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How to Troubleshoot a Car That is Hard to Start
"Car not starting" is a common complaint among car owners and is caused by faulty car batteries, spark plugs, car starter, or fuel pump.

Related questions

Does mass air flow sensor need replacing if unplugged and car shuts off?
Just because the car shuts off when you unplug the MAF, it doesn't mean that it is bad. But it also doesn't mean that it is good. Your car has the ability to adapt to missing signals so unplugging a...
starter
Hello, thank you for writing in. Even without a check engine light, there may be codes present that will help with this. Scan the vehicle for codes first, and use any present to help guide you. The noises you are...
No start and no crank.
Hi there. Check the wiring from the starter to the ignition switch. There is a loose wire or a break in the wiring that connects the starter solenoid to the starter relay. Make sure that all of the wires on...
Glow Plug
Hello. The starting issue (https://www.yourmechanic.com/services/car-is-hard-to-start-inspection) you are having could very well be caused by the glow plug circuit. It may not be the glow plugs themselves (although it could be), but rather the wires and other parts of the circuit...
Car is struggling to turn over
Hello. Thanks for writing in. To start, lets determine what you mean by "struggling to turn over". Does it sound like the starter is working at its prime, and the problem is with the engine? Or does the starter lag...
Car's electrical completely dies at first crank. Battery is brand new and has been tested at 505 amps.
Hello, thank you for writing in. Electrical issues like this can be tricky. The first thing you should try is starting the vehicle with another battery. Pull a known good battery from another vehicle, and try it in your car...
Getting fuel, spark, compression, air still no start
Hello, thank you for writing in. Considering you have taken on a lot of the main components all at once, you should take a moment to go back through the entire project thus far to make sure everything was done...
My car has trouble starting first thing in the morning or after sitting around for a while.
Hello, thank you for writing in. If the vehicle's issues are resolved by you pumping the fuel pedal, you will want to look into your fuel pressure. The fuel pump may be starting to fail, and you will need to...
Why does my car have to turn over a couple times when it is mildly warm?
You may have a problem with injector leakage. When the car has been running the fuel system stays pressurized for a few hours. When the injector valves are old, there may be a small amount of leakage at the tip...
There's a clank sound in axel area, car won't start suddenly, and power steering fluid seems to spin more than usual.
Hello, thank you for writing in. The vehicle may be having several issues at once. You want to start by addressing the starting problem, as it is the most likely to cause issues with other systems in the car. Start...
Why is my car having problems starting?
Hey there. This may be related to to a variety of things. When your Check Engine Light comes on, generally there are fault codes that are registered in the car's computer which will indicate more specifically some of the possible...
Stalling then hard to start
When you start your car in the morning and turn the key to on, the coolant temperature sensor immediately reads the temperature of the coolant and relays this to the computer indicating that the coolant is cold. The computer then...
My car is hard to start.
You are going to want to inspect several components. First, if the starter is slow to turn at first, and this is the issue, you will want to have the starter replaced. If you starter turns quickly (or at the...
Car won't start in cold weather
Hello, thank you for writing in. There are a few more basic things to try before worrying too much. One of the main issues is that occurs in cold weather is that weaker components really struggle. One of the most...
Cold start issue.starts after few cranks after sitting idle for 15 hours.starts immediately after 10 hours.New battery & starter
Your engine has variable valve timing and uses oil pressure to work this system in the engine. It will not work correct and can cause starting issues if you are not using the correct 5w30 oil in the engine. The...
Just replaced the starter. 1st try worked great. Next 4 trys only a click at starter. All lights work. Not a batt prob.
Hello, thank you for writing in. There may be one of several issues going on. First, make sure all of the electrical connections to the starter, including the ground, are clean, dry, and tight. Secondly, a shim is often needed...
My ford f 150 want turn over changed battery
Hello. There may be one of several issues wrong. When having starting and running issues, always verify that the alternator and battery are working perfectly first. Make sure the battery cables and grounds are clean, dry, and tight. From there,...
I have a 2001 Nissan Maxima and it cranks up all day but won't start up it'll start up sometimes and when it does it runs great
It may be that a component has gone tempermental on you. That happens with electronic stuff. The part will fail occasionally until one day it just doesn't work at all. You haven't said whether there is a check engine light...
2002 Pontiac Grand Am GT security light on constantly and the car will only start after battery is run down and jumped.
Hello, thank you for writing in. You should start by scanning the vehicle for diagnostic codes to see what the security light is trying to tell you. Do this after you can get it to start and can take it...

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