No start
My girlfriend has an alero with the 6 cylinder she got out of school it started right up she went to her moms went in for 10 minutes and came back out and had to crank it and stop about 5 times she said then it finally started up
My car has an automatic transmission.
My car has an automatic transmission.
Experienced mechanics share their insights in answering this question :
There are many causes of hard starting but illustrative ones are a faulty engine coolant temperature switch (sensor), EGR system problems, large vacuum leaks, a faulty idle air control valve, worn spark plugs, inadequate fuel delivery or pressure (clogged fuel filter), and contaminated or old gasoline. To resolve the issue that you are writing in about, please request a hard start diagnostic and the responding certified mechanic will get this resolved for you. If you have further questions or concerns, do not hesitate to re-contact YourMechanic as we are always here to help you.
How to Identify and Fix Common car Problems ?
Our sources include academic articles, blog posts, and personal essays from experienced mechanics :
The most common reasons an Oldsmobile Alero won`t start are a dead battery, an alternator problem, or failed starter. Search our network of RepairPal Certified shops near you to speak with a technician about your issue.
The most common reasons an Oldsmobile Intrigue won`t start are a dead battery, an alternator problem, or failed starter.
Bad Sensors
One common culprit for this problem is the crankshaft position sensor, which measures the position and speed of the crankshaft. The computer uses the information from this sensor to know when to fire the spark plugs. If the sensor isn`t working, the spark plugs won`t fire, keeping the engine from starting.
A car`s ECU, or engine control unit, should actually never have to be reset. It may, however, help with such issues as a stubborn check engine light or restoring your car to factory settings.
If your vehicle won`t start, it`s usually caused by a dying or dead battery, loose or corroded connection cables, a bad alternator or an issue with the starter. It can be hard to determine if you`re dealing with a battery or an alternator problem.
Some other typical reasons engines fail to start include:
Low or discharged battery. Corroded or loose battery cables. Starter motor relay failure. Ignition switch failure.
Crank Sensor Problems Could Make it Hard to Start Car
One sign that your crankshaft sensor might be failing is if you find it hard to start your vehicle. The sensor keeps track of the speed and location of the crankshaft. If it`s failing, your vehicle might be difficult to start up.
Why your car struggles to start but runs fine. There are a number of reasons why your car might be slow to start but runs as-normal once it gets going. Causes can vary from weather conditions to battery health, wiring issues, starter motor concerns and fuel-pump health.
The O2 sensor will not cause the no start. The no start can be caused by the fuel pump or the ignition system. You should check the engine for spark and fuel pressure, when it is not turning on to help narrow the problem down.
Lack of Spark
Contaminated or fouled spark plugs are unable to ignite the fuel, which could be causing your no-start condition. Like the spark plugs, the ignition wires also need to be periodically replaced.
Timing. Incorrect timing is the most overlooked and misdiagnosed cause of a no-start.
Disconnecting your battery and draining the power to cause an ECU reset is one of the most common fixes for a check engine light that won`t go away on its own. Doing so is equivalent to a hard reboot on a desktop computer, which is a standard way to eliminate many common problems.
The main symptoms of a faulty ECU
Well-known examples are: engine failure light (MIL light) that lights up on the instrument cluster, car that goes into emergency mode, the car shakes or when the engine no longer runs on all cylinders. It can all indicate a malfunction of the engine control unit.
The Primary purpose of OBD Scanner is to provide data on Performance checks on the car – using data from engine and transmission and finding in faults. However – resetting ECU is not something which OBD Scanners are capable of.
ECU re-programming is not required because most repairs are done on the hardware parts and not on the software programming. Therefore, the programming of the ECU will never be altered.
While a modern car may be drivable with a faulty or defective ECU, it will be impossible to drive one without an ECU at all. For instance, as a car`s ECU will control the car`s electronic fuel injection system, the engine won`t be able to run if it`s missing this component.
A failing fuel pump is a common factor in hard starting vehicles. Over time, a pump can wear out and not deliver the correct amount of fuel that an engine needs to run as it should. Clogged or dirty fuel filters, injectors, and lines can also restrict fuel delivery.
Recommended Services. If the throttle body was causing a hard start, then the engine would run with a loss of power all the time.
Strange as it might seem, there`s a direct relationship between hard starting and filthy oil. Engines need good compression to start easily. Even slight piston ring sticking will result in cylinder compression loss, and this is readily caused by dirty oil.
A Bad Crankshaft Position Sensor
The crankshaft position sensor monitors the position and rotational speeds of the crankshaft. Without the crank sensor, the engine control module (ECM) wouldn`t know when to fire the fuel injectors and ignite the spark plugs.
Crank sensors can fail due to excessive heat, faulty wiring harnesses, and sensor movement.
If the car cranks when you turn the key, but the engine won`t start, it could be because fuel isn`t getting to the engine. One potential reason for this could be dirty fuel injectors. Over time, the fuel injector nozzles can become clogged with rust, corrosion or debris.
Fortunately (spoiler alert) the root cause of a no-crank is almost always simple. Most of the time it`s simply due to a low or dead battery, or voltage drop through a corroded connection. Rule those out before you suspect the starter itself.
Relevant Questions and Answers :
the most relevant questions and answers related to your specific issue
Fuel pump engages. Batery good, alternator good volts, jump start helps when wont start. Temp does not matter. Intermittent?
ANSWER : Hello. Thank you for writing in. There are several reasons your vehicle may only start when jump starting. The first and most common is a build up of resistance that is causing you to need a boost of voltage to get the engine started. This may be due to poor battery cables, a bad ground connection, a poor starter solenoid, and a couple of other issues. The first thing you want to do is perform a visual inspection of the starting system. Make sure there is no corrosion build up in the battery cables. You can also check the resistance across these wires and make sure you have a solid connection between components. You then want to make sure the starter solenoid is doing its job. It is responsible for taking the small amount of electricity sent by the ignition and turning it into a huge electrical charge that is strong enough to push over the engine with the help of some gear ratios in its favor. Do some more testing, and stick to the basics before assuming its something seriously complicated.
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Vehicle won’t start, once it’s jump started it only stays running until you turn it off, then it work start again without jumping.
ANSWER : Hi there. There could be two problems here. It is possible that your battery is bad and will not take a charge from your alternator while driving. In that case every time you shut your car off you will not have enough juice to start it again. Inspect your battery – it should have at least 12.5 to 13 volts to start your car, if it doesn’t you will need to replace the battery. The second problem could be that your alternator is bad and not charging your battery, in this case you will need to replace your alternator. Both the battery and the alternator can be tested in your car. If you would like to have the car checked for you, a certified professional from YourMechanic can come to your car’s location to diagnose the starting problem and proceed with repairs.
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Cranks over start than dies
ANSWER : Hi There,
The idle air control valve is a small valve on the engine’s intake system that reads the air intake as it comes into the motor. This is controlled by the car’s ECM which uses this information to make adjustments to the air/fuel ratio depending on various inputs such as outside air temperature, intake air temperature, load and various other things. As you accelerate, your car’s engine is receiving a much higher dose of fuel than when at idle and conversely, when you let off the gas pedal, there is a sudden change in this fuel supply as a result of your foot letting off the pedal. When this happens, the job of the idle air control valve is to bring this deceleration down to a slow and smooth idle rather than suddenly cutting off the fuel supply causing the motor to die. When the idle air control valve is not working properly, this cause a disruption in this process resulting in the engine not being able to idle properly. I would recommend having a professional come to your location to diagnose and inspect your vehicle.
The idle air control valve is a small valve on the engine’s intake system that reads the air intake as it comes into the motor. This is controlled by the car’s ECM which uses this information to make adjustments to the air/fuel ratio depending on various inputs such as outside air temperature, intake air temperature, load and various other things. As you accelerate, your car’s engine is receiving a much higher dose of fuel than when at idle and conversely, when you let off the gas pedal, there is a sudden change in this fuel supply as a result of your foot letting off the pedal. When this happens, the job of the idle air control valve is to bring this deceleration down to a slow and smooth idle rather than suddenly cutting off the fuel supply causing the motor to die. When the idle air control valve is not working properly, this cause a disruption in this process resulting in the engine not being able to idle properly. I would recommend having a professional come to your location to diagnose and inspect your vehicle.
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Why does my car struggle to start every 4th to 5th time?
ANSWER : It sounds like your starting issues may be linked to a problem with air metering or fuel delivery. A clogged or malfunctioning idle air control valve may show some of the same symptoms you are describing. The idle air control valve can be stuck in a cold start position which may work well if the car has been sitting a few hours, but as the engine warms up there must be a regulation in airflow. Consider hiring an experienced technician like one from YourMechanic who can come out for a closer look at your hard start situation and offer a more personal diagnosis.
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Car was sometimes not starting, not even cranking when i turned the key then after a few times itd start. Now it ont start at all
ANSWER : Hi there:
Without being there to inspect your vehicle, or having information about what type of car, truck or SUV you own, it’s very hard for us to give you some advice. You might want to have a professional mobile mechanic complete a car is hard to start inspection; so they can come to your location and determine why your vehicle is having these issues.
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When I start my car it doesn’t start after the jump start it started but later it didn’t and the battery was last replaced on 9/2012
ANSWER : As you may know when jump starting the car, the battery power provided is being supplied form the other car you are using to jump your car with. If the car does not start following the jump, this would suggest your battery may be dead and needs to be replaced. If the battery was last replaced in 9/2012, it is most likely time for a new battery as that is a decent amount of life for a battery.
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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.
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My Blazer will crank over but not start by itself. It needs starting fluid to start.
ANSWER : Hi there. If you have not replaced your EGR valve, mass air flow sensor or the TPS on your Blazer, you might want to start with these repairs. It is also possible that the throttle body itself is damaged, especially if you’re able to start it on fluid. If you want to avoid chasing parts and repairs, the best solution may be to have a professional mobile mechanic come to your location and complete a car is hard to start inspection.
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