Car troubles...any mechanics in the house?

[Zoomschwortz]

Originally Posted by AD720

Fast forward to yesterday. The car was sitting since last Wednesday. I went to start it and it wouldn't start. All the electrical works, radio, lights, alarm. The starter turns without clicking but the engine will not turn over. I called the dealer and they said without looking at it that it could be the alternator.

Okay, so when you turn the ignition switch, you can hear the starter spinning.

What do you mean by "the engine will not turn over"?

Do you mean that if you were standing in front of the car and someone else tried to start the car for you, that you could not see the crank pulley or any of the belts move?

Or, do you mean that the engine won't run?

If you can see the pulleys and belts moving, then you need to do what Stirwood wrote. By the way, if you check for spark, pay attention to the color of the spark. Blue is good, orange isn't so good.

[AD720]

Originally Posted by Zoomschwortz

Okay, so when you turn the ignition switch, you can hear the starter spinning.

What do you mean by "the engine will not turn over"?

Do you mean that if you were standing in front of the car and someone else tried to start the car for you, that you could not see the crank pulley or any of the belts move?

Or, do you mean that the engine won't run?

If you can see the pulleys and belts moving, then you need to do what Stirwood wrote. By the way, if you check for spark, pay attention to the color of the spark. Blue is good, orange isn't so good.

Engine won't run, car won't start. Can't go.

Honestly, I'm probably not going to do the spark thing. I'll thump on the starter, try to jump it but failing that it is going to the shop...

[Zoomschwortz]

Originally Posted by AD720

Engine won't run, car won't start. Can't go.

Honestly, I'm probably not going to do the spark thing. I'll thump on the starter, try to jump it but failing that it is going to the shop...

Good. No need to thump on the starter.

As long as the belts and pulleys in the front of the engine are moving, then your engine is turning over and your starter is fine.

If your engine is turning over a lot slower than normal, then put a charger on the battery and then try to start it in a couple hours. If it starts, then you have a problem with the charging system. Check your battery connections and make sure they are tight. If the terminals look like a moon garden, clean them with a baking soda and water mixture before putting them back on the battery.


If a few days go by and the engine starts turning over slow again, you may have a bad alternator, which is fairly easy to change if you care to give it a shot. You can buy yourself a nice Craftsman tool set for a lot less than a dealer will charge to change it and it should take you less than an hour to do it yourself.

It is very easy and safe to check for spark. As stated before. pull 1 of your plug wires off and stick a screwdriver or other small metal object into it, then lay the screwdriver next to something metal on the engine and have someone try to start the engine. You should see a spark jumping from the screwdriver to the metal object.

Your engine most likely is not running because of one of three things.

1) Weak battery/charging system.
2) No spark
3) No fuel