Car won’t start. First things I should check?

Aubrey_Thicket

Hi all

Not really into engines etc so in true money saving style I am hoping for some info before I send car to Garage.

Daughter has a 2011 Seat Ibiza.
She just rang me and said “Twice this week I have tried to start the car. I turn the key, the car turns over but doesn’t start. Tried it 10 minutes later and it started”.

What should I check first?

Thanks all.

motorguy

Aubrey_Thicket wrote: »

Hi all

Not really into engines etc so in true money saving style I am hoping for some info before I send car to Garage.

Daughter has a 2011 Seat Ibiza.
She just rang me and said “Twice this week I have tried to start the car. I turn the key, the car turns over but doesn’t start. Tried it 10 minutes later and it started”.

What should I check first?

Thanks all.

Diesel or petrol?

Aylesbury_Duck

If it's petrol, I had a similar problem last year, the starter motor running for a few seconds before the engine fired up. Among other things it could be a partly blocked fuel filter, could be a worn fuel pump or could be dirty injectors. I put some fuel cleaner in the tank and took it for a good, hard run. Problem solved and hasn't reappeared since. If that hadn't worked the fuel filter would have been my next port of call.

Ebe_Scrooge

Could be a lot of things. A very cheap and simple thing to try first of all would be a liberal spray of WD40 around the electrics. Damp used to be a very common problem years ago, a liberal coating of WD40 on the distributor cap and HT leads used to work wonders. Less so nowadays with electronic ignition, coil packs etc., but it won't do any harm to try, and it'll cost next to nothing.

Is the battery in good condition ? It could be that it's on its last legs, and turns the engine over but not as fast as it's supposed to. That may account for having to have several attempts to start it. Any half-decent mechanic will be able to quickly test the condition of the battery, and it's not a huge expense if you need a new one.

It could be fuel related - fuel struggling to get through (dirty filter or injectors). Or the <whatever the electronic equivalent of a choke is these days> not working properly. These would be harder to diagnose for a DIY-er, you'd probably need a mechanic to have a look at that.

DUTR

Aubrey_Thicket wrote: »

Hi all

Not really into engines etc so in true money saving style I am hoping for some info before I send car to Garage.

Daughter has a 2011 Seat Ibiza.
She just rang me and said “Twice this week I have tried to start the car. I turn the key, the car turns over but doesn’t start. Tried it 10 minutes later and it started”.

What should I check first?

Thanks all.

In the morning or after a long park, as you open the drivers door listen for the pump operating .