Are you stranded in the middle of nowhere, and your car won’t start? Woke up late for work only to find your car engine not working? Then, we’re here to save the day.

Below, you will find all the tips and tricks for how to start your seemingly broken-down vehicle without a lot of tools. 

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Your car ignition is an electrical cycle that has to be closed; it begins with the battery ignition delivering a high voltage of electricity to the engine. 

After that, the engine gets activated by firing a spark which then leads to the rotation of the alternator, therefore charging the battery; by now, the cycle is closed, and the car starts.

Most of the time, you can probably conclude that if your car doesn’t start, it’s either because of a faulty battery or a faulty alternator causing the cycle to stay open.

Reasons a Car Won’t Start

We know it’s sudden most of the time when your car doesn’t start. That’s why we tried to handpick the methods that will need the least equipment.

A common solution that is always worth a try is pushing the car while it is in neutral mode and starting the ignition simultaneously; it works well when the road has an angle, like if you are on a hill:

Start to manually push the car until it reaches a speed of 5 miles per hour, and then try to start the engine. 

Note: If the car is a manual drive (stick-shift) you would need to step on the clutch at the same time as you try to start the engine. 

All you need to do here is connect a charger (using the iconic red and black “jumper” pincers) to both your AC and car batteries. Unfortunately, this fix takes some time, so you’ll have to wait for up to 4 hours and 30 minutes before your battery is charged enough for the engine to start.

As we said before, sometimes the issue is with the battery being weak or completely dead. You can find out if this is the case by checking the car lights; if you see no lights coming on in the car (either the dashboard or the headlights), you almost certainly have a dead or weak battery. 

Turn your car keys as if you were starting your car and then back to start position again around ten times in a row, then wait around five minutes. After that, check if the engine starts; if the lights are brightly shining, then the battery isn’t faulty. 

It’s a common incident for the ignition key connections to stick. If that’s the case, you can try to smack the ignition key with any solid metal available, like the iron part in your car jack in order to loosen them.

One of those tricks should get your car started. Now, let’s talk about how to locate the problem to get it fixed later. 

Quick Fixes to Start a Car

The first thing to pay attention to is your car’s dashboard or headlights when you turn the keys; if you see no lights, then it’s most likely a problem with the battery. On the other hand, if they’re dim, then it could mean your battery is just a bit weak.

Another sign that your battery isn’t working is if you can’t work your radio, air-conditioner, or heater. Those will never work if the battery is dead. Of course, this also won’t mean that the battery is fully functional, but it will mean that the battery isn’t entirely the reason.

Lead-acid car batteries produce gasses that contain sulfur which has a very distinctive smell - quite like rotten eggs; you can’t miss it. If you smell sulfur, your battery is probably leaking, and you should then replace it.

How to Spot an Issue With the Battery

When trying to start your car, you should pay close attention to any sounds. For example, if you hear any clicks coming from the motor after turning your car key, then it’s likely the alternator that needs your attention.

If you smell something burning, it could also mean that your alternator is faulty. This is due to alternators operating very close to the constantly hot engine. If an alternator is overworked, it will create resistance with the wires, leading to overheating since it’s conducting a lot of electricity in the process of starting a car.

How to Spot an Issue With the Alternator

Is it possible to drive my car with a bad alternator?

It depends on how charged your battery is; once the battery is completely dead, your alternator will fail, and the car will stop.

There’s basically no warning before your alternator will stop working. However, the longer you drive without checking your alternator increases the risk of alternator failure.

Many things can lead to a faulty alternator. However, most often, things like overheating, constant charging, or bad wires.

What can cause a battery to stop working or die?

The car has many accessories being used together.

The battery hasn’t been installed the right way.

The cables attached to the battery aren’t cleaned frequently.

Is it possible to replace a car battery or an alternator myself?

You can replace a battery easily without the need of a mechanic; you will just need to know about the necessary tools and equipment as well as the steps for replacing a car battery or car alternator yourself. 

FAQs

You have now got an idea about what easy and quick fixes you can do when your car won’t start; we hope one of these tricks above saves you if you ever run out of luck.

You also should be able to spot the root problem that’s causing the situation so make sure to have it fixed once a mechanic is in reach, and don’t sleep on it.

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Car Won’t Start? Tips To Get It Started

Reasons a Car Won’t Start

Quick Fixes to Start a Car

How to Spot an Issue With the Battery

How to Spot an Issue With the Alternator

FAQs

Conclusion