My Car Won't Start! Wait ... chill ... fix ...
Friday January 4, 2008
If you turn your car key and get nothing, or get anything less than an engine roaring to life, you might be in for a bad day. It's not going to happen on a sunny day after you woke up early and got a jump on the day. It'll be the day you overslept, the milk was sour, you got shampoo in your eyes and your kids filled your shoes with peanut butter and jelly. Starting problems can be very frustrating to troubleshoot because there are so many things under the hood that can keep a car from starting. Heck, pretty much everything under the hood can keep the car from starting. Before you decide to end your car's life early with a sledgehammer or telephone pole, there's hope. Troubleshooting what we call a "no-start" problem is just a matter of following a simple step-by-step procedure to rule out potential culprits one by one until you figure out the problem. If you still can't figure it out, put a brick on the accelerator and watch your car sail over an embankment ... except you can't even get it started for that. How unsatisfying.
photo CC licensed by Vobios
Comments
It’s interesting to see the troubles that can happen when some basics are ignored and how they can surface when it gets cold, ie. below freezing. If more people realized that synthetic motor lubricants, superior air and oil filtration and even an intermittent shot of a superior fuel additive would avoid many cold weather issues for motorists and commuters. Diesel engines are getting more common but do people realize that untreated diesel fuel will clog the fuel filter when it gets cold enough to turn a gel? Do people also realize that the petroleum based automatic transmission fluid, which contains paraffin will solidify and have damaging effects on one of the most costly repairs owners can experience?
Has anyone ever had similar problem? I have an 89 Isuzu Trooper with a 2.6L 4 cylinder engine. It starts and runs for a second then dies. Have replaced fuel pump, filter, and relay. Still no luck any suggestions?
This could not be anymore true. My car started today, and I went to the store. When I was finished shopping, the car would not start. It has also been raining all day. Luckily my car is a manual, so I just pushed it, popped the clutch, and drove it home. I just hope I can figure out why it would start earlier, but won’t start know, even though the battery is fine (music started, as did the lights).