Q: Car won't crank or turn on.

asked by on February 26, 2017

When pressing the start button car will not crank or even try to turn on. Could it be the starter?

My car has 105000 miles.
My car has an automatic transmission.

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Prior to performing diagnostics be sure that you have a fully, 100% charged battery that passes a load test. Then, confirm that the engine immobilizer system (security system) is not activated thus preventing the car from starting. If the immobilizer system is on, you may see a security warning light. To temporarily override the immobilizer system, see these instructions.


With a fully charged battery and the immobilizer system off, if the starter motor does not operate, either there is no power to the starter motor, hence the starter circuit would have to be diagnosed, or the starter itself is bad and it would have to be replaced. To have these two possibilities checked out, the recommended service to request is a no start diagnostic during which the responding certified mechanic will get this resolved for you. If you have further questions or concerns, do not hesitate to re-contact YourMechanic as we are always here to help you.

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