Questions regarding problems starting an engine. May be related to the starter system or other problems preventing the engine from running
Questions tagged [starting]
1207 questions
27
votes
6 answers
Is Start & Stop technology good or bad for my car? (Alfa MiTO)
I was recently in the lucky position to obtain an (almost brand new) Alfa Romeo MiTo, Progression. Like many new cars coming out these days, it has "Start & Stop" technology that turns the engine off when the car is stationary and is put in neutral…
DeVil
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25
votes
7 answers
How slow ( not zero) can a car engine run without hurting engine and saving on fuel
New cars have stop-start system (even though this has been available for a long time). My question is: why are car companies emphasizing shutting the engine down at a traffic light, rather than making the engine run at close to zero RPM (but…
Raj
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21
votes
1 answer
Why does diesel engine need a warm-up before the start-up?
When starting up, diesel engine needs approximately 5s before turning the key for ignition. Why is this neccessary and what can be damaged if you don't do that?
winter
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20
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6 answers
Can I jumpstart a non-hybrid car from a hybrid or full electric car?
This morning I had starter battery troubles with my 2001 VW Eurovan. As it happened, my father-in-law arrived just at the right time in his fancy new Toyota Camry hybrid. So we opened the hoods, dug out the jumpstart cables and then got…
Digital Trauma
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19
votes
4 answers
Push start a car with automatic transmission
Is it possible to push start a car with automatic transmission?
Use case: Let's say the battery is dead or you have a bad starter. I know this can be done on manual cars by putting the car in to gear after the car starts moving.
Can you do the same…
rana
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17
votes
4 answers
Is it ever neccesary to burn a starter out?
Honda civic vti 1999.
While we were trying to diagnose a no start/cut out condition (Help with odd start/no start car) the mechanic kept holding the ignition on crank for prolonged times and you could smell a burning smell develop. I asked him what…
James Wilson
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14
votes
6 answers
Ford Focus hard to start after fueling
I own a 2014 Ford Focus, with a 4-cylinder turbocharged engine. A few years ago, it developed a rather interesting issue. After I put gas in the tank, it gets hard to start, and is hard to keep running for the next few minutes.
It's not the amount…
HiddenWindshield
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13
votes
6 answers
What does it mean when I turn the car key, nothing happens for a bit, and then the car revs to life?
Usually, when starting my car, as soon as I turn the key all the way around, the car instantly starts revving and then springs to life.
For some reason, today, when starting my car. I turned the key in the ignition and nothing happened. My…
jojo
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13
votes
4 answers
2000 VW Polo struggles to/won't start when engine warm
My 2000 1.4 petrol polo struggles to start when warm and sometimes will not start, until the engine has cooled down a bit, when the engine is on the hot side of warm.
Embarrassingly, I have lived with this issue for quite a number of years because…
atw
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13
votes
2 answers
Why might I experience a power falloff after starting my car with the AC On?
I have a 2000 Chrysler Neon which generally runs well.
I have noticed that if I start the vehicle, turn the AC on and reverse out of the driveway, the engine seems to struggle/sounds like it is going to stall.
If I turn the AC off, it immediately…
Stephen
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12
votes
3 answers
Car won't start, horn won't honk, headlights won't come on, what could cause this?
Vehicle:
2005 Honda Accord LX 2.4L FI DOHC 4cyl
Symptoms
Car wouldn't start today. In the past had occasionally had it hiccup before starting but that was the only indicator of problems. No accidents or special maintenance done recently that seems…
user1547672
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12
votes
2 answers
Car stalls/dies suddenly while driving and is not starting again
I own a Indian Make TATA INDICA Ev2 (CR4) Turbo Engine car. I did rebore recently and the mileage was 130,000 KMs. After rebore first service of 3000 km is successfully completed and now I'm facing a problem with sudden stall of the engine while…
ChandraSekhar Balakrishnan
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12
votes
7 answers
The poor man's Start Interrupt Switch -- non-obvious way to disable starting
There's some idiot stealing similar cars to mine -- mid to late 90s Subarus -- in this part of town. The police are pretty confident that he has a jiggle key (the cars have been mostly recovered, dumped but unharmed; apparently he's just using them…
jscs
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11
votes
3 answers
How to start my motorcycle when the kick-starter fails?
This morning I tried to start my motorcycle but the kick-starter failed. It was idle for about a month but it was riding fine before that . My motorcycle doesn't have an electric starter function.
The fuel tank has more than a liter of petrol, last…
Vijay MaximOff
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10
votes
7 answers
Jump-starting a car: connecting black to the engine block
I recently found out that when jumping a car, you should not connect the black connector to the recipient vehicle's battery, but rather to a grounded point on the car. The expressed purpose is to avoid a spark near the battery, which may…
Cort Ammon
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