A car won’t start due to various reasons that may require a professional to offer assistance or DIY diagnostic. Most of the times that the car doesn’t start is based on something that you did wrong. But some drivers think the issue originates from the car’s transmission.
1. Steering is in lock mode.
Sometimes the car won’t start because the steering wheel is in lock mode. The steering wheel goes into lock mode in different situations;
- When you turn the wheel while you’re turning off the engine.
- When you turn off the engine while the gear is in drive mode instead of park for automatic cars or neutral for manual cars.
- When the car’s tires are pressing hard against the pavement kerb.
In fact, during these occasions the keys in the ignition will not turn. There are a bunch of things that can make the key to get jammed up in the ignition chamber. Try the following steps in order to free up the steering wheel;
- Jiggle the steering wheel a little while turning the key in the ignition.
- Check whether the gear is in neutral or parking mode.
- Don’t use too much force as this could make things worse.
2. Dead car battery.
The car battery dies due to a number of things. There is the possibility of a car battery dying due to parasitic drain among others. A car’s battery is very important for the ignition process. It provides the needed amount of charge for the ignition of air and fuel mixture.
A dead car battery is usually the first suspect when the car doesn’t start. This is because of the important role the car battery plays in the ignition process. The car battery connects to the spark plug which initiates the combustion process.
You can know if a dead battery is causing the problem when you turn the key and all you get is a clicking sound. A dead car battery can be jump started. But that depends on the cause of the battery’s drain. If the battery drain is because of a faulty charging system, then jump starting it will help but not for long. Additionally, if the battery is dead due to expiry period then it will need jumpstarting every time you want to start the car.
3. Faulty electric system.
The car’s electric system is very complex made up with different types of connections. It consists of the following areas.
- The fuse box.
- Secondly, the electric wiring.
- Thirdly, the car battery.
- Lastly is the alternator belt.
If one side’s connection is not complete to the other side, then there will be an interruption of the current flow. Meaning that the car will not start.
4. Faulty alternator belt.
The alternator belt is responsible for recharging the car battery. Once the engine starts the alternator takes over electricity supply within the vehicle. If the alternator is faulty, the car will use up battery juice during your drive and this will interfere with the process of starting the car.
5. Faulty spark plug.
The spark plug is responsible for the ignition process. A faulty spark plug will lead to misfires. Additionally, a faulty spark plug is one of the reasons why a car shakes when idle. This is because the spark plug is responsible for providing an electric spark that ignites the fuel and air mixture for engine power provision. Consequently a faulty spark plug will provide a weak electric spark that will result to unburnt fuel. Hence causing the engine to start shaking and misfiring.
