Car Won’t Start But Lights Come On: What Are The Reasons?

What happens when the car won’t start but lights come on? Your car always chooses the worst time to break down. Sometimes, many drivers didn’t expect this problem and don’t understand what is the root of the reasons. Don’t worry! We will go over some of the possible reasons and how you might be able to fix this issue. Identifying the cause of the car having trouble starting

will become easier if you pocket some of the following experiences.

5 Main Reasons Cause Your Car Won’t Start But Lights Come On

Suddenly one day when you got into the car, and turned the key and only received a “click” sound and then turned it off or even it did not start at all. However, the headlight, dashboard light, radio, or other electronics indicate that there is still power. Surely many drivers experience this ironic situation when using cars and if you do not know the reasons, you may have to spend a lot of money to repair it. And several factors might be responsible if your car refuses to start but the light keeps turning on. Please note whether or not the light is on, you should avoid turning the key for a long time as it might destroy the starter engine:

Weak battery

Just because some electrical components generate power does not mean your car is in good condition. The most common thing is just going to be that it has a bad battery connection or a weak battery. A battery on a low charge can run electronic devices like lights because they use little amperage. However, starting an engine requires up to 300 amps of power at once. A low battery can not generate such power.

Generally, the weak battery can still have enough power to keep the lights on, but not enough amperage to trigger enough voltage to turn on the motor. One of the main factors affecting the performance of the battery is the charge, if the charge is reduced too much it will not be enough to start the car, and the charge of the battery on the car is reduced. Because some electronic devices in the car still work after the car engine is turned off. Alternatively, you also should check the battery terminals, this part can be corroded, making the connections loose and seriously affecting the conductivity of these terminals and especially the starting process.

A fuse is blown

After you have attempted to fix the battery, but the issue still happened, let’s check whether your fuse works properly or not. If you can’t locate the position of the fuse, pick your car’s manual to discover where this part is in your car. Once you’ve identified it, open it up and inspect it for a wire. If the wire inside the casing is burnt or damaged, this is the problem. Power isn’t getting to the starter. 

Damaged ignition switch

If nothing is wrong with the fuse, the switch is the third reason to check again. So many people mistake the ignition switch for the mechanical part where they insert the key, but the electrical one operates the mechanical part. Only a professional can diagnose this fault and also repair it. However, to be sure it’s a switch, take notice of your dashboard and panel, move the key ignition to the second position, and if it doesn’t bring up the light, the ignition switch is faulty. 

Bad starter

Another probability is that you have a damaged starter. A broken starter is also one of the leading causes of your car not being able to start but the lights still come on. A starter is a device that is connected to the battery. It’s responsible for putting the engine in motion as the ignition switch comes on. So when this part is faulty, your engine will not come on when you turn the key in the ignition. Once you turn on the car, it will refuse to start and you hear a sound like “clicking”. It may work If you try to jumpstart the car, but there is no guarantee. The one guaranteed choice is if you get a new starter.

The cause of a bad starter can be damage to the gears, and bearings of the starter during use and this is usually reported by the vehicle when the vehicle engine is turned off during starting. If you turn the key to Off, or you leave the headlights on and then turn on the Ac / on position if you observe that the headlights are dim, you need to replace a new starter immediately. In addition, when starting the car, the engine does not start but you still hear a crackling sound inside, it is caused by the electromagnet tubes in the starter closing and disconnecting immediately.

>> Related post: What To Do When Car Starter Clicking Constantly?

The gear lever is not in the correct position

For new drivers, it is very normal to be negligent while shifting the gearshift, once this error has been made, new drivers will certainly learn from the experience of handling quickly when the car is turned off. When you turn on the key, start but the engine is still not working, the light on your dashboard flash, the cause may be because you put the gearshift is not properly (not to position P for automatic transmission), or you are gearing and not depressing the clutch for a manual transmission).

No sparking

Starting your engine, takes fuel, spark, fuel compression, and time. Without one of these factors, your car won’t start however the light is still on and one of the most common mistakes is lack of ignition. When you push the start button but the car does not spark, the cause may be a faulty spark plug or igniter. In addition, it is not enough for the spark, it needs to have at the right time and give enough voltage for your car to operate, besides you are driving but the car turns off the engine in the middle, you should take the car to check the spark plug and ignition system.

Car Won’t Start But Lights Come On: How To Fix?

A car that won’t start but lights come on is a warning sign that the vehicle’s engine or fuel system is having problems. When encountering this situation, the driver needs to have appropriate handling to be able to continue the journey. To be able to fix the problem of why the car doesn’t turn on, you can refer to the following ways:

Low battery

When your battery is just either gone bad or lost its charge but it doesn’t have enough juice to turn the starter over which turns your engine on. So in this case you need to recharge your battery. If this problem occurs while you are driving on the road, the solution is to use a rechargeable cable to power the battery. However, when charging the battery, you should choose a battery that works well and has a voltage equal to or greater than the voltage of the vehicle. The restart rate in this case is 70%.

If the car does not start due to a broken power wire or broken fuse due to the car not going for a long time, the power line will be peeled. The first thing you need to do is check the fuse box. If the fuse is damaged, it should be replaced.

Loose battery connection 

When your experience this situation, you should remove the clamp, clean the battery terminal, and re-tighten the wire clamp. At the same time, you need to adjust the electrolyte level inside the car.

Use jump starter or backup chargers

An optimal solution is given for unexpected situations when the car does not start. It is the use of backup chargers or jump starters. The battery charger has now become popular. Modern drivers know how to immediately pack a large backup battery charger, which can charge your battery fully. In addition, you can also use jump starters sold in the market. If the battery is damaged, it must be replaced with a new one to keep the vehicle in good working order.

>> Read more: What Sensors Can Cause A Car Not To Start?

How to avoid the car not starting 

To prevent the car from not turning on, you should note:

• When turning off the car engine, turn off all electrical equipment, even the lights
• Replace car battery after 100,000 km or 4 years of driving.
• Clean car spark plugs periodically every 20,000 km, replace spark plugs every 40,000 – 100,000 km
• Check and clean automobile fuel injectors periodically every 20,000 km
• Check relays, and fuel pumps… periodically every 20,000 km

In case the car is found to have signs of a difficult engine to start, take the initiative to check or take the car to the garage for inspection as soon as possible.

Final Thoughts

If your car won’t work but the light system is still working perfectly, let’s consider these reasons above. In this article, we have talked about many things that could be wrong if your car is not turning on. We hope it’s of help to you with your question “my car won’t start but has power”. However, always make sure that your car goes to the mechanic for a full diagnosis. Do not manage any condition so that you don’t cause more damage.