When you’re in a hurry to get somewhere, the last thing you’re expecting is to put the key in the ignition and receive no response at all. When this happens, you might assume that the car is dead—but don’t worry! There’s plenty of reasons why your car won’t start, and some of them are pretty simple.
The team here at Andy Mohr Collision Center put together this article to give Plainfield, Indianapolis, Fishers, and Bloomington area drivers the top reasons why a car wouldn’t start.
1. Your battery is dead.
If you turn the key in the ignition and all your car does is make a clicking sound, there’s a good chance that the battery is dead.
There’s plenty of ways to drain the battery without permanently killing it. Maybe you just left the lights on for an extended period of time? Or perhaps you’ve been draining it by playing with the electronics while parked?
To solve this problem, you can either charge the battery yourself or have it replaced with a new one.
2. The alternator malfunctioned.
To piggyback off our first reason, the alternator may be the reason why your battery is dead (and why your car won’t start). The alternator is the part that charges the car’s battery while the engine is running. If it can’t feed power back into the battery, it’s going to die out quickly.
If you notice that the headlights have dimmed, your dashboard lights are going, or that the car is growling a bit, the alternator is on the fritz.
3. The ignition switch is in trouble.
The ignition switch is the component in your car that sparks the starter and burns fuel. For a simple part, it’s absolutely vital. You’ll know if it’s going bad because it will be especially hard to turn the key. The dashboard lights might also flicker when you attempt to start the car.
4. The starter went out.
The starter is a self-explanatory car part. When the starter is dead, there’s no way you’re going to be able to get the car running.
A faulty starter offers up one very obvious (and very loud) sign. If you try to turn the car on, the starter will emit a high-pitched screeching sound.
5. The fuel system is blocked.
The fuel system is a fairly complicated component in its own right, comprised of a number of hoses, a pump, and filter. If the fuel filter was filled with too much particulate, the pump failed, or a line was leaking, it’s likely that your car wouldn’t be able to start at all.
Do You Need to Schedule Service?
Well, now that you know some of the reasons why a car wouldn’t start, it may be time to schedule service (either to prevent this problem or to fix it).
Andy Mohr Collision Center is happy to serve the areas of Plainfield, Indianapolis, Fishers, and Bloomington. Contact our team to schedule your next service appointment today!
