Engine does not start

The action you take to determine the cause of the engine not starting depends on the sounds you hear when you press the engine start button.

You hear little or no starter operation. This means either the starter is not working at all or the crankshaft is turning very slowly.

You hear that the starter is working normally or even turning faster than usual, but the engine does not start.

WARNING

Do not hold the engine start button pressed for more than 15 seconds.

Starter does not operate or turns the crankshaft very slowly

In this case, you will not hear the normal sound of a working starter when you press the engine start button. You may hear one or several consecutive clicks, or nothing at all. Do the following:

Turn the ignition key to the ON (II) position (ignition on). Turn on the headlights and check their brightness.

If the headlights are dim or do not light at all, the battery is discharged. In this case, refer to "Jump Starting the Engine" on page 456.

Press the engine start button and release it. If the headlight brightness does not decrease, check the fuses. If the fuses are good, there may be a fault in the ignition switch or starter circuits. To determine the cause, you will need the help of a qualified technician (see Towing a Disabled Vehicle on page 479).

If the headlights dim noticeably or go out completely when the starter operates, the likely cause of the engine not starting is a discharged battery or poor electrical connections due to corroded terminals. Check the condition of the battery, its posts, and the terminals of the connecting cables (see page 418). If the vehicle battery is heavily discharged, try starting the engine from another vehicle's battery (see page 456).

Vehicles with i-SHIFT transmission: Turn the ignition key to the ON (II) position (ignition on). Depress the parking brake pedal and shift the transmission lever to the neutral position. Check the transmission lever position indicator on the upper display. If the N symbol is not shown on the indicator, the battery is discharged.

In this case, refer to "Jump Starting the Engine" on page 456.

If the indicator is flashing, move the transmission lever out of neutral and then return it to the specified position while holding the brake pedal depressed.

Starter operates normally

In this case, when the engine start button is pressed, you hear the normal sound of the starter operating (by ear, the starter may even run at a higher rotational speed than usual), but the engine does not start.

Make sure you are using the correct engine starting procedure. If your vehicle is equipped with a gasoline engine and a manual transmission, refer to page 318; for a gasoline engine with i-SHIFT transmission, refer to page 319; for a vehicle with a diesel engine, refer to page 320.

To start the engine, only a properly coded ignition key must be used. If you use an ignition key with an incorrect code, the immobilizer indicator on the instrument panel will flash rapidly (refer to page 149).

Check that there is fuel in the fuel tank.

Check the fuel level gauge in the tank:

the low fuel warning indicator may have failed and did not warn you in time that the tank needs to be refueled.

An electrical malfunction may also be the cause, for example, a loss of power to the electric fuel pump. Check all fuses (refer to page 471).

Check the condition of the fuel cutoff valve. If the fuel supply has been cut off, restore the valve to its normal state before starting the engine, following the procedure described on page 306.

Diesel engine versions only: If the fuel tank runs empty, it may be necessary to bleed the fuel system before starting the engine (refer to page 421).

If the vehicle has been stored for a long period, air may enter the fuel system (refer to Bleeding the Fuel System on page 421).

If the vehicle has been parked for a long time or at high outside air temperature, water may accumulate in the fuel system and the engine may fail to start. In this case, drain the water from the fuel filter (refer to page 384).

For all vehicle versions

If the simple checks above do not resolve the problem, you will need the help of a qualified technician. Refer to "Towing a Disabled Vehicle" on page 479.