ALT-2 No Start Diagnosis and Troubleshooting
If your car won’t start, then you should follow a definite plan of action to diagnose the problem. This organised approach can be much more successful than wandering from one component to another, trying to guess what’s wrong.
First of all, what happens when you turn the key. Do the lights on the dash come on, that is, the little battery symbol etc. If not, then your battery is dead. You may have left the lights or the radio on and flattened the battery.
If you jump-start the car and it starts ok, then just check to see if when the car is running that the battery light go off. If it does, the alternator is charging the system. If you can see the dash lights, but when you turn the key all you get is the starter turning over slowly, again it could be your charging system.
A rough test whether your battery is holding a charge, is to leave the battery on charge. Once fully charged, you should then put your car lights on, and wait. After ten minutes, if the battery is dud, the lights will start to dim. To check your alternator, you should start your engine and again, put the car lights on. If you rev the engine, the lights should brighten slightly. This shows that the charging system is doing its job.
The starter can sometimes stick, or the wire to it can loosen off a bit. If that happens you will see a full set of dash lights, but trying to start the motor will only produce a click from the starter solenoid. The starter may also have jammed, so try rocking the car while in gear. It may be enough to free the starter.
A fully charged battery, and the engine turning but not starting can be either the spark plugs are faulty, the distributor is not doing its job, or a faulty coil. Remove a spark plug and attach it to a high-tension lead. Rest it on the engine block and turn the engine. If there is a good spark then it is probably the fuel, check first that you have fuel in your petrol tank.
Remove the fuel hose from the carburettor and place the end in a container. Turn the engine over on the key, and check for fuel. A good flow of fuel should come out of the hose. If it does, your fuel injectors or carburettor may be blocked. If there is no fuel, then check if the fuel filter is blocked. If the fuel pump is working ok, you should see the fuel flowing into the filter. If there is no fuel, then the pump has stopped working and should be replaced.
As long as you follow a direct line of enquiry when diagnosing and troubleshooting starting problems, you will eventually find the faulty component. Once you do, you will soon be back on the road again.
