Honda is known for producing reliable cars that provide high-quality performance and offer an excellent driving experience. However, no vehicle can be completely immune to engine or battery issues. Sometimes cars break down, including the Honda CRV.
You may find yourself stuck at the side of the road wondering, ‘why won’t my Honda CR-V start?’. If you can’t work out why your Honda won’t start, in this article we share the possible causes and also let you know how you can fix the problem.
Check it out and you will be back on the road again in no time.
If your Honda CR-V won’t start, this could be due to one of many different reasons. Firstly, you might just be out of fuel and need to head to the gas station.
If an empty tank isn’t the issue, your Honda won’t start potentially because of a dead battery or a failed alternator. Both of these issues can be rectified with a jumpstart and a trip to the mechanic.
Other reasons why your Honda CR-V won’t start include an ignition switch failure or a failed starter. If either of these issues is to blame, you will need to get the parts repaired or replaced by a professional at your local repair shop.
Occasionally a clogged fuel filter may result in your Honda not starting or spluttering when you do eventually get the engine going. In most circumstances, if your Honda CR-V won’t start, you can get back on the road again once the replacements or repair work is completed.
If you have just got into your Honda CR-V to head off for a drive and the engine won’t start, you’re probably wondering why this is happening and how you can quickly fix the problem.
You’re broken down Honda is sure to be causing a major inconvenience to your daily life and you will want to get the issue resolved as soon as possible.
There are several different reasons why your Honda CR-V won’t start. You will need to correctly diagnose the exact issue before you can get your car moving and out on the open road again. If you don’t have any mechanical knowledge, fear not!
We have listed all the most common reasons why your Honda won’t start and provided you with tips on how to identify each problem.
This is possibly the conclusion most drivers jump to when their car won’t start. If you try to turn your car on and nothing happens, there is a good chance that the battery is dead.
There are a few key signs of a dead battery you can look out for and this will help you to correctly diagnose why your Honda CR-V isn’t starting.
Here is a list of the key signs of a dead car battery:
When you first start a car you should hear it cranking just as the engine comes to life. When your car doesn’t crank it is often because the starter motor is not receiving enough power. When your battery is dead, it obviously can’t send power to the starter motor.
If when you try to start the ignition no lights on the dashboard illuminate, you can’t switch on your headlights and the radio won’t turn on, the battery is probably dead. Also, if the usual chimes don’t sound when you turn the key, you are likely dealing with a battery issue.
It is possible for your vehicle’s lights and accessories to work with a dying battery. This is because the radio, lights, and so on require much less power from the battery than the engine starter.
When the lights in your Honda come on but your engine won’t start, this is because there is only enough charge left to turn on the accessories and not enough to power the starter motor.
You may hear your engine cranking when you turn the key but the engine will fail to start completely if the battery is flat.
The car battery, starter, and alternator all work together to power your car and keep the engine running. An issue with any of these parts can result in your vehicle being unable to start.
You will know if your alternator is failing if you hear an unusual clicking or growling sound when you try to start the car. The alternator charges your car battery and if this key part is failing, you will have problems getting the car started.
If your alternator is failing, you may have noticed you have been stalling more frequently lately and there has been a loud squealing noise while you have been driving.
This problem is an easy one to spot. The fuel gauge in your car is there to let you know how much gas is in the tank and to alert drivers when it is time to fill up. However, if you are prone to taking risks, you may have been driving around for some time with the fuel light blinking.
No vehicle can run on air alone, if your fuel tank is empty you have found your answer to the question, why won’t my car start?
Did you know that your car’s fuel filter is meant to be changed every 20,000 miles? If it has been a while since you last cleaned or replaced your Honda’s fuel filter, this may be why your car won’t start.
There are many signs that point to a clogged fuel filter, these include hearing a spluttering sound while you are driving, noticing your car struggling to chug up a hill, and having trouble getting your car started in the first place.
As we mentioned earlier, that starter motor, alternator, and battery all work together to power your car. If your Honda CR-V won’t start, a failing starter motor may be to blame. A failing started motor will cause a clicking noise when you try to turn the key in the ignition. If the starter is not working, your Honda won’t crank and you won’t be able to get the engine started.
Don’t think any of the above is the reason why you can’t start your car? It may be a failed ignition switch that is causing all of your problems.
Signs to look out for of a failing ignition switch include the lights on your dashboard flickering (and your headlights may be behaving unusually too), the A/C system may not work as it should while you are driving and it may just not switch on at all.
The ignition switch starts the car and also powers all of the vehicle’s electronic components. If your ignition switch suddenly fails while you’re driving, this can cause your car to stall and you may not be able to get it started again.
Before you can get your car started again, you need to try and work out why your Honda CR-V won’t start in the first place. By using the information above, you can hopefully figure out what is causing the issue.
However, we understand that if you have limited mechanical knowledge, it may be too difficult to work out what has happened. If this is the case, your best course of action is the phone your local repair shop for advice, or call for roadside recovery if you need to be towed to the mechanic.
If you are pretty sure what is causing this problem, here is what you need to do in each situation:
This is a very easy fix. IF your Honda CR-V won’t start and your tank is empty, call a friend to drive you to the nearest gas station to fill up a jerry can with fuel.
Head back to your car, carefully pour the fuel into your car and then drive back to the gas station to get some more. If you have run your fuel all the way down, it is going to cost more than usual to get your tank full again.
Fixing a car battery is a little more work than going to get some gas, but it is not too difficult. If your car battery is flat, you will need a jump start so you can drive to the nearest repair shop.
If you have a set of jump cables, or a friendly stranger offers to help, you can jump-start the car and you will need to leave it to charge with the engine running for several minutes before driving away. Once you have got the car going, this doesn’t mean you are out of the woods!
Drive to the nearest mechanic or dealership and asked them to examine the battery. If you are lucky, once the battery is fully charged your Honda will be running smoothly again.
However, in some situations, a dead battery may not ever be able to hold a charge again and it will need to be replaced. If you can’t source any jump cables, you will need to call for a tow truck to come and get you and tow your Honda to the workshop instead.
A failing alternator calls for a set of jump cables again. Your battery may be dead because the alternator is not working correctly. Jump starting the car will enable you to drive to the mechanics and they can then replace or repair the alternator.
Remember, if you have no jump cables you will need to be towed to get help, a failing alternator is unlikely to start charging your battery again until it is repaired.
This one is definitely a job for professionals. You don’t want to start messing around with the fuel filter if you don’t know what you are doing. You will need to find your way to your local repair shop to solve this problem.
On average, you will be spending between $70 and $160 on a fuel filter replacement, and getting the job done by a professional is definitely worth every dollar.
You won’t be going anywhere if your starter motor isn’t working. In this scenario you will not have any success if you try to jump-start a Honda or any other make of vehicle for that matter, it won’t make any difference.
A broken starter motor is another job best left to the experts. Call for roadside recovery and asked to be towed to the repair shop. You will want your Honda CR-V starter motor up and running again as soon as possible, as without it the engine will not crank and your Honda will not start.
We are sure you have realized by now that there is not very much you can do yourself if your car decides to break down and you can’t get the engine going. Unfortunately, if a faulty ignition switch is to blame, a jump start will not be enough to get you back on the road.
When the ignition switch fails, you will need to make your way to the dealership or a repair shop and a professional will be able to fix this problem for you.
There are many reasons why a Honda CRV won’t start and the necessary repair work will depend on what is causing the problem. The problem may be something as easily fixed as an empty fuel tank.
A flat battery or failing alternator may mean your Honda won’t start and a malfunctioning ignition switch can cause issues with starting the engine. Clogged fuel filters will also prevent your Honda from starting and you won’t be able to turn your car over if the starter motor isn’t working.
If the starter is broken you won’t be able to start a Honda CR-V or any other vehicle for that matter. If the starter is broken you will need to find a way to your nearest repair shop to get the starter repaired or replaced.
It may not be the starter preventing your car from starting, this issue may be down to problems with the battery or alternator. It is best to have a professional look at your car, they will be able to see exactly what is causing all the trouble.
It is possible to jump-start a Honda CR-V. You will need to put the car into park and turn off all of the electrical accessories. Once you have opened the hood and located the battery you will need to use jumper cables and a booster battery (usually the battery in another car) to jump-start the Honda CR-V battery.
Always thoroughly read the jump-start instructions in the owner’s manual before attempting to jump-start your car. Jump starting can be dangerous when not performed correctly, the battery may explode and injure someone standing nearby.
The 2017 – 2019 Honda CR-V and Honda Accord models are known to have battery problems. It was found that these models had a parasitic draw on the battery, causing issues such as stalling, alternator issues, and problems with the headlights and other electrical parts.
The parasitic drain can cause the car battery to completely shut down and it was found the batteries were too small to effectively power the Accord and CR-V. You can find details online of lawsuits against Honda for selling vehicles with batteries that are too small and a parasitic drain.
It is important to note that not all Honda Accord and CR-V vehicles have the problem, the issue is only present in the Honda care manufactured in certain years.
If the lights on the dashboard come on when you turn the key but the engine doesn’t start, your car battery may be almost flat. There are occasions where a car battery will be able to power the electrical components but not have enough charge to start the car.
However, if you are pretty convinced your battery isn’t flat, problems with the ignition switch and starter motor may be preventing your car from starting. Even if the starter or ignition switch is faulty, the headlights and radio, etc may still work.
A mechanic will be able to diagnose exactly what is stopping your car from starting.
Trying to start a car and nothing is happening is one of the most frustrating and confusing situations for drivers to be in. When your Honda CR-V won’t start, you may be wondering what you need to do to get it going again as quickly as possible.
To fix your Honda CR-V if it won’t start, you are likely going to need the help of a professional. Before you can get your car up and running again, you will need to somehow get your broken down car to the repair shop.
It is always essential to have the number for your roadside assistance cover saved in your phone. If there is no one around to help you jump start your car, calling for roadside recovery will mean you can still get your car to the mechanics to be fixed.
The majority of automobile insurance companies will have roadside assistance plans available to add to your policy. Depending on what cover you have, you may not have to pay out any more money to get your car repaired at the side of the road or towed to the mechanics.
It can be difficult to know why your Honda won’t start if you haven’t been paying attention to the sounds of your engine or been mindful of its performance prior to your car breaking down.
We have shared all the reasons why you can’t start your Honda in this article and have also explained what repairs you will need.
Even if your battery is dead or your alternator is broken, a professional mechanic should be able to repair or replace the parts and get you back on the road again in no time.
