Car not wanting to stay started
I have not driven this car for the last three to four months. The battery had died, so I jumpstarted it. While I was driving, I was unable to accelerated the car seemed like it wanted to stall. I kept it running for about an hour in the hope the battery would recover, but the engine stopped.
Experienced mechanics share their insights in answering this question :
Okay sounds like you have a voltage supply problem. I will add that, in the future, you should try to avoid jumpstarting your car and driving it with a dead battery. This greatly shortens the life of your alternator. An alternator is not a battery charger – what will happen is the dead battery will cause the alternator to full yield, or run at maximum capacity which will cause it to overheat. Always charge your battery fully before operating. So in your case your battery should be fully charged and then attempt to start. Once started, the charging system should be checked and repaired as needed. I would have a mechanic come and inspect your car’s starting issue to see what fixes need to be made.
How to Identify and Fix Common car Problems ?
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If the engine starts but dies immediately, your alternator probably isn`t keeping your battery charged. If a jump starts and keeps your car running, but the car can`t start again off of its own power, a dead battery is probably your answer.
If jump starting gets your engine started and running, but the car will not start again once you turn it off, the battery is probably the problem. In this case, the alternator is doing its job of keeping the battery going once it has been jumped, but the battery can`t hold a charge when the alternator is shut off.
Here are some reasons why your car battery won`t hold a charge after a successful jump start: The car wasn`t driven long enough for the battery to recharge fully. The vehicle charging system has a problem, like a bad alternator or voltage regulator. An electrical system was left on, draining the battery.
Clogged Fuel Filter: A fuel filter that is clogged can make a vehicle very difficult to start. The fuel filter screens out contaminants and can become clogged over time. This will prevent the injectors from getting enough fuel, making the car hard to start.
Faulty Battery
A classic reason why your car starts for a second then dies is battery depletion. The car needs electricity from the battery to start. However, if your car starts then dies immediately, then the fault could be a lack of charging or damaged battery.
When the engine is on, the alternator charges the battery via cables. If the battery can`t hold a charge after being jumpstarted, the problem is most likely due to a faulty alternator.
Why won`t my car start but the battery is good? If your car won`t start but the battery is good, the most common cause is a faulty starter – though it could also be to do with your fuel. You may have insufficient fuel to get the car going.
It might be a battery or alternator problem.
If the source of the clicking is electrical, the starter (a small motor energized by the battery that gets the engine running) doesn`t have enough juice to stay powered. So instead, it rapidly turns on and off and produces a clicking noise!
Like most electronics, a power surge can cause damage to the electronic systems of a modern car. A seemingly well-meaning jumpstart can cause said power surge and impact the effectiveness of onboard computers, safety systems, damage the engine and be the result of expensive repairs.
An effective method to determine whether it`s your battery or alternator that`s gone bad is to connect jumper cables from a running vehicle`s battery to yours. After a few moments, try starting your vehicle. Once it`s started, remove the jumper cables — if your engine stalls, your alternator has probably gone bad.
Some of the things to look for are no-starting and trouble starting, dimming lights and problems with stereo system output. If your car starts but stalls when you`re underway, your battery is probably not being recharged due to a faulty alternator.
Relevant Questions and Answers :
the most relevant questions and answers related to your specific issue
My car will not start Intermittently. I purchased a new battery 2 weeks ago and yesterday the car wouldn’t start. Got a jump and
ANSWER : The issue you are having is probably due to an intermittent fault in the starter motor itself or a deficiency in the starter electrical circuit, for example a large voltage drop due to a poor ground or a high resistance connection. These issues can be readily diagnosed and resolved on a mobile basis if you request a hard starting diagnostic. If you request that diagnostic, the responding certified mechanic will get this resolved for you promptly. Based on Toyota’s Factory Service Manual, the battery should not be disconnected if the vehicle engine is running. The battery acts as a large resistive voltage sink and consequently taking the battery out of the circuit, while the alternator is still running, can create a voltage spike on the car’s electrical system which is not good for voltage sensitive components such as the engine computer. If you have further questions or concerns, do not hesitate to re-contact YourMechanic as we are always here to help you.
My car want start and when it do it shut down and want start until 30 minute or so. Now it want do nothing
ANSWER : When a car turns and won’t start, it is called a "crank no start". When this occurs, the first thing you need to do is see what is missing. All internal combustion motors need spark, fuel, injector pulse and camshaft timing to run. If one of these is missing, you have a crank no start. Diagnose the car and see what is missing.
The GM 3.8l motor has been installed in Buicks, Pontiacs and Chevrolets for decades. Particularly during the 90’s and early 00’s, these motors have used an ignition module with three coils mounted to it. This module is prone to just this type of failure. When it gets too hot, it quits working. When it cools off, it starts again. It can also display intermittent no start conditions. This is a pattern failure on this particular motor. Before I would ever replace the module, I would check for spark and injector pulse. If it just lacks spark, I would check for a crank sensor signal and replace the ignition module.
Before we get too far ahead of ourselves, do a few tests first:
Check fuel pressure. If there is none, check the fuse and the relay.
Check for injector pulse with a noid light. If this is missing, I would suspect a crank sensor. It could be a bad Power Control Module (PCM). (PCM’s are very rare to fail. I have never changed a PCM on one of these cars.)
Check for spark with a spark tester. If it is lacking spark but has injector pulse, suspect the ignition module.
If all these are present, I would take a compression test of all the cylinders. If camshaft timing is off, several of the cylinders will have significantly lower compression. Also, camshaft timing won’t start sometimes then not others; it will either start and run bad or it won’t start at all. It may sound like it is trying to start, but it won’t start.
If all of this sounds to daunting, I recommend booking a car is not starting inspection with YourMechanic
Good luck!
Charging warning light comes on when i turn the key and try to start the car and the car want start but when someone tried to give
ANSWER : Hi there:
If you recently replaced your battery, the issue may be caused by a malfunctioning alternator or other electrical component that comprises the charging system on your Nissan Sentra. The best way to find out which item specifically is faulty, is to have a professional mobile mechanic complete a car is hard to start inspection. This will allow the mechanic to determine the precise source of what’s going on with your Sentra and recommend or complete the right repairs.
Map sensor car won’t start up good ?
ANSWER : Your MAP sensor is an important input for your computer. It helps determine the load on the engine to calculate the correct amount of fuel to inject. It sometimes takes a few seconds for the vehicle to realize that the sensor is not producing a good signal.
At that point, it will use other methods to determine the fuel rate, such as pre-programmed fuel maps, throttle position, etc. I would suggest replacing the MAP sensor and retesting. If you would like to have it checked first, a certified technician from YourMechanic will be able to scan your vehicle and test components to determine the root cause of your starting issue before making a repair.
car hesitates when trying to start the car ,but when started then i shut car off and start again it will start right up
ANSWER : Hi there:
Sometimes when you have problems starting an engine initially it is caused by a restriction in fuel flow; caused either by clogged fuel injectors or the throttle body that needs to be cleaned. Once the fuel starts to flow and engine warms up, it’s much easier to start. However, it could also be an air filter, EGR valve or other components that causes this issue as well, which is why it’s best to have a professional mobile mechanic complete a car is hard to start inspection so they can pinpoint the source of this issue.
Car intermittently won’t start
ANSWER : Hi there. An intermittent no start condition, can be difficult to diagnose. Replacing the fuel filter would not hurt anything, especially if it hasn’t been replaced in the last 30,000 miles. Diagnostic procedures should be performed, at the time of no start, to confirm whether there is a loss of fuel, of spark or both.
Assuming the Check Engine Light is not coming on, leads me to believe the ECM (engine control module)/computer is not recognizing the fault. There are many possibilities for a no start condition: a faulty ignition switch, fuel pump relay, fuel pump, ignition coil, ignition module, crankshaft position sensor, camshaft position sensor.
Replacing components without diagnoses can be expensive and time consuming without resolution. I recommend having your vehicle’s intermittent no start diagnosed and repaired by a certified technician, such as one from YourMechanic, so that this can be repaired correctly.
My car stutter starts, but only after driving it for a few minutes.
ANSWER : Hey there. This may also be caused by what is called the fuel pressure regulator. This is a unit that helps to maintain the fuel pressure at the proper level. When this is not working properly, the fuel pump may be pumping properly, but the fuel may not arrive at the fuel injectors at the proper psi. When this happens, this can cause a lean fuel condition which may cause the car to hesitate, misfire, or stall. If you would like to have an expert pinpoint the issue, a certified professional from YourMechanic can come to your car’s location to inspect the hard start problem and confirm which repairs are needed.
Push start will not start on a 2012 Dodge Journey after hooking up subwoofers and amp car did start after hookup but never started
ANSWER : Hi there. Unfortunately, we’re unable to offer technical assistance when aftermarket components or electrical upgrades are installed, as there are simply too many different things that could be causing your ignition problem. I would recommend contacting a local audio visual installation company or local automotive shop that completes electrical repairs to get some ideas, or purchase a service and repair manual for your Dodge to review the relay schematic to determine which ones you need to check and replace. This video might help you learn how to check for damaged relays – so you might want to watch it.
