Your Car Turns Over But Won’t Start: Here Is How to Fix

There may be occasions when your car turns over but won’t start. Basically, an engine needs three things to run smoothly – fuel, spark, and compression. The engine depends on several other things to run smoothly such as fuel, ignition systems, etc. Here we discuss top ways to fix the engine when not starting properly.

Car Turns Over But Won’t Start – Ways To Fix The Issue

When you turn the key, the starter will engage, at that time, your engine will spin or turn over but the problem is that your car won’t start. And this is a situation that most people who drive will encounter at least once. So what are you waiting for? By getting the right maintenance tips, you can easily fix the issue of a car turning over but not starting. Let’s start!

1. Check the fuel pump 

A damaged fuel pump is also the main cause of the engine cranking but not starting. Simply because when starting, fuel is not pumped to the engine to create combustion air. If this is the case, we recommend that you turn all fuel-related problems over to a qualified technician, as in most cars the fuel pump is mounted inside the fuel tank.

Sometimes, the tank is full but a failed or weak fuel pump relay may prevent it from reaching its destination. When you listen closely, you can easily hear the in-tank pump operating for a few seconds. This happens when you first use the key for the ‘on’ position, before cranking the starter.

2. Check the fuel line 

Yes, even now frozen lines do occur, but are not as common as before as ethanol is present in the fuel. Also, a can of Iso-heat was added to the fuel line works to prevent any such issue. To avoid accumulation of water inside the tank, make sure you keep the tank half-empty in extremely cold weather.

Even the moisture in the air may create a problem by condensing in the fuel tank. This happens in the changing weather and the liquid water inside the tank settles to the bottom. This is a common problem for a ‘car turns over but won’t start’ condition.

3. Gas Of The Vehicle

Another cause behind a car cranks but won’t start is that the vehicle is running out of gas. Well, it sounds a bit humorous, but sometimes, folks forget to check their gas. When your car runs out of fuel, the engine will still spin but not be able to continue running. Therefore, in order for the vehicle to operate stably, drivers need to regularly check. In addition to regularly checking fuel to make sure your car has enough gasoline. You should note that don’t overfill the fuel because it can be a reason causing the car to turn over but won’t start. If you smell gasoline, it is likely that the car has overflowed. At this point, the driver needs to press the accelerator pedal to the floor and maintain the accelerator while starting the engine again. So, check it before starting the engine.

Talking about the fuel system, the cause of your car not starting may be a clogged fuel injector or the fuel filter being clogged by dirt after the car has been operating for a long time. The injection system is clogged, causing the fuel not to enter the engine, leading to the car not being able to start the engine. So don’t forget to check and clean these parts. 

Read more: 

• Why Car Makes A Grinding Noise When Turning?
• Red Fluid Leaking from Your Car? Is It Safe to Drive It?

4. Evaluate the spark plugs

Ignition system problems are rare these days, but they can cause a no-start. If you forget to replace the spark plugs with time, they may create an issue in starting the engine.

5. Check the system security

System Security is a probable reason for making a car cranks but won’t start. At times, the system security gets confused because of a procedural error. If the security system flashes when starting the engine, exit the vehicle and lock all the doors and windows for a good 20 minutes. Then, unlock the car and reset the alarm system. After this, try to start the engine, if the light goes off, it means the problem was merely in the system security.

6. Evaluate the injector pulse

The injector pulse plays a key role in entering the engine through the injectors. So if there is any problem with the injector, it may cause the engine turns over but won’t start. For this, you will need to test the working of the injectors using a computer. Testing is done by using a test light while the engine is cranking.

Many times, you may not know the fault in the vehicle. It can be anywhere in the engine and thus, your car cranks over but won’t start. In this blog, the above-mentioned points state the common reasons behind a car’s engine not starting properly. Keep these points in mind to avoid a bad situation.

7. Faulty sensors

A damaged temp sensor or vacuum leak can cause the air and fuel mixture to be too thin to generate enough heat to start the car. To fix it, the driver can try pressing the accelerator pedal halfway while starting the engine. This will “trick” the computer in the engine system to add more fuel.

Watch more to know how to fix car crank but won’t start:

When you start the car, your engine spins normally but doesn’t start, which indicates at least your battery is in good condition and the starter motor is working properly. However, there are still other reasons that you need to take care of and have a timely method because it can cause serious consequences. Hopefully, the article will give you useful tips to handle this problem when your car turns over but won’t start. 

Drive a car that runs perfectly on the roads.