07/09/12 09:57:58 32SAA650_364
If Your Engine Won’t Start
Diagnosing why your engine won’t
start falls into two areas, depending
on what you hear when you turn the
key to the START (III) position:
Nothing Happens or the Starter
Motor Operates Very Slowly
When you turn the ignition switch to
the START (III) position, you do not
hear the normal noise of the engine
trying to start. You may hear a
clicking sound or series of clicks, or
nothing at all.
On some manual transmission
models, the clutch pedal must be
pushed all the way to the floor or the
starter will not operate.
You hear nothing, or almost
nothing. The engine’s starter
motor does not operate at all, or
operates very slowly.
Turn the ignition switch to the ON
(II) position. Turn on the
headlights and check their
brightness. If the headlights are
very dim or don’t light at all, the
battery is discharged. See Jump
Starting on page 363 .
Check these things:
You can hear the starter motor
operating normally, or the starter
motor sounds like it is spinning
faster than normal, but the engine
does not start up and run.
Your vehicle has the Immobilizer
System (on some types). You
should use a properly-coded key to
start the engine (see page 112 ). A
key that is not properly coded will
cause the immobilizer system
indicator in the instrument panel
to blink rapidly.
Turn the ignition switch to the
START (III) position. If the
headlights do not dim, check the
condition of the fuses. If the fuses
are OK, there is probably
something wrong with the
If your vehicle is equipped with an
automatic transmission (CVT),
check the position of the shift
lever. It must be in Park or neutral.
electrical circuit for the ignition
switch or starter motor. You will
need a qualified technician to
determine the problem (see
Emergency Towing on page 381 ).
CONTINUED
361
Taking Care of the Unexpected
English 
