Q: Car cranks, but will not start.

asked by on January 08, 2016

Car will not start. It cranks, but will not catch and run. It is not the gas since I have about 1/4 tank.

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No start conditions are some of my favorite to diagnose. A car needs 3 things to run. Gas, air and spark. If one of those is missing the magic doesn’t happen. We know you have fuel in your tank, but is it getting to your engine? You can have a full tank but if the fuel pump is not working it never gets to your engine. A clogged fuel filter will do the same thing. An ignition module or coil pack that is not delivering spark can also cause a no start, and in this case, a bad crankshaft or camshaft sensors will cause a no start. Injectors not injecting fuel into the engine could also be the problem. Those are just a few of the causes. As you can see, things can get complicated really quickly because of all the variables. Getting a properly trained mechanic to help you diagnose a no start condition is the best suggestion I can give you.

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