Problems STARTING ISSUES + FOGGED-UP

WINDOWS + BACK-PROBING
Starting Up?
DON'T GO OUT AND BUY A NEW BATTERY
JUST BECAUSE YOUR CAR WON'T START.

Twist the key. Your car cranks for a second or

two, springs to life, and then quickly settles down
into a fast idle while it warms up. At least that's
DIY AUTO
SATURDAY MECHANIC
how it's supposed to work. This morning, no dice.
It's dead, and there's no obvious reason why.
Here's how to figure out why your car won't run.
0 0 DEGREE OF DIFFICULTY/// EASY

The best approach to finding a solution is to remain

methodical. This is classic systems analysis. Just fol-
low the decision tree on the next page, and you'll
find and cure the problem. Our decision tree is
generic, but it should resolve the
majority of failure-to-start scenarios.
The only real diagnostic tool you'll
require is a decent multimeter. A fuel-
pressure gauge and a nciid light, for
testing fuel injectors, might be handy
once you've ruled out the starter

~ H OTO G RAPHS BY DENNIS KLEIMAN P 0 P U LA R M E C H A N I C S C 0 M I FE B R U A R Y 2 0 0 9 89

PM DIYAUT0 /1/ CAR WOS'T S-:-..!.R T? step4 step5 step6

Is the secu-
step 1 ep3
rity system
activating? If so,

Ch eck the
x"ttery clamps
r
NO
troubleshoot or
deactivate it.

and cables.
Go to step 2.
I
NO
Check the De,-::- ,.
Is it chargee_ Is there spark?
Cha rge it to ::.2..5 Use a spark-gap
YES tester to confirm Check ignition
volts. use system per
j umper cab.: - spark at the plug.
service manual.
YES, but
they are YES

r
really 7
Turn the
key: Do the
dash lights
dim.

YES
YES

NO ~ Does the engine

crank?
1 ~ ~ ~
come on?

1
Return to
step 2 and check Check the battery
battery, cables voltage while
NO
I YES,
but
and clamps. Bat-
tery should be
fully charged.
cranking. Is it
below 9 volts?

1
slowly.
Do you hear a
:n=ing or clicking
-oise underhood?
YES

1
Check e :ba-_._e,:-, Low voltage to
and da ps.. -:- - th e solenoid
on e key, arc m akes it click.
t he lights or ra eck t he battery.
Wiggle and tap - it charged? Go Replace battery.
t he battery co to step 2.
nec::io 1 e
lights co eo ,
go to step 3.

motor and batte ry. You - 5-= :: ~:

need a battery charger to b~ -5:--:: ::=::-
tery to a full state of charge. ::c.::- ~:--::
engine is cranking, because.:_ -::=::
a ful ly charged battery w ::: :::-:: :=
t hese diagnostics.
One po int: If the beL:::-_ :: :::::::
because you left the lig- ::: ::- :- _ :_
cranked AC/DC all nigt: :-; ==~-'"'::
to actually ch arge the :;::::::-_ =:- :
just jumpsta rt your 'e-::: =-: -=.::
the poor alternator cc: :: :-=:: =-=~
ing at t he same tirre :::.-::: ::: :-_ -5:---:
supply the curren ~c ;:::-::- ~ -=-=- .=.
know, I know, t hat'"=--::::::-=.
when some kindly s:::-5::- := ~ _
_:::_ a j ump in the pa rking lot at mid-
- 5:1t in a blowing snowstorm. Let's
::-_ : he fi rst few stages of the Aow -
.:.-:: -::, hen you're on your ow n.
:=e~ing Started
:'::. :::1 tu rn the key and not hing hap-
:::-s. ada. No lights on the dash, no
-: :::: Jnderhood, just the sound of
_ : _ : :m muttered curs ing from the
:~ :: s seat. You've got an electrical
s::_:: ::1d odds are it 's an open ci rcu it
=: :- :: ::attery posts or cables. Unless
your vehicle has been in storage for
years, there should be at least a little
juice left in t he battery, enough to
dimly illum inate the instrument-pa nel
lights. Yo ur first step is to check the
batte ry posts and cab les. I'd bet a
good w hack with your shoe might re-
establish the connection and put you
on the road. Tip: Leave the key on and
t he radio up loud. If you're poking
around underhood and it starts ro ckin',
the prob lem is t he last w ire you
touch ed. Or, another branch of t he

90 F E 8 R U A R Y 2 : : :;; :::S.COM
 step7 stcp8 step9 step 1 0 step 11 step 12

Check fuel pump Get out the scan

fuse, relay and tool and factory
wiring. Unfortu- service manual.
nately, the fuel
------7 pump is iJ:lside
NO the tank on most
vehicles.
Listen for fuel
ump. Does the
el pump run for
a few seconds
fter the key is
turned on?
YES
T
YES
T
NO Depress Schrader
Check injector
with noid light or
Get out the scan
tool and factory
valve in fuel rail. Is YES ~ voltmeter. Is the service manual.
Are the spark there pressure? injector firing?
wet with
Pull one or
If possible, check
fuel pressure with
NO NO T
and inspect
electrodes.

YES
a gauge.
l Pinch off return l
NO

Check engine-
computer-power
line to tank. Is fuse. Is the fuse

l there pressure
now? NO ~
blown?

Dry out or YES YES

replace
the plugs.
l l Replace fuse.
Check fora Replace fuel-
crimped or pressure
blocked fuel line. regulator.
If it's fine, replace
the fuel pump.

decision tree: The dash lights come on
but go off when you try to start the
engine. Could be either a discharged
battery or corroded cables or clamps.
So, time for step 3: Clean up the
cables. Don't crank the engine for
more than 15 seconds without a
60-second pause or you may overheat
the starter motor. Let me say this
again-follow the decision tree. There's
one thing I learned working on cars
many years ago. It's not uncommon to
see multiple problems with intersect-
symptoms. And if you try diagnos-
that problem intuitively, you'll
ickly make yourself crazy. Try solving
problems from the top down, and you'll
find each, one at a time. That's the way
mechanics are taught, and that's the
way that the car manufacturers expect
a repair to proceed if they're going to
pay for it under warranty.
Flooded
If you've discovered that you have
wet spark plugs (rare on fuel-injected
engines), you may not need to remove
them to dry them out. Injected engines
alm ost always have a Clear Flood
mode: Depress the throttle to the
floor, and then crank the engine. As
long as you hold the pedal at full throt-
tie, the computer won't inJect any fuel,
and a few seconds of pumping air
through the engine, w ithout fuel, will
dry off the plugs.
Following this chart should get
95 percent of all cars started . If
you've worked your way to the right
side of the chart, and the car still
hasn't started, your last recourse
might be to haul out the factory ser-
vice manual, some tools and a scan
tool to dig deeper into your car's black
box. Different fuel-injection architec-
tures call for different diagnostics; the
factory manual will have those spe-
cific to your c;ar. PM

P 0 P U LA R M E C H A N I C S . C 0 M I FE B R U A R Y 2 0 0 9 91