Car Engine Won’t Start

You come out in the morning to go to work and there is only one problem. The car engine won’t start! Ah, it is going to be one of those days. Well, maybe not.

The engine of your car is obviously a slightly important part. Without it, there is no moving forward unless you are parked on a hill facing down slope. Still, the engine is an often misunderstood concept. It is a sturdy hunk of metal and will only fail in the rarest of cases. Okay, so why won’t your car engine start then? It usually has to do with some accessory to the engine.

Battery

If you turn the key and nothing happens at all, the most likely problem is the car battery is dead. Perhaps you left the lights on or something. Check to see if the radio or whatever electronic device you prefer works. If they don’t, you need to get a jump start and perhaps a new battery. If they don’t, we move on to the next culprit.

Starter

If second most likely problem is an issue with the starter or ignition assembly. The car engine needs an initial charge to fire up. This occurs when you engine the starter with your key. A coil system if used to create enough of a charge to get the spark plugs to fire and cause the first piston movement in the car. Once this occurs, the engine will run so long as it is getting fuel, air and a continual spark. The initial energy needed to get the spark plugs to spark that first time is considerable. A poorly performing coil can cut efficiency enough that the spark doesn’t fire and the engine doesn’t turn over. In general, it is best to have this looked at and repaired professionally.

Fuel Pump

An engine needs gas, air and a spark to run. If any of the three are missing from the equation, the vehicle simply will not start. Many people mistakenly believe a plugged fuel filter can be a problem. This is only true if you’ve put mud in your gas tank! Instead, the likely fuel issue is the fuel pump. Pumps rarely fail, but they usually stop working completely when they do. This would definitely keep your car engine from starting.

The engine per se is usually not the problem when your car engine won’t start. Instead, the problem usually is found in the electrical system be it the battery, starter or whatever. 

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