You are here: Home / Articles / Maintenance / Engine / The Engine Won’t Turn Over. What’s Wrong?

The Engine Won’t Turn Over. What’s Wrong?

When the engine won't turn over, it is likely one of the following three problems:

  1. Faulty safety neutral switch.

  2. Loose or corroded battery cables.

  3. Dead battery.

Follow these steps to make the engine turn over.

Step 1: Set the emergency brake.

Step 2: If you have an automatic transmission, hold the gearshift lever firmly in the park position while turning the key. If nothing happens, move the lever to neutral and try again. If you have a manual transmission, make sure the clutch pedal is pressed all the way to the floor. If the car starts after any of these steps, the problem is a faulty safety neutral switch which should be replaced as soon as possible. If the engine still refuses to turn over, remove the keys from the ignition and follow these next steps.

Step 3: Tighten any loose battery cables using an 8-inch adjustable wrench. When tightening the positive cable end, make sure not to touch any metal while the wrench is connected to the cable. This is to help avoid arching, which could damage the battery. As long as you pay attention and take your time, you'll do just fine.

Step 4: Check for corrosion where the battery cables connect to the battery. If there is any corrosion, remove the battery cables beginning with the positive side. Now clean both the inside of the cable end and the battery post using a wire battery brush. Do not reconnect the positive cable until the negative side of the battery has been cleaned.

Step 5: Reconnect the red battery cable to the battery post marked with a "plus" (+) symbol.

Step 6: Reconnect the black negative cable to the battery post marked with the "minus" (-) symbol. After completing these steps, try to start the engine. If the engine still refuses to turn over, the battery will need to be jump started.

Information on jump starting a battery can be found in the Batteries category of the Maintenance section.