First and foremost, calm down, and think clearly. You may be late – you don’t want to be injured AND late, so be careful and work smart.  Realize that you’ll probably need tow help or roadside assistance; there’s only about one chance in ten that you’ll be able to get it going, but here are a few pointers.

From the driver’s seat:

·         If you’ve been driving it and it stalled but won’t start, check the gauges – is it overheating?  Can you be sure the gas gauge is telling the truth? I knew one lady whose gauge said she had ¾ tank and she had driven about 250 miles with the gauge needle pointing to the same spot on the gauge. 

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   Are there or have there been any warning lights on?

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  Does the engine seem to spin normally, or does the battery sound weak?  Weak voltage (like less than 8 volts) will cause some engine controllers to disable the fuel injectors even if the engine seems to be spinning pretty well.  If the battery sounds weak, you may have charging system or battery problems.

·         As you’re spinning the engine, pay attention to how it sounds – if it sounds like one or more of the cylinders has no compression, your timing belt may have slipped or stripped.  That’s bad news, and probably means it’s tow truck time.

 ·         When you switch the ignition key on, do you hear the fuel pump? (It can usually be heard humming for about 2 seconds when you switch the key to ON without spinning the engine  Get used to the way it normally sounds and you’ll be better prepared to notice a difference if the vehicle doesn’t start).  If you DON’T hear the fuel pump, check your owner’s manual to see where the inertia switch is located (if applicable).  It’s generally behind a kick panel those plastic panels next to your feet in front of the door, or it may be in the trunk.  Usually it’ll have a labeled hole where you reach in, find the switch, and push it to see if it moves, clicks, and stays down. All Fords, some Nissans, Kias, and some Toyotas have these switches (GM and Chrysler cars don’t), and they’re designed to electrically disable the fuel pump in case of a crash. You can reset it by pushing the button on top of the switch, and it will move about ¼ inch and click, remaining lower than it was when you put your finger on it. If you don’t have an inertia switch, it’s time to check fuses – you’ll need to check the owner’s manual or the fuse box cover to see if any of the fuses are marked “Fuel Pump.”

Have a good flashlight, a pair of safety glasses and a pair of mechanic’s gloves stored somewhere in the vehicle for this kind of thing.  A cell phone is a good idea as well.  You can get both at Wal Mart for less than $20.  Pick up some paper towels and a cheap bottle of hand cleaner too. Carry a 50/50 mix of coolant that is right for your car, a quart of engine oil, a quart of Power Steering fluid, and a quart of the right transmission oil.  Learn where to check and fill those (owner’s manual).  I knew of one lady who saw a low coolant light (it was, I believe, on a Jeep Liberty), couldn’t determine which cap was the right one, and so she filled her crankcase up with water.

Take off your tie or any necklaces, and tie your hair back if it’s long, else they might get in the belts.  Loose long sleeves need to be rolled up and and jewelry needs to be removed.

1.       The radiator is going to be under pressure if the engine is hot.  Feel of the upper radiator hose to make sure it isn’t tight and turgid.  If it is, don’t remove the radiator cap, else you might get burned.  Even if the hose isn’t tight, be careful taking the radiator cap off – it has two clicks, and the first one is to relieve pressure while holding the cap in place.  Add coolant (or water) as necessary, but realize that if the engine is hot, pouring cold water in can cause damage.  If the radiator is low, let the engine cool for 30 minutes before adding water or coolant.

2.       Don’t fiddle around with the battery cables unless you’re wearing eye protection – even though you may see other people get away with it, don’t go there – you only have one set of eyes, and a battery can explode without warning – I’ve seen it more than once myself.

3.       If you’re going to check for spark and fuel pressure, check for spark first – checking for fuel pressure at the Schrader valve can leak a little fuel onto the engine and you might start a fire if you check for spark AFTER checking for fuel pressure.  Sparks and gas go together like… well, you know.

4.       If somebody is in the car helping while you’re under the hood checking, make sure you have a good line of communication with the person in the car, else they may spin the engine while you have your hands in the wrong place and cause you to permanently lose something – once again, don’t let anything like a necklace, a tie or long hair dangle across the belts and pulleys.  And keep your hands away from the fan.  Tell them to keep their hand off the key and make sure they understand – as a matter of fact, it’d probably be better to have them leave the car and stand behind you or something just to be sure.

5.       Do as careful and thorough an inspection as you can – look at all these areas both with the engine spinning and with the engine not spinning.

·         Are the belts tight, in good shape, and on the pulleys?

·         Are the battery cables clean and tight? (Look for sparks and/or signs of overheating at the battery terminals with the engine spinning.)

·         Are the ignition cables (spark plug wires) connected? (Look for sparks popping out the side of the wires or boots with a spinning engine)

·         Are there any loose hose clamps or signs of coolant, fuel, oil, or other fluids leaking?

·         Are there any signs that an animal might have been nesting under your hood? (This isn’t a joke – it happens all the time).  Rats and squirrels tend to chew wires.

·         Do you smell anything out of the ordinary or do you see any smoke from anywhere?

·         Do you see electrical connectors that are disconnected, melting, or smoking?

·         Is there a wire harness or a battery cable that has made contact with the exhaust manifold?

6.       Conclusion:  Don’t try to fix something on the road that you’re not equipped to fix – even if the fix gets you back on the road, you might wind up with more serious damage, especially if a loss of oil or coolant is an issue.  The above instructions might enable you to determine what the problem is so you can give your mechanic better information when he comes to get the vehicle, especially since it might start and run normally when he gets there, so take good notes, whether they be on your cell phone voice recorder or a scratch pad.  The better information you can give your technician, the smoother the repairs are likely to go.  And that’s a good thing.