem with the electricity flow. Consequently, the accessories might turn on, but the starter doesn't, so the gauges and lights work, but the engine doesn't start.

Typical fixes to address the cause(s)

These are typical processes and repair services that fix a check engine light issue

The most common cause: Faulty battery

The most common reason for a car not starting at all is an issue with the battery. The battery has specific chemical reactions happening inside so it can perform properly and send power to the car. The battery also depends on connections, terminals, and wirings, which are prone to fail. However, if the battery develops an issue or gets too weak, it won’t provide enough power to feed many of the car’s demands, including the signal to start the vehicle.

Symptoms it causes: Apart from the starting issues, you might notice engine stalling, battery warning light, loss of power steering, dimming headlights, radio issues, etc.
High risk of priority: The battery is the most vital electrical part of your vehicle, ensuring the car actually starts, works, and drives. Therefore, a faulty battery can lead to serious vehicle issues including sudden breakdowns.

How exactly do batteries fail?

A vehicle battery typically lasts roughly two years, but its life cycle depends on how much —and for what— you use the car. Batteries mostly die out of natural conditions, they have limited power which is periodically consumed until you need to replace them. However, batteries can also fail due to unpredictable situations, like internal short, chemical reactions, leaks, overstress, etc.

Go safe: Ask for a mechanic to inspect your vehicle’s battery and charging system to investigate if the battery is failing due to surrounding components and if there’s further damage to check out. Many shops do transparent vehicle inspections and lay out your options after investigating your vehicle’s conditions.

What’s a vehicle inspection? It’s “detective work” on your vehicle, checking its systems to see if anything prevents the car from working as expected. In this case, mechanics examine different parts of your vehicle to track if anything is causing the battery to fail. They’ll also check the condition of components during their inspection, noting which are causing the problem and which got affected by it, recommending to replace them in order of priority.

Transparency example in a faulty camshaft service

A charging system inspection is the most transparent process to understand why your vehicle’s battery is faulty. This is because many components surrounding the battery and charging system components like the alternator and serpentine belt can have a say in the issue, indicating the real culprits that caused it all.

Let’s read an example of how this kind of inspection helps to service a weak battery, fixing a starting problem.

A customer came to the service center with a problem. They had trouble starting their vehicle and noticed that the engine cranked slowly. They didn't try to jump-start the car.

A technician jump-started the car using a jump box and drove it into the service bay. They didn't notice any unusual behavior while the car ran.

They conducted a vehicle health inspection and found the battery under the passenger seat. But, unfortunately, the battery voltage was too low even to turn on a battery tester.

The technician charged the battery for 20 minutes and tested it. Unfortunately, the battery failed the load test, requiring replacement. The technician recommended that the customer replace the battery to get their vehicle running again.

Dead battery

In this case, the mechanic put the “Immediate Action” tag on the battery.

Similar Symptoms

Below are just a few examples of typical Symptoms and Fixes your car might be experiencing

Four common causes for weird braking from a vehicle and their related parts.

Is Your Car Not Starting?

The most common causes for the car not starting

Frequently Asked Questions

Is your dashboard staying off when you turn the key?

Was the battery light flashing on the dashboard the last time you drove the car?

Is your vehicle making a clicking noise instead of starting?

Is the engine sputtering and dying right after you try to start the car?

Is the engine cranking slowly when the car is starting?

Does the dashboard lit up, but the car stays silent, and the engine doesn't react?

Typical fixes to address the cause(s)

The most common cause: Faulty battery

How exactly do batteries fail?

Transparency example in a faulty camshaft service

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