Car wouldn't start today
 

I haven't driven in my car, and its been sitting in my cold garage the last three days, I decided I was going to drive it to work today and it wouldn't start. The car sounds like it wants to turn over but it just won't.

Any ideas on what this might be? The car has only 1/4 of a tank of gas, I don't know if it might be related to fuel starvation? I know its definitely not the gas because everything works fine.

Do you hear the starter solenoid when it's trying to start?
Do you hear the steering lock whirr?
Can you hear the fuel pump running?

If you don't hear any clicks, whirrs, or buzzes, my first guess is the steering lock. Lot's of problems with that.

It's not the steering lock, I definitely hear the steering lock whirrr. I'm not sure what the fuel pump would sound like though.

Have the battery checked. It may not have enough energy to turn the starter. The other systems don't put the load on the battery that the starter does, and since you are in the colder part of the U.S. it is a good possibility that is the issue.

You're still not giving enough info for us to effectively troubleshoot. I understand that you may not know what to look for, so here's a lot of questions.

How many volts are you showing on the triple-gauge?
Does the voltage reading drop when you are trying to start the engine?
(My second guess is that the battery has discharged far enough to cause problems.)


Which warning lights are you seeing on the dash?

Will the indicator around the start button cycle between off, acc, and on when you press the start button with your foot OFF the brake?

Thank you for the great starting point. Ill take a look tonight when I get home from work and provide more info.

A few more questions/things to check/wild guesses:

Is the engine cranking at all? If so, can you smell gas at the tailpipe?
(If cranking and no gas smell, I'd investigate injector system failure. If cranking and gas smell, I'd investigate ignition system failure.)


Right now, my money is on a discharged battery. If it's the battery and it's warmed up today, you might get lucky and it will crank.

Yes the engine is cranking and there is a gas smell from the tailpipe. You think I should possibly jump it?

Check the battery voltage - should be somewhere close to twelve and a half volts when fully charged (12.6V = 100%, 12.35=75, 12.1=50,... with no load on the battery). If its below 12.4V or so, you may need a jump or charge.

Edit: If you have the original battery (or any unsealed one), check the fluid levels in the cells.

Edit #2: Many auto parts stores will test your battery if you can put it on their counter.

I also have an '09, and the battery was replaced a month ago. It died so quick...

We have the same color Z too :)

Batteries don't last as long in our cars as others. That's what I've been seeing here lately.

I think my battery was fine, I started the engine again and put some gas to it and it started. Maybe because its been really cold in Chicago and haven't started in a few days...

I thought I was crazy. I could've sworn the battery in the 350Z lasted more 3 years (roughly 4), and it gave me signs of weakness for a whole week. When mine died, it wasn't even cold. It was unseasonably warm that month.

That's because they aren't maintenance free -- have to add distilled water periodically.