BASIC TROUBLE SHOOTING
CAR REFUSES TO START
7 Things to keep in mind when you have trouble in starting your car:
- When there is no sound when the key is turned to ignition.
- Have your battery checked, you might need to have its cables or terminals cleaned or replaced
- When you hear a clicking sound as you turn the key, but the car won't start.
- It could be a dead battery
- If not, have someone check the starter wiring for loose connection
- For automatic transmission, check if transmission lever is on park or neutral
- When your car cranks over but won't start
- Have someone check the fuel supply to the carburetor
- Do you still have fuel?
- If that's OK, have the distributor cap checked to see if the spark is getting through
- When your car starts but dies
- Check the carburetor adjustments and the choke to see if the choke is first closing, then opening
- When your car won't start on rainy days
- Have someone check inside the distributor cap for dampness
- When you left your lights, radio or some other electrical device on after you parked your car
- Your battery is discharged. You can get it going if you know how to jump-start, series from another car, or have your battery recharged
- If the starter will not turn the engine
- If the headlights are dim
- Battery needs recharging
- Battery is already defective
- Battery cables may be corroded or have loose connections
- If the headlights are bright, the culprit may be found in a different set of causes
- Solenoid on the starter may be worn out
- Starter engagement is defective
- Starter itself may be defective
- Defective starter switch
HOW TO PUSH START A CAR
Only cars with stick shift can be push started
- First you need to get about 2 to 3 person to push your car
- Switch on ignition
- Put the stick shift into neutral gear
- When the car is moving put the shifting lever to second gear at the same time have your left foot stepping on the clutch pedal and your right foot flooring the gas pedal.
- When you reach the desired speed, let go the clutch pedal while maintaining your foot on the gas pedal
- The engine should start, be ready to step on the brakes if needed
- Let the engine idle, give it a rev once in a while to charge the battery.
HOW TO RECHARGE THE BATTERY THROUGH SERIES CABLES
- Things needed: jumper cables, another car or fully charged battery
- Place the car or the extra battery where the jumper cable can connect it with your dead battery
- Join the battery using the jumper cables: positive to positive (red) and negative to negative (green or black)
- First start the engine of the other car then try to start your car
- Once your engine is running, remove the negative clamp of the jumper cables first
- Let your car idle and rev it once in a while to have recharge your battery
WHEN THE ENGINE STOPS WITHOUT WARNING:
- ground cable of the battery may have come loose
- distributor cap and rotor may also be a problem source
- the fuel system does not deliver enough gasoline to the carburetor
WHAT TO DO WHEN YOUR ENGINE BEGIN TO OVERHEAT
Stop-and-go driving in heavy traffic, especially with the aircon on, sometimes develops more engine heat than its cooling system can handle.
What you can do initially to prevent overheating: - Turn off the aircon
- Shift into neutral and rev the engine at twice the idling speed
- Stay at least ten feet behind the car ahead for better airflow into your engine compartment
- Get off the crowded highway and into a freely-moving alternate route
- Do not stop and shut off the engine
- If the engine does boil over, pull over safely and turn off the engine
- Take care not to burn yourself
- When the steam stops, press cap down with a large piece of rag and carefully / slowly turn it to the second stop to remove it
- Add water slowly
TROUBLESHOOTING A STALLED CAR:
Your car lives on a mixture of fuel, fire (sparks), and air. If it won't run, it's not getting one or more of these three key ingredients.
WHAT YOUR CAR'S SYMPTOMS TELL YOU
The way your car behaves or sounds when you drive it are not just mechanical nuances
- Do you feel an off beat rhythm while your car is idling?
Your engine is misfiring, have your spark plugs checked - Is your radiator is singing?
It is complaining of a loose radiator cap. - Do your tires squeal when the car takes a curve?
Check the Tires and alignment. - Do your tires seems to be plod heavily?
check inflation, tire wear and balance. - Is there something ticking rhythmically when your car is idling?
check its oil level. The hydraulic lifters that work the valves can make those noises if the car is low in oil. - Do you hear knocking sound in the engine?
It could be a loose rocker arm , a loose bearing, or a faulty piston. - Do you hear scraping sound coming from your wheel?
Your brake pads or brake shoe is probably worn out - Does your car sound and feel like an old taxi, especially on a bumpy road?
It probably needs lubrication. This may also indicate wear because parts are rubbing together or moving without proper lubrication - Is your fan belt is singing?
readjust or replace it - Does your car sound like a jet plane or makes some other kind of really loud abnormal sound?
A hole in the muffler or exhaust system is probably the cause - Do you smell rubber burning under the hood?
One of your hoses might have come loose and landed on a hot part of the engine. Retrieve it before it melts through - Do you smell burned rubber with the hood closed?
Feel your wheels. If one is unusually hot a brake shoe may be dragging - Do you smell gasoline while driving?
check your carburetor to be sure it isn't leaking fuel. If its all right, check down the fuel line all the way to the fuel tanks for leaks - Is your steering difficult and you have power steering?
Be sure to check the dipstick in the cap on the little reservoir that is attached to the power steering unit to see if there is sufficient automatic transmission fluid in it. If its low, and if it gets low again very soon after you've refilled it, have someone check for leaks in the system
HOW TO READ “SMOKE SIGNALS FROM YOUR CAR”
BLACK SMOKE
It means a fuel system problem. Black smoke is caused by the presence of soot or unburned carbon which in turn is the result of localized rich mixtures- too little air for complete burning of fuel
BLUE SMOKE
It means a worn out engine. The engine may be losing power, and thus may be burning more fuel than necessary to do its job
WHITE SMOKE
When starting a cold engine is probably water vapor. However, white smoke emitted when the engine is warmed up may indicate presence of particles of wasted liquid fuel in the exhaust
BATTERY REMOVAL AND JUMP START CABLE RULE: Negative Terminal
Replacing a battery is among the simplest jobs you can do on your car. It's so simple, in fact, that you might forget it is also potentially dangerous.
Best way to Replace Car Battery:
- Start by carefully hosing the battery down with warm water to remove any spilled acid or corrosion. Then remove the negative terminal first ( the one with " - " on top of the pole or green ring around the pole while the positive terminal is the one with " + " on top of the pole or red ring around the pole)
- What difference does it make which terminal comes first?
- Simply this. If you try to remove the positive terminal first, the wrench is electrically "hot", not only in relation to the other battery terminal, but to the rest of the car as well. This includes the fender, the radiator and the battery hold-down clamps-, all of which might be close enough to the positive terminal to contact the other end of your wrench as you are working the cable loose.
- And there's enough energy stored in a car battery to weld the wrench into place and turn it fiery red almost instantly.
- If you remove the negative terminal first, there can't be any fireworks unless you actually short the two battery posts to each other, which is a lot harder to doaccidentally.
CHECK YOUR FIVE TIRES BEFORE YOU TAKE THAT MOTORING TRIP
Before you go on a long motoring trip, it would be wise to inspect your car tires. The car diagrams below depict various erratic patterns, and in each case, directly underneath, the cause of problem, as well as the corrective adjustment required.
