Even if you do not have any mechanic’s tools on hand, it is possible to address a car that won’t start without having to call the tow truck. Try out these techniques to get your car running again, or you can head over to our skilled team at Victoria Transmission & Auto Care.
When you don’t hear a click when you turn your key…
The problem here may be that the electrical contact of the neutral safety switch has to be reestablished. Put your foot on the brake, move your shift lever to neutral, and try to turn on the engine. If this does not work, next try to shift back to park and turn the key again.
When the starter just makes a ‘click’…
If your car won’t do anything besides make that click when you first turn the key, you could have dirty or corroded battery terminals, a weak battery, a solenoid that is stuck, or a worn-out starter motor. The first thing you should do is check whether your dome light stays on as you turn the key to try to start the engine. If the light does not stay on, your battery is likely almost dead.
If this is the case, next try turning your key to ‘start’ ten times in a row. Take a five minute break, then try to start the engine again.
What if the dome light did stay on? You may have corroded battery terminals, which can’t be fixed without the right tools. However, you can try hitting the battery terminal with the heel of a shoe to move it towards the battery post, possibly improving the electrical contact.
When the engine starts but won’t follow through…
One issue here may be that the fuel pump relay isn’t working properly. To test this, turn your key to ‘run’ and listen for a buzz that lasts two seconds. If you do hear it, the fuel pump relay isn’t the problem. If you don’t hear it, get out your owner’s manual and figure out where the fuel pump relay is. Next, find another relay that has the same part number, which you can use as a replacement.
Get under the hood and take the fuel pump relay straight out of the fuel pump, replacing it with the other relay. You can now try running the motor again. If the first attempt doesn’t work, use your shoe to hit the fuel tank a few times, which should help to get the fuel pump motor running.
The smell of gas could be present in this situation, too. This is a sign that your engine is flooded. To get the car running until you can get it to a mechanic, hold the accelerator pedal to the floor while trying to start the engine.
