Car Troubleshooting When You Aren’t Near an Auto Repair Shop
When your car doesn’t start, everything in your day is suddenly more complicated. No matter if the fix is simple or more complicated, you aren’t getting anywhere fast. And since your car is now stranded in your driveway or some random parking lot, getting it to a car mechanic for a diagnosis will likely cost you a tow truck. Luckily, the folks at Dummies.com have a simple troubleshooting list you can run through before you turn to the professionals.
What Can You Do On Your Own When Your Car Won’t Start?
The blog details several situations; let’s go over a few of them here.
- Your car is silent when you turn the ignition. If this happens, take a look at your battery, if the cables are frayed or corroded, there is a chance that the circuit isn’t being completed to start the engine. You may be able to temporarily complete that circuit with a screwdriver with an insulated handle, but it’s not the safest idea.
- The engine clicks but doesn’t start. Your battery is likely kaput. You should be able to get your car moving with a set of jumper cables and another running car. It could be that you left your lights on or some other accessory that drained the battery. If nothing was left on, you probably want to consider heading to a store where you can buy a new battery after you get that jump.
- The engine will start but suddenly dies. If your car is old enough to have a carburetor, check your carburetor adjustment and choke. If you have fuel injectors, you will unfortunately have to call that tow truck to take you to your closest auto repair shop, because that’s not a parking lot fix.
- The car won’t start when it’s rainy out. They suggest using mechanic’s solvent (not gasoline) to clean out your distributor cap. Any dampness in the cap can prevent the car from starting. Make sure to keep all dirt out of the cap so you don’t damage anything. And don’t use gasoline unless you maybe want an explosion.
There are many problems that have solutions that you can do yourself without having to hire anyone for professional mechanical work. Some may require extra help from a Cincinnati auto repair shop—but unfortunately that’s just how it is sometimes.
Keep Jumper Cables in Your Trunk for Battery Emergencies
The Dummies folk are also helpful enough to walk you through the steps of jumping a car, complete with illustrations. You’ll need a pair of jumper cables, of course. If you don’t already carry a pair of these in your vehicle regularly—along with a spare tire and a flashlight—here is your reminder to pick up a pair.
If you are having problems with your car not starting, take a look over at Dummies.com for some simple and helpful suggestions. You may not be able to solve the problem in the parking lot, but nothing feels worse than waiting impatiently for a repairman, only to find out that the only problem was a loose battery cable that you could have easily fixed by yourself. Except for paying that car repair bill.
