My car really won't start. I've tried bump starting and everything! Any ideas?

Question

What to do when bump starting doesn't work????

Ok, following some questions, heres some details :D And thanks for your help so far :D

Upon turning the key, the engine does not turnover. The lights and horn etc. all work fine. My suspiscion is that the starter motor has issues, but its completely innaccesible.
Regarding connecting my battery to another, not an option, there is nobody home nearby with a car :( everyone is a poor student round here......
Thanks again for help

Ok, following some questions, heres some details :D And thanks for your help so far :D

Upon turning the key, the engine does not turnover. The lights and horn etc. all work fine. My suspiscion is that the starter motor has issues, but its completely innaccesible.
Regarding connecting my battery to another, not an option, there is nobody home nearby with a car :( everyone is a poor student round here......
Thanks again for help


--- Its a VW Polo E Reg 1987 I believe. Shes a beaut.

It is fully fuelled too, well half tank.

There's definitely a clunk the key is turned. When I first started trying this morning it even whimpered occassionally.

And sadly I'm not a girl.

And i'm not sure I have enough money to justify a mechanic.....

Answer 1

Sounds like the starter is jammed. You need to find a way to tap the starter body with a hammer from underneath the starter or a long socket extension from on top of starter. Sometimes it works better if there is someone turning the key when this is attempted.

Answer 2

I'm afraid the majority of previous answers are on the money, the battery is simply not up To the job. And or the starter is jammed but that should release if you put it in gear and rock the car back and forwards. As your lights do come on there is some electrical power but not enough to spin the starter. The clunk you hear is the solenoid which opens the circuit to the starter. As for bump start, forgive me but I assume you try this in second gear and with the ignition on, get a decent speed up pop it into 2nd and let the clutch out sharpish. It's surprising how many people get it wrong lol. I f it doesn't fire, and you are sure fuel is getting through, you could get out one of the plugs, if it's wet petrol is getting in to the cylinders, it could be that the power drawn by the basic electrical system is leaving very little to power up a spark to the plugs, i.e.' via the coil which beefs it up to thousands of volts necessary for ignition. If there is little going to the coil, it can't do it's job and result is no go.
In that case you only have the option of a jump start from another battery on a vehicle or tractor or anything that is 12volts, or another battery new or at least one that holds a charge.

Answer 3

On a car that basic its very possible your engine has seized. There is little else to go wrong. You really do need to get it connected to another battery to try jump starting, preferably off a large car that requires a heavy duty battery, probably at least 3litre as this will provide the power required to start a 3litre engine to your car, and the starter will be forced to turn, even if its at fault. It will probably start this way and you can determine the fault then. If it sounds fine you can confine the fault being to the battery or the starting motor. Don't stand to the sides of the car when you do this though as if the engine has seized there is an outside chance a con rod fly out the side of it.

Answer 4

It seems from what you say that the battery is ok and charged, one key question is if you switch the headlights on, do they go dim when you turn the key? If that is the case it may be that it is down on charge.

Assuming your battery is ok, it maybe that your starter solenoid is stuck or has failed, or the wire to it has come off. Can you hear a click or a clunk when you try to turn the starter? Starter motors themselves are generally pretty tough, and can work even when badly worn.
So I would suspect the solenoid or a power failure of some sort to the solenoid.

Answer 5

IF the cars turning over then its NOT the starter motor, if its not but theres power are you sure theres enough power? starter motors require 98% of the battery to turn the engine over, heres a list of possables....

starter motor
battery
HT leads
spark plugs
blockage in fuel lines
overfueling/underfueling
distributor cap ((dizzy cap) located other end of the HT leads)
distributor rotory arm
distributor
injector unit fuse
or just a simple loose connection


all above are components needed to start a car, why not check them out or atleast read up the symptoms on them all or locate them all on the engine, check they all work and if not, replace them :D.

i hope this has helped narrow down or gave a solution to your problem

Answer 6

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Answer 7

1. Check fuel - don't rely on the gauge. Make sure fuel is getting through to the carb/injectors - you may have fuel in the tank but is it getting through?
2. Check battery.
3. Check spark.

Try bump starting in 2nd gear, make sure the ignition is fully on! Surprising how many people mess that up. Get a good speed up, foot flat to the floor on the accelerator and pop the clutch.

If that fails, get a mechanic.

EDIT:

Ok I'm assuming this is running on a carb, take off the air filter and give a few pumps to see if fuel is getting through.

Answer 8

If you are a girl,don a mini skirt and stand helpless beside the car. Get a guy with a car to connect a towrope and tow it in second gear until it starts, I had a car once and it took nearly a mile to eventually start.
The explaination was that the "suck" in the carburettor eventually dislodged whatever was blocking it.

Answer 9

That is one of those questions that can be illusive. Did it turn over?, does the horn honk, do the lights come on? Cars are pretty dependable these days, and the most common cause is battery or Alternator. There can be many things. Dead coils, bad computer, etc. If you can charge the battery and the car runs, I would suspect the Alternator.

Answer 10

best guess with the limited info i am assumeing that when you say it doesnt turn over you mean it doesnt crank [no noise from engine] and when you say you bump start it i am assumeing you let the engine spin at least 10 seconds [while car is rolling
it sounds like either ignition switch or a security thing your going to need to get it checked by a pro
or if i had aditinal info i may be able to walk you through