Why Your Car Will Not Start: What To Check First

Complete silence or just clicks

If you turn the key and get nothing at all, or a single click, the battery or its connections are the usual suspects. Dim dashboard lights and a weak horn point the same way.

Check the battery terminals are clean and tight first. If they are fine, a flat battery or a faulty starter motor is the likely cause.

The engine turns over but will not fire

If the engine turns over normally but does not start, it is missing one of three things: fuel, spark or air.

Common causes include a failing fuel pump, a faulty crank sensor or an ignition fault. Fuel problems are common on older cars that have sat for a while.

What to do next

Keep the cranking short. Long spells of turning the engine over can flatten the battery and overheat the starter.

• Note whether the engine tried to start, and any warning lights on the dashboard.
• Tell us if the car has been standing for a long time or has been refuelled recently.

Call us on 01922 682200 or bring it in to our Pelsall garage. We will find the fault and give you a quote before any work begins.