Car won’t start, check engine light is out but other lights are on, got new control and immobilizer but the problem remains.
First it didn't start and there was a problem within the coding but the check engine was working, then the control was down and the check engine wouldn't pop when we first start the car and of course the car wouldn't start. We got a new control and immobilizer and coil, but the problem is still the same. We found out that the dynamo was burnt so we cut it off and checked the cables and it is clear. What can be the problem forbidding the control from running and the check engine from turning on?
Experienced mechanics share their insights in answering this question :
Hi, thanks for writing in. It is possible that your check engine light bulb could be out. I would recommend having a qualified professional remove your instrument cluster to determine if the bulb for the check engine light has failed. If the bulb has failed, I would recommend having it replaced and see if your results change. If the bulb is not faulty, it is possible that something was installed incorrectly during the most recent repair. I would recommend retracing your steps to determine if any steps were skipped over or done improperly. This will help to determine the cause of why the check engine light will not work. If you would like help, consider having an expert automotive technician from YourMechanic come to your home or office to inspect your electrical system for you, and make or suggest any repairs as needed.
How to Identify and Fix Common car Problems ?
Our sources include academic articles, blog posts, and personal essays from experienced mechanics :
If your car won`t start but the lights come on, it is likely not an issue with your battery so it`s time to turn your attention to your ignition switch. A failed ignition switch won`t be able to supply power to the starter motor, ignition system, and other engine controls, preventing the engine from starting.
Why won`t my car start but the battery is good? If your car won`t start but the battery is good, the most common cause is a faulty starter – though it could also be to do with your fuel. You may have insufficient fuel to get the car going.
If you have a check-engine or battery indicator light illuminated on your vehicle, it could indicate a problem with an automobile charging system, or if your vehicle gets a jump-start and immediately stops running, it could be an indication that the alternator is malfunctioning.
Bad Sensors
One common culprit for this problem is the crankshaft position sensor, which measures the position and speed of the crankshaft. The computer uses the information from this sensor to know when to fire the spark plugs. If the sensor isn`t working, the spark plugs won`t fire, keeping the engine from starting.
The most common reason cars don`t start is a dead or faulty battery. Even though most cars run on gasoline, they all require electrical power to function. The starter that cranks your engine to start requires an electrical signal to fire. If something`s wrong with your battery, your car engine won`t turn over.
If your battery is dead or dying, you will hear a clicking sound instead of your car coming to life immediately. If your car doesn`t seem to come on without giving it some gas, that`s another clear sign. A battery in good condition should be able to start your car without you needing to press the pedal.
If you`re unable to start your vehicle, check and see if the headlights and dash lights come on. If they shine bright and clear, that means that the battery and alternator are likely not the cause of the problem. If they were, there wouldn`t be enough power to run the lights.
Signs the Car Battery is Dead
When you attempt to start the vehicle, is there a clicking sound, but it won`t turn over? That may be a good sign. If a jump gets the car running, but won`t turn over again once it`s shut off, a dead battery is likely the cause.
When a battery is faulty or undercharged, it won`t be able to send the right amount of energy to your vehicle`s computer. This may cause the check engine light to flip on. If you drive a newer model car, you may also have a handy battery warning light on your dashboard.
Yes, you can drive with a bad oxygen sensor if you can still start your engine and feel little difficulty driving. But don`t leave it alone for over a couple of days, as it might cause safety problems and lead to the malfunction of other parts of your vehicle.
A Bad Crankshaft Position Sensor
The crankshaft position sensor monitors the position and rotational speeds of the crankshaft. Without the crank sensor, the engine control module (ECM) wouldn`t know when to fire the fuel injectors and ignite the spark plugs.
Even if your lights, radio or accessories turn on, your battery may still be dead or undercharged. These components require a lot less power than the starter. Therefore, your battery may have enough ability to turn the radio/lights on, but not enough to turn on the starter.
Your car`s ignition switch, alternator, battery, starter, or a fuse could be malfunctioning. Your safety switch could be broken. This switch keeps your transmission from starting unless you`re in park or neutral. If it is malfunctioning, it will keep your car from starting.
Your car`s ignition switch, alternator, battery, starter, or a fuse could be malfunctioning. Your safety switch could be broken. This switch keeps your transmission from starting unless you`re in park or neutral. If it is malfunctioning, it will keep your car from starting.
An effective method to determine whether it`s your battery or alternator that`s gone bad is to connect jumper cables from a running vehicle`s battery to yours. After a few moments, try starting your vehicle. Once it`s started, remove the jumper cables — if your engine stalls, your alternator has probably gone bad.
Relevant Questions and Answers :
the most relevant questions and answers related to your specific issue
Car won’t start, check engine light is out but other lights are on, got new control and immobilizer but the problem remains.
ANSWER : Hi, thanks for writing in. It is possible that your check engine light bulb could be out. I would recommend having a qualified professional remove your instrument cluster to determine if the bulb for the check engine light has failed. If the bulb has failed, I would recommend having it replaced and see if your results change. If the bulb is not faulty, it is possible that something was installed incorrectly during the most recent repair. I would recommend retracing your steps to determine if any steps were skipped over or done improperly. This will help to determine the cause of why the check engine light will not work. If you would like help, consider having an expert automotive technician from YourMechanic come to your home or office to inspect your electrical system for you, and make or suggest any repairs as needed.
Car won’t start. The check engine light, battery light, and oil change light are coming on. I tried jumping the car and nothing happened. Why won’t my car start?
ANSWER : Hi and thanks for contacting Your Mechanic. If sometimes your vehicle will start with the new alternator and sometimes it won’t, then there is a loose connection in your charging system. Check all of the wires to the alternator and to the battery. Make sure that the battery cables are clean and tight. Make sure that the wires to the starter are clean and tight. A loose ground to the ignition system will cause the vehicle to not crank over. Check all of the ground wires from the battery to the starter. Make sure that they are clean and tight. If you need further assistance troubleshooting your no start situation, then seek out a technician, such as one from Your Mechanic, that can assist you.
My car will not start Intermittently. I purchased a new battery 2 weeks ago and yesterday the car wouldn’t start. Got a jump and
ANSWER : The issue you are having is probably due to an intermittent fault in the starter motor itself or a deficiency in the starter electrical circuit, for example a large voltage drop due to a poor ground or a high resistance connection. These issues can be readily diagnosed and resolved on a mobile basis if you request a hard starting diagnostic. If you request that diagnostic, the responding certified mechanic will get this resolved for you promptly. Based on Toyota’s Factory Service Manual, the battery should not be disconnected if the vehicle engine is running. The battery acts as a large resistive voltage sink and consequently taking the battery out of the circuit, while the alternator is still running, can create a voltage spike on the car’s electrical system which is not good for voltage sensitive components such as the engine computer. If you have further questions or concerns, do not hesitate to re-contact YourMechanic as we are always here to help you.
Car started to slow down and then the check engine light, battery, and engine oil light came on. What could cause this?
ANSWER : Hi there. It is possible that the battery cable came loose or the wires to the oil pressure sensor has came loose or failed. Check the battery cables and make sure that the terminals are tight and clean. Check the wires to the oil pressure sensor and make sure that they are connected and not broken. If everything looks good, then the oil pressure sensor may have failed. Plus, check the computer for codes and see what is stored. This will lead you to the part that could have failed. I recommend replacing the oil pressure sensor then checking to see if the lights will go out. If you need further assistance troubleshooting your vehicle, then seek out a technician, such as one from Your Mechanic, that can assist you with the warning lights that came on.
Was driving on the expressway and my car started shaking, check engine light turned on, oil light turned on and off
ANSWER : Hello, thank you for writing in. Shaking and vibrating typically comes from a misfire, or poor engine performance. A lack of oil will absolutely contribute to these symptoms and amplify them, if not cause them to begin with. You want to turn your attention to the cause of the oil leak. If external (you can see the leaking oil), then you will want to trace the leak to the component which has failed. If the leak is internal (or the engine is consuming oil), the leak will be harder to find. It will also explain the poor engine performance due to excess oil in the combustion chamber. A head gasket is one of the main components that will fail and cause these issues. It is however not common for a vehicle this age to have these kinds of problems. You will also want to scan the computer, and see what codes are triggering your check engine light. These diagnostic tools will help you determine what system(s) is to blame for the malfunction. For more diagnostic help, contact our service department to schedule an appointment.
The car crank but won’t start
ANSWER : Hi there. This does sound like an issue with the wiring. If the check engine light is coming on every now and then this means that when it does not come on there is no power to the computer. This can be the wiring harness issue or an ignition switch problem. I would have to test for voltage to the computer when the problem is occurring to be able to find where the issue lies. If you need assistance, a certified YourMechanic technician can be dispatched to your location to inspect your vehicle’s non-start issue and suggest any necessary repairs.
Battery and oil light come on when trying to start car, take keys out try again car starts no problem and lights go away
ANSWER : Of course, don’t switch gears without being fully stopped, unless your Owner’s Manual or the manufacturer has alternative advice. However, the gear shift issue has no relation to the no-start problem you are describing. Inasmuch as you only have 6,000 miles on the car, the "constant on and off" that you believe has occurred is meaningless in comparison to the expected total vehicle service life. That is, assume what you perceive as "constant on and off", during merely 6,000 miles, might be equivalent to using the car "normally" for three years. A new car should be trouble free for at least 5 years, unless there is a defect, so your "constant on and off" is not a causal factor for any fault on the vehicle. What you might have is a defect in the ignition switch, or perhaps the immobilizer system, but if the problem is not in the switch itself, clearly there is an electrical problem.
If your vehicle is under warranty, by law the dealer MUST repair the issue you are describing within a prescribed time frame and number of "attempts", otherwise the dealer will run afoul of Federal and state Lemon Laws that give you very specific rights, and recourse (contact an Attorney; we are Mechanics, NOT attorneys). Consequently, if the vehicle is still under warranty, to save yourself money do be sure to seek a resolution from the dealer. If the vehicle is not under warranty, obviously a certified Mechanic from YourMechanic could identify the electrical fault and resolve this for you. If you want to go that route, please simply request a no start diagnostic -electrical system and the responding certified mechanic will get this taken care of for you. If you have further questions or concerns, do not hesitate to re-contact YourMechanic as we are always here to help you.
2012 equinox reduced power light engine light and traction light came on. Lost a lot of power got home and all light except engine
ANSWER : Your car has what is called a "safe mode" that will be engaged by the computer when it detects that something critical has gone wrong related to any of the major components in your engine chassis or power train. This may be related to a number of things, most of which should have been registered in the computer when the check engine light came on. I recommend having an expert from YourMechanic come to your location to inspect your check engine light and diagnose any codes registered by your vehicle’s computer.
