5.1.1. The engine will not start
Yes: see point 5
4. There is a malfunction in the ignition switch or in the wiring from the switch to the coil. In order to get to the nearest car service center, you can apply emergency power to the ignition system. To do this, connect the “+B” terminal of the ignition coil and the “+” terminal of the battery with an additional wire. Fasten the wires securely. Keep in mind that now, in order to turn off the engine, you will need to disconnect the additional cable from the “+” battery.
Warning
If, when connecting to the “+” terminal of the battery, strong sparking is noticed, this method will have to be abandoned - apparently, the wiring is shorted to ground.
5. Remove the center wire from the ignition distributor cap.
Insert a spare spark plug into the end of the wire and press its metal part against the ground of the car. Use the starter to turn the engine crankshaft. Be sure to use a thick rubber glove or pliers with insulated handles.
Warnings
Never test the ignition system for a spark between the tip of the wire and ground; this may cause serious damage to the switch.
Do not remove the terminals from the battery or the connector from the switch while the engine is running.
Is there a spark between the spark plug electrodes?
6. Yes: see point 7
7. There may be a malfunction of the switch, Hall sensor in the distributor or ignition coil.
Remove the distributor cap by removing the two screws. Carefully inspect the distributor cap outside and inside for damage (cracks, chips, destruction of the carbon contact inside the cap).
Is there any damage?
8. No: see point 9
9. Replace the cover.
Check whether the distributor rotor (runner) is damaged.
Warning
Sometimes the noise suppression resistance in the rotor fails.
There are also cases of breakdown of the rotor housing to ground.
At the same time, turn the engine crankshaft with the starter.
10. Once again, taking precautions, check for spark. Try starting the engine.
Is the engine running?
No: see point 12
11. Bon Voyage!
12. Check for spark at the spark plugs. Remove the high voltage wire from any spark plug. Insert a spare spark plug into the end of the wire and press its metal part against the ground of the car. Be sure to use a thick rubber glove or pliers with insulated handles. Use the starter to turn the engine crankshaft.
Is there a spark?
No: see point 14
13. Replace the spark plugs with new ones. You can first try to install not new ones, but proven ones, as they say, from a working machine.
14. Replace high-voltage wires with new ones. You can first try to install not new ones, but proven ones, “from a working machine”.
Checking the carburetor engine power system
Warning
When checking the power system, do not smoke or use open fire under any circumstances!
EXECUTION ORDER
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To troubleshoot
Your technical equipment must be impeccable - after all, the time you have is the same money that, we hope, you also have. Don't lose either one or the other. If a missing tie out of nowhere or a pant leg burnt by an iron can cause a business meeting to be disrupted, what can we say about a car that doesn’t want to start an hour before the scheduled negotiations.
Calm down. There is no need to rush under the hood in an English suit and, smearing the oily dirt with a tie, try to make a diagnosis. You probably won't be able to cure it in 5 minutes. Take another car, and leave the treatment of your sick friend until the evening. And it’s better to entrust it to doctors with a good reputation, especially if you have an expensive car and you are not a specialist. It will be cheaper this way. Well, if your friend is well known to you and you consider yourself a healer, well, try it yourself, if you’re not too lazy to get dirty or there’s no other way out.
The diagnosis must be made calmly
Mentally examine the symptoms. First, does the starter turn? And if so, how cheerful? You already know the answer - remember what happened the first time you tried to start the car. If you don't remember, try again.
If the starter does not turn at all and does not even click the traction relay when the ignition is turned on, then it is either faulty (you can close the hood and follow the advice given above: “Take another car..”), or there is a problem with the battery - it has turned off or died. Only in rare models can the starter power circuit be protected by a fuse - about 300 amperes - it is not difficult to find, especially if you know in advance where it is located. If the battery is to blame, then, as a rule, all electrical equipment does not work. The simplest and easiest case is that one of the terminals has come off or is dirty, but the battery is fine. Tighten the terminals on it and on the starter (if equipped). If it turns out that the battery is completely dead (forgot to turn off the headlights at night), you can still leave. But with outside help. Here, as they say, options are possible. You can try to start from a push, from a hill or from a tow. Don’t try to get around the pitfalls: a car with an automatic transmission or electronic fuel injection (if it has an electric fuel pump) will not be able to start using these methods. I'll have to light a cigarette at my neighbor's. However, for some machines this can lead to damage to the computer (read the instructions for the machine). If the starter turns on, but is sluggish (this happens in the summer, in winter this is a subject for a separate discussion), most likely the battery is almost completely discharged. This will be visible by weak headlights or weak signal. In this case, the above options for outside assistance come into play.
If the starter turns briskly, but the engine does not respond to attempts to start it, feel free to exclude everything related to the battery from further considerations. Blame the ignition or fuel supply system, you can’t go wrong. When diagnosing and treating each of them, a systematic approach is required. It’s better to start with the ignition - problems occur there more often. Especially in wet weather.
From a spark it will ignite...
So, we need to look for a spark. Your car may be equipped with a classic (simple) contact ignition system, a rather complex electronic contactless one, or some combination. In any case, the system consists of three parts. Part one is low-voltage (breaker contacts in a classic system or a special sensor in an electronic one, plus a box with electronic filling that forms a spark). Part two is a step-up transformer, called an ignition coil in the world.
Part three is high voltage (mechanical or electronic distributor and wires through which high voltage current is supplied to the spark plugs). And of course, the candles themselves. The inspection of this entire enterprise must be carried out in stages and it is better to start from the end.
Stage one. High voltage part of the system. Check to see if there is a spark on the center wire - this is the one that connects the coil to the distributor. The tip of the wire must be removed from the distributor cap, brought closer to any part that has good contact with the body of the car (it doesn’t matter whether it is painted or not), and secured so that there is a gap of 5–7 mm between the tip and the selected part.
If your car has an electronic ignition, the wire must be fastened especially securely - if it falls on ground, the electronics will instantly die for a long time. For the same reason, you should not scratch the wire across the body. We also do not recommend holding it with your hand, not even with your own - it will give you a serious electric shock.
The first step is to remove the distributor cap. It may be damp and dirty underneath. Along such a “conductor” the spark readily jumps anywhere, just not where it needs to be. Wipe, clean and dry. At the same time, it is not harmful to clean the distributor contacts, for example, with fine sandpaper. Inspect the so-called "runner". If you find a dark trace of electrical breakdown on it or on the distributor cap, the part will have to be replaced.
Carefully check the wires going from the distributor to the spark plugs.
If you have already reached the stage of turning out the spark plugs, you can quite effectively (and impressively) check the entire ignition system as a whole. Having connected high-voltage wires to the turned-out candles, collect the candles in a bunch, like carrots, and wrap the bare soft wire directly along their threaded part. Make sure the wire makes contact with each spark plug but does not touch the center electrodes. Connect the free end of the wire to ground. Having placed the bunch of candles in a place convenient for observation from the passenger compartment, turn the engine with the starter. In this case, cheerful sparks should jump between the electrodes of the spark plugs in turn (in accordance with the order of operation of the cylinders). If so, then the entire ignition system is fine. The sound of the engine will be very unusual - do not be alarmed, because it is spinning with the spark plugs turned out. Don't twist for too long. It’s worse if at the second stage of testing there is another option: there is no spark between the central wire and the “housing”. This means that the problem is not in high-voltage circuits. Further searches will be more difficult, evaluate your time and desire. If both are available, proceed to the third stage.
Check if voltage is supplied to the ignition coil. This is easy to do with a tester, and if you don’t have one, you can use an under-hood light bulb. True, you will need a couple of wires to connect it to the coil. In a classic ignition system, you need to connect a light bulb between ground and the input of the primary winding.
At the third stage, as usual, two options are also possible: voltage is either supplied to the coil or not. If it is supplied, the coil is to blame - a breakdown or short circuit, which, however, happens extremely rarely. The coil will have to be changed. More often there is poor contact in the attachment of the wires to the coil. Or the same wet mud, through which the spark flows to an unknown destination. Sometimes the coil is polished to a shine, but underneath there remains an invisible, very narrow strip of dirt - a good conductor.
Remove the cover from the distributor and inspect the contacts of the breaker - they may oxidize, especially if the car has been standing still for some time. The contacts must be carefully cleaned with fine sandpaper or a special needle file.
Twitch the cleaned contacts so that they either close or open.
The voltage on them is only 12 volts, so you can pull without fear. If cleaning does not help and voltage is still not supplied to the coil, we once again advise you to stop trying to resuscitate the car for a while, since further difficulties will begin.
If voltage appears (the light blinks when the contacts are pulled), restore everything that was loosened and disassembled, start the car and, perhaps, it will still have time to go about its business. If it doesn’t start, but is at least sneezing, turn out the spark plugs and...
Don't press to the floor - it won't help
It may also happen that the entire ignition system has been checked, everything is fine, but the engine, even if you crack it, still won’t start. This means that there are problems with another of the previously mentioned systems - the power system, i.e., the supply of fuel to the engine.
In a conventional carburetor engine, the fuel system is simpler - a tank, a fuel pump, a set of pipelines and a carburetor. Here you can dig deeper yourself. The first step is to make sure that gasoline is entering the carburetor. Disconnect the hose from the carburetor and press the manual fuel pump lever. If a fairly powerful stream of gasoline starts flowing, everything is fine, it’s time to move on to the carburetor. It happens that gasoline is supplied to the carburetor regularly, but for some reason it does not flow into it. If you have the time and desire, remove the air filter, then ask someone to press the accelerator pedal sharply. Or you can sharply pull the throttle cable yourself. At the same time, look into the carburetor from above (the air damper is open, otherwise you won’t see anything): if a trickle of gasoline does not appear in the first diffuser, it means that there is no gasoline in the float chamber. It is not there because the valve needle is stuck or (this happens not very often) the fuel filter in the carburetor is completely clogged - it is located in front of the float chamber. Or the jets are clogged. The filter is cleaned by blowing, however, if you do not have the necessary skills, it is better not to mess with the carburetor internals at all, deal with a stuck needle valve, clogged jets and other subtleties - let the specialists do it.
If there is a stream in the diffuser, pay attention to the carburetor starting device - it quite often fails. On foreign cars, starting around the 70s, automatic air damper control is used. The device, without your participation, depending on the engine temperature, closes or opens the damper as needed, enriching the mixture when starting the engine. If this automation works, you can try manual manipulation of the air damper, but there are a lot of options and there are no universal tips. Before starting any manipulations, connect and secure the previously disconnected fuel hose. You don't have to install the air filter yet. If it starts, let the engine warm up and God bless you (after returning the air filter to its place).. If, when checking the fuel supply with a fuel pump, it turns out that gasoline does not come out of the hose or the stream is very thin, the cause must be sought in clogged pipelines, a fine fuel filter or the gas tank itself - you can easily demonstrate your skill by pumping the gas line with a tire pump in the direction opposite to the movement of gasoline, i.e. from the carburetor to the tank. Booming, gurgling sounds should be heard in the tank.
With a fine fuel filter everything is simple. Although on almost all modern models it is made in a transparent case, the degree of its contamination cannot be visually determined. A dirty filter will allow the engine to start, but will not allow it to drive normally. If it's completely clogged, you won't be able to start the engine. The most effective check: remove the filter and, if you don’t have a new one, temporarily replace it with a suitable tube, for example, the housing of a ballpoint pen, preferably transparent - you can see how gasoline flows. Do not try to clean the filter - the sealed (or sealed) housing cannot be disassembled.
If you come to the conclusion that your car’s fuel pump is not working and you don’t have a spare one at hand – “Take another car...”.
We left a rare, but most unpleasant diagnosis for last. If the starter is working normally, you have already spent a lot of time and made sure that the ignition and power supply are in perfect order, but the car, nevertheless, does not start - it is worth inspecting the camshaft drive belt. However, decide for yourself, this check can be carried out at the beginning, especially if the engine has already passed more than 60 thousand.
The difficulty is that you will have to remove or at least partially bend the upper part of the plastic casing covering the belt. Perhaps the teeth of the belt were cut off - belts, like people, lose teeth from old age. In this case, the camshaft does not rotate and the engine will not work. It is clear that a toothless belt requires replacement (those who have a car with a chain camshaft drive do not face this problem). The procedure for replacing the belt is not complicated, but it is troublesome. Carried out in a hospital. It’s good if everything is limited to replacing only the belt, and not bent valves or the entire cylinder head - this also happens.
About the causes of atherosclerosis
Let's try to explain why the circulatory system of a car is sometimes affected by "atherosclerosis". Gasoline is the lifeblood of the car. And the blood must be clean and flow through clean vessels. And the fact that “cholesterol” accumulates in blood vessels beyond the permissible limit is, as a rule, our own fault. Do you often use a canister to add gasoline to your tank? If so, then the chances of clogging the fuel line and filters increase, especially if your funnel does not have a mesh. Debris, rust, sand usually accumulate in the canister, and if the inside of the canister is painted, then paint particles. It is clear that the smaller the amount of intermediate containers used on the way of gasoline from the dispenser to the tank, the better. Oddly enough, even at the most seedy gas station there is less dirt in the tanks in specific terms than in a “home” canister. The scourge of our gas stations is not so much dirt as water. But here we are powerless. In our memory, only one swindler was burned by diluting gasoline, and even then not with water, but with donkey urine, and not in life, but in the movies (see "Gentlemen of Fortune"). So you'll have to put up with it. However, in order not to add water to domestic diluted gasoline yourself, try to always keep the tank full.
It is worth saying a few words about the battery. Since it is maintenance-free on most modern cars, there is no point in providing operating instructions here.
We will give just a few additional tips on how to keep your battery viable longer. Don't get carried away with stuffing your car with additional energy consumers. The fact that a certain reserve is provided in the energy balance of the car, allowing two or three “freeloaders” to connect, does not mean that you can hang six horns and ten fog lights on the car - have a sense of proportion. In addition, if you connect unintended connections yourself, there is a high probability of damage to the insulation. And in general, as practice shows, any, even the most qualified, surgical intervention in the electrical wiring of a car sooner or later makes itself felt. Troubles.
If your battery is dying, try not to rev the engine during numerous stops in the city. Nothing abuses the battery more than frequent use of the starter.
And lastly (this applies not only to the battery, but to all electrical equipment in general). Remember: all terminals, contacts, wire tips must be dry and clean and fit well to their “destination points”. Dirty, oily insulation breaks through sooner or later, and burning and oxidation of any contact surface can serve as the only (and sufficient) reason for the failure of the ignition system. Or a fire.
We can stop here. Meticulous car enthusiasts have undoubtedly noticed some of the superficiality of our advice. We admit that we deliberately do not want to go deeper into the jungle. Not to provoke you into self-medication - it does not lead to good. Understanding the nature of pain in the lower abdomen on the right does not mean that you yourself should remove your appendix. But you must accurately describe the symptoms of appendicitis to your doctor. Helps the treatment a lot.
Hello! I have a VAZ 21213 Niva, when I turn the key in the ignition switch there is no characteristic noise of the fuel pump turning on. . What to do? Thank you! (Pavlov Sergey)
Good day, Sergey. We will talk about the reasons for the failure of the fuel pump below.
Why doesn't the pump work?
- So, what could be causing the element to not work:
- The motor of the device itself has failed. In this case, all that remains is to replace the pump assembly.
- No contact. You need to get to the device and check the functionality of all contacts - whether there is a break, whether all wire harnesses are connected.
- Poor unit weight. Sometimes it happens that the ground wiring has oxidized and cannot transmit contact. In this case, you need to check its condition and clean it if necessary. If there is a problem with the mass, then you will also notice that the gasoline level arrow on the dashboard will drop.
Now as for the starter, why does it refuse to turn:
- The simplest thing is a dead battery. Perhaps you are the first to do so, but we must warn you about this. Try or “smoke” from another car.
- Signaling. In some cases, in practice, we have more than once encountered such a problem as an alarm short circuit. This happens for various reasons - due to water getting into the alarm unit, broken wires, etc. But the result is the same - if the alarm unit closes, neither will the fuel pump. The problem can be solved by repairing the board or replacing it, although the search may take some time.
- Failure of the solenoid relay. In this case, the starter will either be silent or buzz, but it will be impossible to start the engine.
- Bendix failure. This element is a gear located on the same shaft as the starter rotor. If the gear teeth are heavily worn, problems may arise with starting the engine.
- Worn bushings. The only solution is to replace them.
- Wear of the device windings. This occurs as a result of the fact that the element has already exhausted its service life. Replacing windings is a difficult and time-consuming task; it will be easier to completely change the component completely.
Video “How to find the cause of a pump failure”
For more details on finding the cause of a fuel pump failure, watch the video (author - Sergey L).
To troubleshoot
Your technical equipment must be impeccable - after all, the time you have is the same money that, we hope, you also have. Don't lose either one or the other. If a missing tie out of nowhere or a pant leg burnt by an iron can cause a business meeting to be disrupted, what can we say about a car that doesn’t want to start an hour before the scheduled negotiations.
Calm down. There is no need to rush under the hood in an English suit and, smearing the oily dirt with a tie, try to make a diagnosis. You probably won't be able to cure it in 5 minutes. Take another car, and leave the treatment of your sick friend until the evening. And it’s better to entrust it to doctors with a good reputation, especially if you have an expensive car and you are not a specialist. It will be cheaper this way. Well, if your friend is well known to you and you consider yourself a healer, well, try it yourself, if you’re not too lazy to get dirty or there’s no other way out.
The diagnosis must be made calmly
Mentally examine the symptoms. First, does the starter turn? And if so, how cheerful? You already know the answer - remember what happened the first time you tried to start the car. If you don't remember, try again.
If the starter does not turn at all and does not even click the traction relay when the ignition is turned on, then it is either faulty (you can close the hood and follow the advice given above: “Take another car..”), or there is a problem with the battery - it has turned off or died. Only in rare models can the starter power circuit be protected by a fuse - about 300 amperes - it is not difficult to find, especially if you know in advance where it is located. If the battery is to blame, then, as a rule, all electrical equipment does not work. The simplest and easiest case is that one of the terminals has come off or is dirty, but the battery is fine. Tighten the terminals on it and on the starter (if equipped). If it turns out that the battery is completely dead (forgot to turn off the headlights at night), you can still leave. But with outside help. Here, as they say, options are possible. You can try to start from a push, from a hill or from a tow. Don’t try to get around the pitfalls: a car with an automatic transmission or electronic fuel injection (if it has an electric fuel pump) will not be able to start using these methods. I'll have to light a cigarette at my neighbor's. However, for some machines this can lead to damage to the computer (read the instructions for the machine). If the starter turns on, but is sluggish (this happens in the summer, in winter this is a subject for a separate discussion), most likely the battery is almost completely discharged. This will be visible by weak headlights or weak signal. In this case, the above options for outside assistance come into play.
If the starter turns briskly, but the engine does not respond to attempts to start it, feel free to exclude everything related to the battery from further considerations. Blame the ignition or fuel supply system, you can’t go wrong. When diagnosing and treating each of them, a systematic approach is required. It’s better to start with the ignition - problems occur there more often. Especially in wet weather.
From a spark it will ignite...
So, we need to look for a spark. Your car may be equipped with a classic (simple) contact ignition system, a rather complex electronic contactless one, or some combination. In any case, the system consists of three parts. Part one is low-voltage (breaker contacts in a classic system or a special sensor in an electronic one, plus a box with electronic filling that forms a spark). Part two is a step-up transformer, called an ignition coil in the world.
Part three is high voltage (mechanical or electronic distributor and wires through which high voltage current is supplied to the spark plugs). And of course, the candles themselves. The inspection of this entire enterprise must be carried out in stages and it is better to start from the end.
Stage one. High voltage part of the system. Check to see if there is a spark on the center wire - this is the one that connects the coil to the distributor. The tip of the wire must be removed from the distributor cap, brought closer to any part that has good contact with the body of the car (it doesn’t matter whether it is painted or not), and secured so that there is a gap of 5–7 mm between the tip and the selected part.
If your car has an electronic ignition, the wire must be fastened especially securely - if it falls on ground, the electronics will instantly die for a long time. For the same reason, you should not scratch the wire across the body. We also do not recommend holding it with your hand, not even with your own - it will give you a serious electric shock.
The first step is to remove the distributor cap. It may be damp and dirty underneath. Along such a “conductor” the spark readily jumps anywhere, just not where it needs to be. Wipe, clean and dry. At the same time, it is not harmful to clean the distributor contacts, for example, with fine sandpaper. Inspect the so-called "runner". If you find a dark trace of electrical breakdown on it or on the distributor cap, the part will have to be replaced.
Carefully check the wires going from the distributor to the spark plugs.
If you have already reached the stage of turning out the spark plugs, you can quite effectively (and impressively) check the entire ignition system as a whole. Having connected high-voltage wires to the turned-out candles, collect the candles in a bunch, like carrots, and wrap the bare soft wire directly along their threaded part. Make sure the wire makes contact with each spark plug but does not touch the center electrodes. Connect the free end of the wire to ground. Having placed the bunch of candles in a place convenient for observation from the passenger compartment, turn the engine with the starter. In this case, cheerful sparks should jump between the electrodes of the spark plugs in turn (in accordance with the order of operation of the cylinders). If so, then the entire ignition system is fine. The sound of the engine will be very unusual - do not be alarmed, because it is spinning with the spark plugs turned out. Don't twist for too long. It’s worse if at the second stage of testing there is another option: there is no spark between the central wire and the “housing”. This means that the problem is not in high-voltage circuits. Further searches will be more difficult, evaluate your time and desire. If both are available, proceed to the third stage.
Check if voltage is supplied to the ignition coil. This is easy to do with a tester, and if you don’t have one, you can use an under-hood light bulb. True, you will need a couple of wires to connect it to the coil. In a classic ignition system, you need to connect a light bulb between ground and the input of the primary winding.
At the third stage, as usual, two options are also possible: voltage is either supplied to the coil or not. If it is supplied, the coil is to blame - a breakdown or short circuit, which, however, happens extremely rarely. The coil will have to be changed. More often there is poor contact in the attachment of the wires to the coil. Or the same wet mud, through which the spark flows to an unknown destination. Sometimes the coil is polished to a shine, but underneath there remains an invisible, very narrow strip of dirt - a good conductor.
Remove the cover from the distributor and inspect the contacts of the breaker - they may oxidize, especially if the car has been standing still for some time. The contacts must be carefully cleaned with fine sandpaper or a special needle file.
Twitch the cleaned contacts so that they either close or open.
The voltage on them is only 12 volts, so you can pull without fear. If cleaning does not help and voltage is still not supplied to the coil, we once again advise you to stop trying to resuscitate the car for a while, since further difficulties will begin.
If voltage appears (the light blinks when the contacts are pulled), restore everything that was loosened and disassembled, start the car and, perhaps, it will still have time to go about its business. If it doesn’t start, but is at least sneezing, turn out the spark plugs and...
Don't press to the floor - it won't help
It may also happen that the entire ignition system has been checked, everything is fine, but the engine, even if you crack it, still won’t start. This means that there are problems with another of the previously mentioned systems - the power system, i.e., the supply of fuel to the engine.
In a conventional carburetor engine, the fuel system is simpler - a tank, a fuel pump, a set of pipelines and a carburetor. Here you can dig deeper yourself. The first step is to make sure that gasoline is entering the carburetor. Disconnect the hose from the carburetor and press the manual fuel pump lever. If a fairly powerful stream of gasoline starts flowing, everything is fine, it’s time to move on to the carburetor. It happens that gasoline is supplied to the carburetor regularly, but for some reason it does not flow into it. If you have the time and desire, remove the air filter, then ask someone to press the accelerator pedal sharply. Or you can sharply pull the throttle cable yourself. At the same time, look into the carburetor from above (the air damper is open, otherwise you won’t see anything): if a trickle of gasoline does not appear in the first diffuser, it means that there is no gasoline in the float chamber. It is not there because the valve needle is stuck or (this happens not very often) the fuel filter in the carburetor is completely clogged - it is located in front of the float chamber. Or the jets are clogged. The filter is cleaned by blowing, however, if you do not have the necessary skills, it is better not to mess with the carburetor internals at all, deal with a stuck needle valve, clogged jets and other subtleties - let the specialists do it.
If there is a stream in the diffuser, pay attention to the carburetor starting device - it quite often fails. On foreign cars, starting around the 70s, automatic air damper control is used. The device, without your participation, depending on the engine temperature, closes or opens the damper as needed, enriching the mixture when starting the engine. If this automation works, you can try manual manipulation of the air damper, but there are a lot of options and there are no universal tips. Before starting any manipulations, connect and secure the previously disconnected fuel hose. You don't have to install the air filter yet. If it starts, let the engine warm up and God bless you (after returning the air filter to its place).. If, when checking the fuel supply with a fuel pump, it turns out that gasoline does not come out of the hose or the stream is very thin, the cause must be sought in clogged pipelines, a fine fuel filter or the gas tank itself - you can easily demonstrate your skill by pumping the gas line with a tire pump in the direction opposite to the movement of gasoline, i.e. from the carburetor to the tank. Booming, gurgling sounds should be heard in the tank.
With a fine fuel filter everything is simple. Although on almost all modern models it is made in a transparent case, the degree of its contamination cannot be visually determined. A dirty filter will allow the engine to start, but will not allow it to drive normally. If it's completely clogged, you won't be able to start the engine. The most effective check: remove the filter and, if you don’t have a new one, temporarily replace it with a suitable tube, for example, the housing of a ballpoint pen, preferably transparent - you can see how gasoline flows. Do not try to clean the filter - the sealed (or sealed) housing cannot be disassembled.
If you come to the conclusion that your car’s fuel pump is not working and you don’t have a spare one at hand – “Take another car...”.
Part three is high voltage (mechanical or electronic distributor and wires through which high voltage current is supplied to the spark plugs). And of course, the candles themselves. The inspection of this entire enterprise must be carried out in stages and it is better to start from the end.
The difficulty is that you will have to remove or at least partially bend the upper part of the plastic casing covering the belt. Perhaps the teeth of the belt were cut off - belts, like people, lose teeth from old age. In this case, the camshaft does not rotate and the engine will not work. It is clear that a toothless belt requires replacement (those who have a car with a chain camshaft drive do not face this problem). The procedure for replacing the belt is not complicated, but it is troublesome. Carried out in a hospital. It’s good if everything is limited to replacing only the belt, and not bent valves or the entire cylinder head - this also happens.
Let's try to explain why the circulatory system of a car is sometimes affected by "atherosclerosis". Gasoline is the lifeblood of the car. And the blood must be clean and flow through clean vessels. And the fact that “cholesterol” accumulates in blood vessels beyond the permissible limit is, as a rule, our own fault. Do you often use a canister to add gasoline to your tank? If so, then the chances of clogging the fuel line and filters increase, especially if your funnel does not have a mesh. Debris, rust, sand usually accumulate in the canister, and if the inside of the canister is painted, then paint particles. It is clear that the smaller the amount of intermediate containers used on the way of gasoline from the dispenser to the tank, the better. Oddly enough, even at the most seedy gas station there is less dirt in the tanks in specific terms than in a “home” canister. The scourge of our gas stations is not so much dirt as water. But here we are powerless. In our memory, only one swindler was burned by diluting gasoline, and even then not with water, but with donkey urine, and not in life, but in the movies (see "Gentlemen of Fortune"). So you'll have to put up with it. However, in order not to add water to domestic diluted gasoline yourself, try to always keep the tank full.
Let's try to explain why the circulatory system of a car is sometimes affected by "atherosclerosis". Gasoline is the lifeblood of the car. And the blood must be clean and flow through clean vessels. And the fact that “cholesterol” accumulates in blood vessels beyond the permissible limit is, as a rule, our own fault. Do you often use a canister to add gasoline to your tank? If so, then the chances of clogging the fuel line and filters increase, especially if your funnel does not have a mesh. Debris, rust, sand usually accumulate in the canister, and if the inside of the canister is painted, then paint particles. It is clear that the smaller the amount of intermediate containers used on the way of gasoline from the dispenser to the tank, the better. Oddly enough, even at the most seedy gas station there is less dirt in the tanks in specific terms than in a “home” canister. The scourge of our gas stations is not so much dirt as water. But here we are powerless. In our memory, only one swindler was burned by diluting gasoline, and even then not with water, but with donkey urine, and not in life, but in the movies (see "Gentlemen of Fortune"). So you'll have to put up with it. However, in order not to add water to domestic diluted gasoline yourself, try to always keep the tank full.
It is worth saying a few words about the battery. Since it is maintenance-free on most modern cars, there is no point in providing operating instructions here.
We will give just a few additional tips on how to keep your battery viable longer. Don't get carried away with stuffing your car with additional energy consumers. The fact that a certain reserve is provided in the energy balance of the car, allowing two or three “freeloaders” to connect, does not mean that you can hang six horns and ten fog lights on the car - have a sense of proportion. In addition, if you connect unintended connections yourself, there is a high probability of damage to the insulation. And in general, as practice shows, any, even the most qualified, surgical intervention in the electrical wiring of a car sooner or later makes itself felt. Troubles.
If your battery is dying, try not to rev the engine during numerous stops in the city. Nothing abuses the battery more than frequent use of the starter.
And lastly (this applies not only to the battery, but to all electrical equipment in general). Remember: all terminals, contacts, wire tips must be dry and clean and fit well to their “destination points”. Dirty, oily insulation breaks through sooner or later, and burning and oxidation of any contact surface can serve as the only (and sufficient) reason for the failure of the ignition system. Or a fire.
To troubleshoot
Your technical equipment must be impeccable - after all, the time you have is the same money that, we hope, you also have. Don't lose either one or the other. If a missing tie out of nowhere or a pant leg burnt by an iron can cause a business meeting to be disrupted, what can we say about a car that doesn’t want to start an hour before the scheduled negotiations.
Calm down. There is no need to rush under the hood in an English suit and, smearing the oily dirt with a tie, try to make a diagnosis. You probably won't be able to cure it in 5 minutes. Take another car, and leave the treatment of your sick friend until the evening. And it’s better to entrust it to doctors with a good reputation, especially if you have an expensive car and you are not a specialist. It will be cheaper this way. Well, if your friend is well known to you and you consider yourself a healer, well, try it yourself, if you’re not too lazy to get dirty or there’s no other way out.
The diagnosis must be made calmly
Mentally examine the symptoms. First, does the starter turn? And if so, how cheerful? You already know the answer - remember what happened the first time you tried to start the car. If you don't remember, try again.
If the starter does not turn at all and does not even click the traction relay when the ignition is turned on, then it is either faulty (you can close the hood and follow the advice given above: “Take another car..”), or there is a problem with the battery - it has turned off or died. Only in rare models can the starter power circuit be protected by a fuse - about 300 amperes - it is not difficult to find, especially if you know in advance where it is located. If the battery is to blame, then, as a rule, all electrical equipment does not work. The simplest and easiest case is that one of the terminals has come off or is dirty, but the battery is fine. Tighten the terminals on it and on the starter (if equipped). If it turns out that the battery is completely dead (forgot to turn off the headlights at night), you can still leave. But with outside help. Here, as they say, options are possible. You can try to start from a push, from a hill or from a tow. Don’t try to get around the pitfalls: a car with an automatic transmission or electronic fuel injection (if it has an electric fuel pump) will not be able to start using these methods. I'll have to light a cigarette at my neighbor's. However, for some machines this can lead to damage to the computer (read the instructions for the machine). If the starter turns on, but is sluggish (this happens in the summer, in winter this is a subject for a separate discussion), most likely the battery is almost completely discharged. This will be visible by weak headlights or weak signal. In this case, the above options for outside assistance come into play.
If the starter turns briskly, but the engine does not respond to attempts to start it, feel free to exclude everything related to the battery from further considerations. Blame the ignition or fuel supply system, you can’t go wrong. When diagnosing and treating each of them, a systematic approach is required. It’s better to start with the ignition - problems occur there more often. Especially in wet weather.
From a spark it will ignite...
So, we need to look for a spark. Your car may be equipped with a classic (simple) contact ignition system, a rather complex electronic contactless one, or some combination. In any case, the system consists of three parts. Part one is low-voltage (breaker contacts in a classic system or a special sensor in an electronic one, plus a box with electronic filling that forms a spark). Part two is a step-up transformer, called an ignition coil in the world.
Part three is high voltage (mechanical or electronic distributor and wires through which high voltage current is supplied to the spark plugs). And of course, the candles themselves. The inspection of this entire enterprise must be carried out in stages and it is better to start from the end.
Stage one. High voltage part of the system. Check to see if there is a spark on the center wire - this is the one that connects the coil to the distributor. The tip of the wire must be removed from the distributor cap, brought closer to any part that has good contact with the body of the car (it doesn’t matter whether it is painted or not), and secured so that there is a gap of 5–7 mm between the tip and the selected part.
If your car has an electronic ignition, the wire must be fastened especially securely - if it falls on ground, the electronics will instantly die for a long time. For the same reason, you should not scratch the wire across the body. We also do not recommend holding it with your hand, not even with your own - it will give you a serious electric shock.
The first step is to remove the distributor cap. It may be damp and dirty underneath. Along such a “conductor” the spark readily jumps anywhere, just not where it needs to be. Wipe, clean and dry. At the same time, it is not harmful to clean the distributor contacts, for example, with fine sandpaper. Inspect the so-called "runner". If you find a dark trace of electrical breakdown on it or on the distributor cap, the part will have to be replaced.
Carefully check the wires going from the distributor to the spark plugs.
If you have already reached the stage of turning out the spark plugs, you can quite effectively (and impressively) check the entire ignition system as a whole. Having connected high-voltage wires to the turned-out candles, collect the candles in a bunch, like carrots, and wrap the bare soft wire directly along their threaded part. Make sure the wire makes contact with each spark plug but does not touch the center electrodes. Connect the free end of the wire to ground. Having placed the bunch of candles in a place convenient for observation from the passenger compartment, turn the engine with the starter. In this case, cheerful sparks should jump between the electrodes of the spark plugs in turn (in accordance with the order of operation of the cylinders). If so, then the entire ignition system is fine. The sound of the engine will be very unusual - do not be alarmed, because it is spinning with the spark plugs turned out. Don't twist for too long. It’s worse if at the second stage of testing there is another option: there is no spark between the central wire and the “housing”. This means that the problem is not in high-voltage circuits. Further searches will be more difficult, evaluate your time and desire. If both are available, proceed to the third stage.
Check if voltage is supplied to the ignition coil. This is easy to do with a tester, and if you don’t have one, you can use an under-hood light bulb. True, you will need a couple of wires to connect it to the coil. In a classic ignition system, you need to connect a light bulb between ground and the input of the primary winding.
At the third stage, as usual, two options are also possible: voltage is either supplied to the coil or not. If it is supplied, the coil is to blame - a breakdown or short circuit, which, however, happens extremely rarely. The coil will have to be changed. More often there is poor contact in the attachment of the wires to the coil. Or the same wet mud, through which the spark flows to an unknown destination. Sometimes the coil is polished to a shine, but underneath there remains an invisible, very narrow strip of dirt - a good conductor.
Remove the cover from the distributor and inspect the contacts of the breaker - they may oxidize, especially if the car has been standing still for some time. The contacts must be carefully cleaned with fine sandpaper or a special needle file.
Twitch the cleaned contacts so that they either close or open.
The voltage on them is only 12 volts, so you can pull without fear. If cleaning does not help and voltage is still not supplied to the coil, we once again advise you to stop trying to resuscitate the car for a while, since further difficulties will begin.
If voltage appears (the light blinks when the contacts are pulled), restore everything that was loosened and disassembled, start the car and, perhaps, it will still have time to go about its business. If it doesn’t start, but is at least sneezing, turn out the spark plugs and...
Don't press to the floor - it won't help
It may also happen that the entire ignition system has been checked, everything is fine, but the engine, even if you crack it, still won’t start. This means that there are problems with another of the previously mentioned systems - the power system, i.e., the supply of fuel to the engine.
In a conventional carburetor engine, the fuel system is simpler - a tank, a fuel pump, a set of pipelines and a carburetor. Here you can dig deeper yourself. The first step is to make sure that gasoline is entering the carburetor. Disconnect the hose from the carburetor and press the manual fuel pump lever. If a fairly powerful stream of gasoline starts flowing, everything is fine, it’s time to move on to the carburetor. It happens that gasoline is supplied to the carburetor regularly, but for some reason it does not flow into it. If you have the time and desire, remove the air filter, then ask someone to press the accelerator pedal sharply. Or you can sharply pull the throttle cable yourself. At the same time, look into the carburetor from above (the air damper is open, otherwise you won’t see anything): if a trickle of gasoline does not appear in the first diffuser, it means that there is no gasoline in the float chamber. It is not there because the valve needle is stuck or (this happens not very often) the fuel filter in the carburetor is completely clogged - it is located in front of the float chamber. Or the jets are clogged. The filter is cleaned by blowing, however, if you do not have the necessary skills, it is better not to mess with the carburetor internals at all, deal with a stuck needle valve, clogged jets and other subtleties - let the specialists do it.
If there is a stream in the diffuser, pay attention to the carburetor starting device - it quite often fails. On foreign cars, starting around the 70s, automatic air damper control is used. The device, without your participation, depending on the engine temperature, closes or opens the damper as needed, enriching the mixture when starting the engine. If this automation works, you can try manual manipulation of the air damper, but there are a lot of options and there are no universal tips. Before starting any manipulations, connect and secure the previously disconnected fuel hose. You don't have to install the air filter yet. If it starts, let the engine warm up and God bless you (after returning the air filter to its place).. If, when checking the fuel supply with a fuel pump, it turns out that gasoline does not come out of the hose or the stream is very thin, the cause must be sought in clogged pipelines, a fine fuel filter or the gas tank itself - you can easily demonstrate your skill by pumping the gas line with a tire pump in the direction opposite to the movement of gasoline, i.e. from the carburetor to the tank. Booming, gurgling sounds should be heard in the tank.
With a fine fuel filter everything is simple. Although on almost all modern models it is made in a transparent case, the degree of its contamination cannot be visually determined. A dirty filter will allow the engine to start, but will not allow it to drive normally. If it's completely clogged, you won't be able to start the engine. The most effective check: remove the filter and, if you don’t have a new one, temporarily replace it with a suitable tube, for example, the housing of a ballpoint pen, preferably transparent - you can see how gasoline flows. Do not try to clean the filter - the sealed (or sealed) housing cannot be disassembled.
If you come to the conclusion that your car’s fuel pump is not working and you don’t have a spare one at hand – “Take another car...”.
Part three is high voltage (mechanical or electronic distributor and wires through which high voltage current is supplied to the spark plugs). And of course, the candles themselves. The inspection of this entire enterprise must be carried out in stages and it is better to start from the end.
The difficulty is that you will have to remove or at least partially bend the upper part of the plastic casing covering the belt. Perhaps the teeth of the belt were cut off - belts, like people, lose teeth from old age. In this case, the camshaft does not rotate and the engine will not work. It is clear that a toothless belt requires replacement (those who have a car with a chain camshaft drive do not face this problem). The procedure for replacing the belt is not complicated, but it is troublesome. Carried out in a hospital. It’s good if everything is limited to replacing only the belt, and not bent valves or the entire cylinder head - this also happens.
Let's try to explain why the circulatory system of a car is sometimes affected by "atherosclerosis". Gasoline is the lifeblood of the car. And the blood must be clean and flow through clean vessels. And the fact that “cholesterol” accumulates in blood vessels beyond the permissible limit is, as a rule, our own fault. Do you often use a canister to add gasoline to your tank? If so, then the chances of clogging the fuel line and filters increase, especially if your funnel does not have a mesh. Debris, rust, sand usually accumulate in the canister, and if the inside of the canister is painted, then paint particles. It is clear that the smaller the amount of intermediate containers used on the way of gasoline from the dispenser to the tank, the better. Oddly enough, even at the most seedy gas station there is less dirt in the tanks in specific terms than in a “home” canister. The scourge of our gas stations is not so much dirt as water. But here we are powerless. In our memory, only one swindler was burned by diluting gasoline, and even then not with water, but with donkey urine, and not in life, but in the movies (see "Gentlemen of Fortune"). So you'll have to put up with it. However, in order not to add water to domestic diluted gasoline yourself, try to always keep the tank full.
Let's try to explain why the circulatory system of a car is sometimes affected by "atherosclerosis". Gasoline is the lifeblood of the car. And the blood must be clean and flow through clean vessels. And the fact that “cholesterol” accumulates in blood vessels beyond the permissible limit is, as a rule, our own fault. Do you often use a canister to add gasoline to your tank? If so, then the chances of clogging the fuel line and filters increase, especially if your funnel does not have a mesh. Debris, rust, sand usually accumulate in the canister, and if the inside of the canister is painted, then paint particles. It is clear that the smaller the amount of intermediate containers used on the way of gasoline from the dispenser to the tank, the better. Oddly enough, even at the most seedy gas station there is less dirt in the tanks in specific terms than in a “home” canister. The scourge of our gas stations is not so much dirt as water. But here we are powerless. In our memory, only one swindler was burned by diluting gasoline, and even then not with water, but with donkey urine, and not in life, but in the movies (see "Gentlemen of Fortune"). So you'll have to put up with it. However, in order not to add water to domestic diluted gasoline yourself, try to always keep the tank full.
It is worth saying a few words about the battery. Since it is maintenance-free on most modern cars, there is no point in providing operating instructions here.
We will give just a few additional tips on how to keep your battery viable longer. Don't get carried away with stuffing your car with additional energy consumers. The fact that a certain reserve is provided in the energy balance of the car, allowing two or three “freeloaders” to connect, does not mean that you can hang six horns and ten fog lights on the car - have a sense of proportion. In addition, if you connect unintended connections yourself, there is a high probability of damage to the insulation. And in general, as practice shows, any, even the most qualified, surgical intervention in the electrical wiring of a car sooner or later makes itself felt. Troubles.
If your battery is dying, try not to rev the engine during numerous stops in the city. Nothing abuses the battery more than frequent use of the starter.
And lastly (this applies not only to the battery, but to all electrical equipment in general). Remember: all terminals, contacts, wire tips must be dry and clean and fit well to their “destination points”. Dirty, oily insulation breaks through sooner or later, and burning and oxidation of any contact surface can serve as the only (and sufficient) reason for the failure of the ignition system. Or a fire.
