Diagnosing why the engine won’t
start falls into two areas, depending
on what you hear when you turn the
key to START (III):
You hear nothing, or almost
nothing. The engine’s starter
motor does not operate at all, or
operates very slowly.
You can hear the starter motor
operating normally, or the starter
motor sounds like it is spinning
faster than normal, but the engine
does not start up and run.
When you turn the ignition switch to
START (III), you do not hear the
normal noise of the engine trying to
start. You may hear a clicking sound
or series of clicks, or nothing at all.
Turn the ignition switch to ON (II).
Turn on the headlights, and check
their brightness. If the headlights
are very dim or don’t light at all,
the battery is discharged. See
on page
.
Turn the ignition switch to START
(III). If the headlights do not dim,
check the condition of the fuses. If
the fuses are OK, there is
probably something wrong with
the electrical circuit for the
ignition switch or starter motor.
You will need a qualified
technician to determine the
problem (see
on page
).
Check these things:
If the headlights dim noticeably or
go out when you try to start the
engine, either the battery is dis-
charged or the connections are
corroded. Check the condition of
the battery and terminal connec-
tions (see page
). You can
then try jump starting the vehicle
from a booster battery (see page
).
Check the transmission interlock.
If you have a manual transmission,
the clutch pedal must be pushed
all the way to the floor or the
starter will not operate. With an
automatic transmission, the shift
lever must be in Park or Neutral.
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226
238
249
If the Engine Won’t Start
Taking Care of the Unexpected
Nothing Happens or the Starter
Motor Operates Very Slowly
Jump Starting
Emergency Towing
236
