Hi, I'm Luis Johnson, an automobile technician, and power equipment professional. By profession, I'm a businessman and operate a car workshop. I have created this...Read more
If your car suddenly refuses to start, you may think the battery may be dying or dead. But it doesn’t always happen. Sometimes, your car won’t start though battery is good.
Now you may be thinking, why is my car not starting even if the battery is in good condition? In general, there are numerous reasons behind this problem.
However, having a faulty starter or ignition switch, a faulty spark plug, clogged fuel filters, a bad fuel pump, a poor ground cable, and a short timing belt are the common reasons causing a car won’t start.
If you want to know in-depth details about these issues that prevent your car from starting, continue reading the context.
Reasons Why Your Car Won’t Start Though Battery Is Good
Dealing with a vehicle that won’t start is very annoying, especially if you know the battery is good. In that case, identifying the possible reasons for having this problem will help you overcome the situation.
That’s why here we have talked about some reasons why a car won’t start though battery is good.
Reason 1: Don’t Have Enough Fuel
Insufficient fuel can be one of the major reasons why a car declines to start. Although cars require a small amount of fuel to start, if the fuel is finished, then the car won’t start.
Additionally, if your car won’t have enough gas in the tank, it won’t start. In most cases, faulty gas indicators prevent you from filling the gas on time, causing the car not to start.
Reason 2: Have A Faulty Starter
Starter plays a crucial role in starting a car. It actually transmits power to the engine to start its function. So, if your car has a faulty starter, the engine won’t get power, causing the car doesn’t start.
To know whether you have a faulty starter, check the things pointed out below.
- Engine Won’t Turn On: If interior lights come on, but the engine remains turned off, after turning on the ignition.
- Whirring Sound: If you hear clicking noises after turning on the ignition, you have to understand you have a faulty starter.
- Old Starter: Over time, a starter usually wears out. So, if your car has been old for more than ten years, you may have a faulty starter.
Reason 3: Ignition Switch Has Problem
If you find the starter is functioning properly, you need to examine the ignition switch. This switch helps to distribute electric power from the battery to the main electric component of a vehicle.
So, if there is any issue with the ignition switch, your car won’t start even after having a good battery. You can easily identify whether the ignition switch has any problem by checking the symptoms discussed below.
- Key Won’t Work: An ignition switch has four positions: lock (0), accessory (I), on (II), and start (III). If none of the positions function once inserted the key, you likely have a bad ignition switch.
- No Noise: With a bad starter, you may hear some noise, but you won’t hear any noise if the ignition switch doesn’t work. So, once you insert the ignition key, you won’t hear any whirring, grinding, or clicking sound.
Reason 4: Clogged Fuel Filters
Fuel needs to go into the car’s engine to start at ignition time. If the fuel can’t reach the engine, your car won’t start. In that case, clogged fuel filters can be why the fuel doesn’t reach the engine.
Fuel filters usually become dirty from dust and oxidation over time. So, if you do not clean the fuel filter for a long time, the filters may be blocked by debris. Most manufacturers suggest replacing car fuel filters between every 20,000 and 150,000 miles of driving.
Reason 5: Bad Fuel Pump
Apart from having a clogged fuel filter, a bad fuel pump can also be the reason that your car won’t start. A fuel pump actually helps to send fuel from the gas cylinder to the engine via fuel lines.
In that case, if the pump fails, fuel won’t reach the engine, causing the car not to start. However, if your car has a functional fuel pump, you will hear a faint whirring sound after turning on the ignition.
The sound will last around 1-2 seconds since the fuel pump transmits fuel to the engine. If you don’t hear any noise after turning on the ignition, your car likely has a failed fuel pump.
Reason 6: Have A Bad Spark
Even after having a good battery, a car won’t start if the spark malfunctions. A spark usually helps start the combustion explosion, which is responsible for starting the engine.
In that case, if the spark doesn’t work, there won’t be any spark, thus not igniting a combustion explosion in the engine. As a result, your car won’t start. Although this is very difficult to identify the problem, below are some symptoms that help to notice the problem.
- Engine Misfires
- Reduction in fuel economy
- Acceleration problem
Reason 7: Short Timing Belt
The timing belt is the most critical part of cars to function the engine properly. It maintains stable combustion in the engine by regulating the valve opening and closing at the right intervals.
Thus, the valve and piston never touch together. So, if the timing belt fails, it will prevent the combustion needed for ignition, causing the engine not to function.
In general, the timing belt is more likely to fail when the engine is running, causing serious damage to the engine. However, if you see any mark of oil leakage beside the engine, this may cause the timing belt to fail.
Reason 8: Ground Cable Wiring Problem
A faulty ground cable connection can be another reason why your car won’t start even after having a good battery. The ground cable is the black color cable joined to the car battery’s negative port.
This cable is responsible for supplying electric power to every electrical component of a car. Since a car needs electric power to start the engine, having a disconnected negative cable will prevent your car from starting. If you know where to connect the ground wire car battery in your car, you can fix this problem by yourself without seeking expert help.
Below, we have pointed out some symptoms that will help you to understand if there is a ground cable problem with your car.
- Electric devices turn on and off automatically
- Dim or blinking headlights
- Irregular sensor failure
- Clutch slipping in the AC compressor
- Struggling to start the car
What To Do If Car Won’t Start Though Battery Is Good?
After knowing the reasons the car won’t start though battery is good, you may be wondering how to overcome these problems. Below, we have discussed some effective solutions that will help you start your car.
Fill Some Gas
If you don’t fill the gas in your car for a long time or suddenly find the car won’t start, it is time to fill some gas. Having insufficient gas in your car’s tank will cause ignition problems.
However, a faulty fuel indicator can be the reason to finish the fuel suddenly. In that case, it will be better for you to check the fuel indicator whether it works properly or not.
If you find the fuel indicator is malfunctioning, you should replace it with a new one.
Fix The Bad Starter
As you know, a car won’t start though battery is good if the starter fails. So, if you find your car’s starter is malfunctioning, bypassing the starter will be an easy way to start the car again.
In that case, you will need a wire or a screwdriver to join the starter’s positive port to the solenoid port. Once you connect, the starter will send 12 volts directly to the solenoid, which will make a sudden burst in the combustion to start the car.
This way, you can start the car in an emergency, but you have to replace the starter for a permanent solution.
Clean Clogged Fuel Filters
Cleaning the clogged fuel filters will ensure free fuel flow between the engine and the fuel tank. To clean the fuel filters, you have to disconnect the battery first and remove the filter from the fuel lines.
After that, clean the removed filter with a solvent cleaner and leave it in an open space for an hour to dry. Once the filter has dried, reinstall it and reconnect the battery.
Take Your Car to A Garage
If your car has any problem with the fuel pump or timing belt problem, it is better to take it to expert mechanics. This is because working on these components will be difficult for you, especially if you don’t have any mechanical knowledge.
In contrast, car mechanics can easily identify and fix your car’s problems. However, if any components of your car are damaged completely, you should replace them so that you don’t have to encounter any problems in the future.
Frequently Asked Questions
If your car doesn’t start even though the battery is good, different questions may arise in your mind. That’s why some questions have been answered here that are asked most of the time by car users. Check these answers; you may find them helpful.
Is A Fuse Cause A Car Won’t Start?
Yes, a blown or damaged fuse can cause a car not to start by preventing the electric energy supply from the battery to other components.
Electric power is needed to regulate the spark, which is responsible for the combustion explosion in the engine. So, if the fuse is blown, the engine doesn’t function; thus, the car won’t start.
Is The Crankshaft Position Sensor Cause A Car Not To Start?
The crankshaft position sensor is an engine control component that monitors the engine RPM. Monitored data then transmits to the engine control component. At this stage, if the sensor provides wrong data or doesn’t work, the car will not start.
How To Determine If My Car Battery Is In Good Condition?
Executing a hydrometer test or battery load test, you can easily determine whether your car battery is good. If your car battery passes the test, it is in good condition and doesn’t need to be replaced. In case the battery fails the test, you will need to replace the battery.
Conclusion
So, these are the common reasons that a car won’t start though battery is good. As you can see, having a faulty starter or ignition, malfunctioning fuel pump or spark, clogged fuel line, and issue with ground cable wiring are behind, causing this problem.
Some of these problems you may fix on your own, but some require expert help. In that case, you can follow the discussed techniques to start your car if it won’t start even after having a good battery. Yet, if you can’t fix your car, you should take the car to expert mechanics or a garage.
Hi, I'm Luis Johnson, an automobile technician, and power equipment professional. By profession, I'm a businessman and operate a car workshop. I have created this site Batteryquery to help people purchase the right battery for their vehicles. The reason behind creating this site is to help my customers purchase the right car battery who often purchase the wrong one due to their lack of knowledge.
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