Before You Panic: The 5 Most Likely Reasons Your Car Won’t Start

When dealing with a broken down car, it’s not only frustrating, but it’s time-consuming as issues will cause you to miss work or other obligations. In fact, when your car won’t start, you will need to fix the problem immediately. Often, it’s a minor problem you can fix quickly. Here are the five most likely reasons your car won’t start.

Transmission:

Believe it or not, with some newer automobiles, you will experience issues if your transmission is in need of repair. This is especially true if you drive an automatic as newer cars will have measures in place preventing your from starting the car and putting it in gear. When this happens, take it to a mechanic and you can fix the issue and use your car again.

Battery:

Without a doubt, when people can’t start their car, it’s usually caused by a dead battery. To fix the issue temporarily, whip out your jumper cables and jump start your car. If you don’t own jumper cables, borrow some from another driver or friend. Either way, once you start your car, head to a mechanic and buy a new battery.

Starter:

In older cars, the starter will eventually malfunction. When this happens, you can’t start your car and you will need to tow it to a mechanic. Then, he or she can replace the starter and you will not experience problems in the future.

No gas in the tank:

Often, a person will try to start their car when they don’t have any gas in the tank. While this seems easy to avoid, you must remember that older gas gauges will often malfunction and give you a wrong reading. To fix this, simply walk to a gas station and buy a container. Then, fill it with gas and start your car.

Electrical issues can leave you stranded:

To check this out, buy a fuse tester or take your car to a mechanic. Since this is an inexpensive solution, it’s wise to test your fuses first. Remember, it only takes a minute to replace them as you can buy them at an auto parts store or from a local mechanic. Either way, when you understand electrical issues, you can help your cause and fix your car in a few minutes.

When owning a car, you don’t want to deal with or worry about breakdowns. Fortunately, when you know the causes of most problems, you can fix your car and save money.

Chaleigh Glass is a freelance writer that lives in NYC. She writes about anything from National Transmission a company that has rebuilt transmissions in Calgary to how to baby proof your home. In her spare time she likes to golf, snowboard, and take lifestyle photos.