What To Do If Your Vehicle Won’t Start

It’s bound to happen at least once in your years behind the wheel: you wake up, move through your morning routine, and head out to the driveway only to realize that your car won’t start. Though it could be just a dead battery, a dead car can also be indicative of a larger issue depending on what you hear and see when you try to start the car. Here’s what to do when your car won’t start based on what the symptom you see and the likely root cause.

When it’s the Battery

The best-case scenario is that your battery is the culprit behind your car troubles. When the battery is at fault, the most common symptoms are:

• No sound, no lights – it could be an issue with the battery connection or the battery could be dead entirely.
• No sound, dashboard lights on – there are several issues that cause this, but a dead battery is one.
• The engine makes a clicking sound – this is most likely due to a weak, almost dead battery.
• A slow, dying crank – if you can get the car to start after a slow, dying crank, get a new batter as soon as possible because it’s on its last leg.

When it’s Something More Serious

If you’ve ruled out a dead or dying battery, you’re looking at a repair and a tow to your trusted auto shop here at Mike Shaw Kia. If you hear experience any of these symptoms, give us a call immediately:

• No sound, dashboard lights on – other than the battery, a myriad of issues including the switch on the side of the transmission going bad, trying to start the car when not in park or neutral, a or faulty parts like the starter motor, ignition switch or cables from the ignition to starter can be the root of the problem
• Normal cranking, but the engine won’t fire – there are three potential sources of this problem; you’re too low on gas, the engine is flooded with too much fuel, or the fuse for the fuel pump or ignition circuit is blown.
• Grinding while cranking – if you hear grinding noises when the engine is trying to crank, it’s most likely that the engine is not engaging the flywheel. You can try cycling the key on/off a few times to get it to catch, then head straight to see us at Mike Shaw Kia.
• Fast cranking with spinning noise – when this happens, you could be looking at a broken timing belt, a broken connection between the upper and lower engine halves, or low/no resistance in the pistons due to open valves.

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Schedule Service at Mike Shaw Kia

If you run into any of these problems, it’s best to schedule service with us at Mike Shaw Kia so that we can diagnose the issue and get started on a repair. If you suspect the root of your dead car is one of the more serious issues, give us a call to set up a time to drop your car off at our Kia service center as soon as possible.