Starters: My car won't start.
Okay so what happens when your car won't start? A gasoline engine needs three key ingredients to operate: 1) fuel (there has to be something to burn), 2) a spark to ignite the fuel, and 3) some way for the fuel to meet the spark and ignite a fire--this is the compression. Compressing fuel in a confined cylinder inside the engine, then introducing a spark from a spark plug will produce a small explosion. This explosion process is what generates horsepower.
FIRST, "What is missing in the equation (fuel, spark, compression)?" You went out to your car today, and the car won't start... how? Suppose the engine won't turn over. When I say the engine won't turn over, I mean when you turn the key the engine goes...blank (nothing is happening). The radio and the lights may still be functioning fine.
What are the things that cause the engine to turn over? The battery and the starter are the two most important. If the headlights are on and are bright, then we could probably assume the battery is up to snuff and doing its job. The starter takes electricity from the battery and turns the engine over to start the piston explosion process I described earlier. So in this case there is probably a problem with the starter, or something is hampering the electricity from the battery to the engine or starter (maybe burned or damaged wiring or a bad ground connection).
The other type of "no start" occurs when the engine turns over like it is trying to start but will not start. So the battery and the starter are doing their jobs, but we are lacking one of the main exploding ingredients. Is there fuel? Look at the gauge first.
Do you have compression? Does the engine sound like it is turning over fully, or does the engine sound like it is turning over too fast or too slow? A broken timing belt or timing chain will cause the engine to turn over very easily and very fast because the compression process is not taking place.
Is there spark? This is not as easy to determine as it sounds, and can require some tools and experience to test. Now you probably don't care to "do it yourself" from here on out, but at least you have ruled out the battery, the starter, and a lack of fuel in the tank. This little bit of effort on your part saves the mechanic a lot of time trying to guess what happened and why, and you might actually find the problem yourself.
Last thing to check, is the car in park? The engine will only start in park and neutral. Still got a problem? Ok, now it's time to call Griffin's.
At Griffin's, we will explain exactly what's required, what’s optional and provide you with a written estimate before any work is done.
2423 Old Middlefield Way Unit D
Mountain View, CA 94043
Call Today to Schedule an Apt. (650) 961-8657
The #1 Dealership Alternative For Factory Maintenance.
Alternators & Starters
GUARANTEED REPAIRS 24 MONTHS OR 24,000 MILES!
Free Pickup and Delivery on Regular Service, Free Rental Car with Major Repairs
Free Pickup and Delivery on Regular Service
Free Rental Car with Major Repairs
Call Today to Schedule an Appointment
650-961-8657
AUTO ALTERNATOR AND STARTER REPAIR IS WHAT WE DO!
CALL FOR SAME DAY APPOINTMENT!
Perhaps you've noticed your headlights dimming while driving, or maybe you have an ongoing problem with a perfectly good battery that keeps running out of power, even after you've had it recharged a time or two. Or your battery light flickers on at low RPMs, or is on all of the time. These are all signs that your alternator isn't working properly.
How an Alternator Works
Your engine runs on air, fuel and spark. The spark is the center of it all, and for that we need electricity. Your battery supplies electricity, but only enough to get you a few miles down the road. We need more. That's where the alternator comes in. The alternator continually charges the battery so that we never have to worry about that whole "running out of juice" problem. Your battery is 12 volts, but to keep the battery 100% charged and run all of your car's electrical components at the same time, the alternator has an output of between 13.5 and 14.8 volts.
Symptoms of Bad Alternator
Know the warning signs of impending device malfunctions in the car. Any malfunctioning car part or device gives you indirect indications of its problems. Some devices have indicators which show their condition, while the only way to check the condition of some car devices is to check out for yourself. There are various bad alternator symptoms which will give you an advance notice of impending problems. Here is a listing of common bad alternator symptoms.
Bad Alternator Symptoms #1: Watch the Dashboard Indicator/Service Light There is a dashboard indicator or service light, which indicates the condition of the alternator. If it flickers or is switched off, it could mean two things. Either the service light LED is gone or the alternator is not working! Check both cases as soon as possible with a mechanic or do it your self with a dc voltmeter.
Bad Alternator Symptoms #2: Battery Voltage Output Drop
The best and sure fire way, in which you can know the condition of your alternator is to arm yourself with a digital multimeter or dc voltmeter and check the voltage output of the battery. If it is consistently low (less than 13 V) and diminishing, then chances are, that either alternator is partially or fully failing or there is a problem with the car battery itself. Either way, its best to get it checked by one of our qualified technicians.
Bad Alternator Symptoms #3: Noise
Many experienced car mechanics can tell what is wrong with a car, by just listening to it! Years of experience have trained them to know what is wrong just by identifying peculiar sounds made by malfunctioning parts! We mortals cannot be expected to understand that yet, but noise is an indicator of something going wrong. A clanging or rattling sound might be an indicator of something gone wrong with the alternator belt or its other parts.
Bad Alternator Symptoms #4: Diminished Accessory Performance
One of the indirect bad alternator symptoms is diminished performance of various electrical accessories in the car. This indicates, low charging level of the battery, which could be a result of the alternator not performing well. In this case, an immediate check up from a mechanic is recommended or else, you will observe the gradual shutdown of all electrically operated accessories of the car.
Any time you notice these symptoms (or any others), it’s a good idea to have your vehicle checked. At Griffin's, we will explain exactly what's required, what’s optional and provide you with a written estimate before any work is done.
Free Pickup and Delivery on Regular Service
Free Rental Car with Major Repairs
Call Today to Schedule an Appointment
650-961-8657
Griffin's Auto Repair
Honest, Dependable Auto Repair Specialists are waiting to take your call.
