Everyone suffers from starting problems with the car. This is usually due to an empty battery, but other causes are also possible. What are these causes and what can you do if your car doesn’t start? In this article we will tell you more about this.
An empty battery is the most common cause of starting problems with a car. Fortunately, this is often the easiest to solve. If you don't want to start your car, turn off all the electricity first. Think of your lights, heating and radio. After that, you can try to start again, while making a pumping motion with your foot. Can you start the car? Then stay with your foot on the accelerator, because otherwise the engine could still fall silent. Make sure that you do not suddenly give a lot of gas.
Starting the engine will cost your battery a lot of energy. If you have just got the car to work, it is therefore best to drive a few kilometers immediately by car. While driving, the battery recharges itself and if you have walked a few dozen kilometers, the battery is fully charged again in most cases. This way you can prevent your car from starting next time.
If you can’t start the engine this way, you can also try putting a cloth with a little ether on the supply tube to the engine (under the hood). Then you try to restart the car. The ether will evaporate due to the heat and the engine can therefore more easily catch on. If you have managed to start the engine, remove the cloth again and then you can start driving.
It may be that your battery is really completely empty and you do not get the car to work with the above tips. In that case, you can also start the car with the help of starter cables. For this you have to call in the help of another driver and of course you need starter cables. If you want to start the car with starter cables, you and the other drivers have to put your car with their noses to each other.
Then you make sure that the engine is off both cars and that they are both on the handbrake. The hood of both cars should also be opened. Now you clamp the ends of the red starter cable to the plus poles of both batteries (where you see the plus). You first start with the car of the other driver who still has a full battery. Then you clamp the ends of the black starter cable to the minus poles of both batteries and you also start with the car with the full battery.
The starter cables are now well fitted and the other driver now serves his or her car. This engine should run for about five minutes, so that the battery of your car becomes fuller. After that you can start your car and if it is good the engine has to run now. Now you first have to turn on the lighting and heating of both cars to prevent power surges during the removal of the starter cables. Make sure your car's engine is running for about five minutes before you unplug the jumper cables.
At Site4Cars you can easily look up parts for your car using your license plate. These can be technical parts such as brakes, clutch and filters, but also accessories such as roof boxes, bicycle racks, car shampoo or styling products. You can of course assemble these parts yourself if you are handy, but you are not, you can if you want to use the professional assembly network of Site4Cars that consists of professional garage companies near you. These assembly partners are able to assemble the parts you have purchased. The price for this assembly is shown in advance and if you like this you can immediately make the appointment. Site4Cars helps the smart driver find cheaper car maintenance.
Removing the starter cables is done in reverse. So you first remove the black cable from your own car and then from the other driver's car. Then you remove one end of the red starter cable from your car and then from the car with the full battery. Now you let your engine run idle and after that it is best to drive at least a few tens of kilometers to charge your battery to a reasonable level.
Often cold weather causes your battery to drain. If you know it’s going to be a cold night and your battery is not very good, it’s best to connect a battery charger to your car the night before you have to leave. This allows the battery to be charged throughout the night and you can start it immediately in the morning. It can also help to put your car inside if you have a garage. The temperature in the garage is often a few degrees higher than the temperature outside. If both options are not possible for you, you can also put some cardboard and a blanket over your hood.
If you suffer from an empty battery more often (and not only in cold weather), your battery may run out. Often you can only spend a year or two with a battery. You can have your battery measured at the garage and buy a new battery if necessary. However, it may also be that you leave certain electrical applications in the car on, while you are not using the car. It can be something very small that you did not notice quickly, such as the radio that is still soft or a light in the trunk. Therefore, make sure that the battery’s electricity is not consumed in this way.
It may be that the engine is spinning, but that the car does not start. This is not due to an empty battery, but to a problem with the ignition or the fuel. When we talk about a problem with the ignition, we can think, for example, of worn spark plugs, spark plug cables or damage to the coil cable, the coil or the ignition module. If there is a problem with the spark plug cable or the coil, the car will not want to start before in humid weather. It can then help to spray the spark plug cables, the wiring and the distribution cap with a moisture-dressing spray.
If the car does not start due to a shortage of fuel, this may have been caused by clogged filters, contaminated injectors, a non-functioning fuel pump or faulty sensors. However, after a cold night, the fuel becomes thicker and this can also cause problems. Diesel freezes faster than petrol and you will probably suffer from this sooner if you have a diesel car. It may then be a good idea to throw a little bit of gasoline in your tank, so that the fuel is less likely to freeze.
Car does not start due to empty battery
An empty battery is the most common cause of starting problems with a car. Fortunately, this is often the easiest to solve. If you don't want to start your car, turn off all the electricity first. Think of your lights, heating and radio. After that, you can try to start again, while making a pumping motion with your foot. Can you start the car? Then stay with your foot on the accelerator, because otherwise the engine could still fall silent. Make sure that you do not suddenly give a lot of gas.
Starting the engine will cost your battery a lot of energy. If you have just got the car to work, it is therefore best to drive a few kilometers immediately by car. While driving, the battery recharges itself and if you have walked a few dozen kilometers, the battery is fully charged again in most cases. This way you can prevent your car from starting next time.
If you can’t start the engine this way, you can also try putting a cloth with a little ether on the supply tube to the engine (under the hood). Then you try to restart the car. The ether will evaporate due to the heat and the engine can therefore more easily catch on. If you have managed to start the engine, remove the cloth again and then you can start driving.
Start with starter cables
It may be that your battery is really completely empty and you do not get the car to work with the above tips. In that case, you can also start the car with the help of starter cables. For this you have to call in the help of another driver and of course you need starter cables. If you want to start the car with starter cables, you and the other drivers have to put your car with their noses to each other.
Then you make sure that the engine is off both cars and that they are both on the handbrake. The hood of both cars should also be opened. Now you clamp the ends of the red starter cable to the plus poles of both batteries (where you see the plus). You first start with the car of the other driver who still has a full battery. Then you clamp the ends of the black starter cable to the minus poles of both batteries and you also start with the car with the full battery.
The starter cables are now well fitted and the other driver now serves his or her car. This engine should run for about five minutes, so that the battery of your car becomes fuller. After that you can start your car and if it is good the engine has to run now. Now you first have to turn on the lighting and heating of both cars to prevent power surges during the removal of the starter cables. Make sure your car's engine is running for about five minutes before you unplug the jumper cables.
At Site4Cars you can easily look up parts for your car using your license plate. These can be technical parts such as brakes, clutch and filters, but also accessories such as roof boxes, bicycle racks, car shampoo or styling products. You can of course assemble these parts yourself if you are handy, but you are not, you can if you want to use the professional assembly network of Site4Cars that consists of professional garage companies near you. These assembly partners are able to assemble the parts you have purchased. The price for this assembly is shown in advance and if you like this you can immediately make the appointment. Site4Cars helps the smart driver find cheaper car maintenance.
Removing the starter cables is done in reverse. So you first remove the black cable from your own car and then from the other driver's car. Then you remove one end of the red starter cable from your car and then from the car with the full battery. Now you let your engine run idle and after that it is best to drive at least a few tens of kilometers to charge your battery to a reasonable level.
How can you prevent an empty battery?
Often cold weather causes your battery to drain. If you know it’s going to be a cold night and your battery is not very good, it’s best to connect a battery charger to your car the night before you have to leave. This allows the battery to be charged throughout the night and you can start it immediately in the morning. It can also help to put your car inside if you have a garage. The temperature in the garage is often a few degrees higher than the temperature outside. If both options are not possible for you, you can also put some cardboard and a blanket over your hood.
If you suffer from an empty battery more often (and not only in cold weather), your battery may run out. Often you can only spend a year or two with a battery. You can have your battery measured at the garage and buy a new battery if necessary. However, it may also be that you leave certain electrical applications in the car on, while you are not using the car. It can be something very small that you did not notice quickly, such as the radio that is still soft or a light in the trunk. Therefore, make sure that the battery’s electricity is not consumed in this way.
Engine does spin around, but the car doesn't start
It may be that the engine is spinning, but that the car does not start. This is not due to an empty battery, but to a problem with the ignition or the fuel. When we talk about a problem with the ignition, we can think, for example, of worn spark plugs, spark plug cables or damage to the coil cable, the coil or the ignition module. If there is a problem with the spark plug cable or the coil, the car will not want to start before in humid weather. It can then help to spray the spark plug cables, the wiring and the distribution cap with a moisture-dressing spray.
If the car does not start due to a shortage of fuel, this may have been caused by clogged filters, contaminated injectors, a non-functioning fuel pump or faulty sensors. However, after a cold night, the fuel becomes thicker and this can also cause problems. Diesel freezes faster than petrol and you will probably suffer from this sooner if you have a diesel car. It may then be a good idea to throw a little bit of gasoline in your tank, so that the fuel is less likely to freeze.