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Why Your Car Not Starting? Here are some interesting reasons to consider regarding your car not starting.
There could be multiple issues causing your car not starting. Let’s guide you through the basics so you can eliminate the obvious factors yourself and understand why your car may not be starting.
Understanding the reasons why your car not starting can save you time and money. Let’s guide you through the basics so you can eliminate the obvious factors yourself and understand better why your car may not be starting.
Inorder for a Petrol or gasoline vehicle to start, it requires the following
1 – Spark:
This comes from the ignition coil through to the leads or Coil tubes and is delivered to the spark plug gap. the voltage is then forced to jump the electrode gap and delivered into the combustion chamber
3- Air: If your car is not starting, ensure that there is enough air for combustion.
2- Fuel
Fuel is delivered from the fuel tank to the injector rail via the fuel pump. The pressure in the rail is controlled & regulated by the fuel pump & Regulators
3- Air
Air is required for combustion. The air is mixed with the fuel from the injectors and delivered to the combustion chamber
4- Compression
This is created by the pistons & rings inside the engine black. The correct AFR [Air fuel ratio] is compressed and ignited to create an explosion inside the cylinder bore
5- Starter Motor
This is used to crank or turn over the engine from rest and gets the engine RPM up inorder for the combustion process to start
So now that we know the main systems involved in the starting of a gasoline or petrol engine, let’s look at some easy ways to identify issues if your car not starting.
- Starter motor not turning over, Just clicks [This is due to either a defective starter or low battery voltage]
- Low Battery Voltage, Insufficient power to turn or crank the starter motor [Test battery on vehicle]
- Defective spark plugs [Worn or old spark plugs can cause hard start problems]
- Defective ignition coil or signal triggereing the coil [Distributor, Crankshaft position sensor, Wiring or Timing]
- Low fuel pressure [Either a defective fuel pump, clogged filters, kinked fuel lines, leaking sender units]
- Clogged of blocked injectors [Dirt from the fuel system can clog injector and reduce flow rate to engine]
- Incorrect valve timing [Common issues are timings related faults which will offset the combust process]
- Defective RPM or crankshaft or camshaft position sensor [CRP or CMP sensors act as triggers for ignition system]
- Air Leaks [Unmetered air enerting the intake system can cause difficulty starting a vehicle]
- low compression [This is caused by worn piston rings that will low the internal compression ratio of the engine]
- Cylinder leakage [If the cylinder head gasket is blown, The compression can leak out of the cylinder bores and prevent the vehicle from Starting]
- Oil inside combustion chamber [Worn valve stem seals or leaking piston oil rings can cause oil to enter the combustion cylinder]
- Poor fuel quality or contaminated petrol [If the fuel is contaminated with either water or diesel, A vehicle could not start]
- No ECU signal for starting the engine [ECU is defective or damaged on the vehicle]
- Immobilizer active [The immobilizer is a anti-theft system which will prevent the engine from starting if the orignal kep cannot be identified]
- Blocked exhaust or catalytic converters [Without sufficient back pressure the engine cannot breath correctly and expell exhaust gases out of the combustion chamber]
- Defective wiring or power supply cables [Often earth cables or power cables could be oxidized and restricting current flow]
- There ar many other minor components to mention but the above the most important for now
Now that we know the common issues. lets look at some of the test that can be done on vehicle for the above components
1 – Vehicle diagnostic scan [this will tell us if the is any electronic issues in the ECU’s that might be causing the issues]
2 – Fuel pressure test [Fuel pressure test will guide us if the fuel pump is operational and the condition of it]
3 – Cylinder leakage test & Compression test
4 – Smoke test on intake and exhaust systems [To check for leaks and blockages]
5 – Battery test & alternator test
6 – Autotronic testing using an ossiloscope
So these are the top 6 test we advise for identifying your vehicles starting issues. Should you require more information kindly contact us on 0315691417 or email us on info@dnaautocentre.co.za
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Taking the time to address these common problems could help you prevent your car not starting in the future.
If your car not starting persists, you may want to consult a professional mechanic for further assistance.
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Understanding these aspects will better equip you to deal with situations when your car not starting becomes an issue.
It is important to diagnose these issues to ensure that your car not starting does not lead to more severe problems.
Remember, each of these issues could be the reason why your car not starting, so take each into consideration when troubleshooting.
Now that you are aware of the common issues that can lead to your car not starting, let’s look at some of the tests that can be done to identify the problem.
Performing a vehicle diagnostic scan can be essential in determining why your car not starting is occurring.
Conducting a fuel pressure test will help in identifying whether the fuel system is contributing to your car not starting.
Be sure to check for cylinder leakage, as this could be another reason why your car not starting happens.
Lastly, consider running a smoke test to further diagnose why your car not starting is an ongoing issue.