If your car cranks (you hear the starter spinning) but the engine won't fire up, there's a specific reason - and it's stored in your OBD2 system if the car has power. Connect a scanner or use a code reader app through your OBD2 port and check for these codes first. If the car won't start at all (completely dead), check your battery before pulling codes.
The crank sensor tells the ECU where the engine is in its rotation so it can time spark and fuel injection. Without valid crank sensor data, the ECU won't fire injectors. The engine cranks but never starts.
View Full Diagnosis - P0335 →The cam sensor works with the crank sensor to confirm timing. A failed cam sensor alone usually allows starting but with rough running. Combined with P0335, starting failure is common.
View Full Diagnosis - P0340 →Low fuel pressure means injectors aren't getting enough fuel to fire the engine. Could be a failing fuel pump, clogged fuel filter, or faulty fuel pressure regulator. Cranks fine but won't start is a classic fuel pressure symptom.
View Full Diagnosis - P0087 →This code means the ECU sees the crankshaft and camshaft out of sync. A worn timing chain or stretched belt can cause this - and a severely out-of-time engine will crank but refuse to start.
View Full Diagnosis - P0016 →Enter it below for a free diagnosis. You'll get the most likely cause instantly - no account needed.
Get Free DiagnosisDon't have a scanner? Most AutoZone and O'Reilly locations read codes for free.
If your scan tool is showing one of these codes alongside a no-start, that's your starting point. Click any code for the full diagnosis, common causes, and repair costs.
If you hear the starter spinning (that rr-rr-rr sound), the starter is working. The problem is fuel, spark, or timing. If you hear a click or nothing, check your battery first. OBD2 codes will point to the specific cause once you connect a scanner.
Yes - as long as you have battery power, you can connect an OBD2 scanner and read codes in the key-on engine-off position (KOEO). You don't need the engine running to retrieve stored fault codes.
Yes, this is very common. A failing fuel pump often shows as P0087 (low fuel pressure). Listen for a faint hum from the fuel tank when you first turn the key to ON (before cranking). If you don't hear the pump priming, that's a strong sign of pump failure.
This sudden-failure pattern often points to a crankshaft position sensor (P0335) or cam sensor (P0340) that was intermittently failing before finally dying completely. These sensors fail hard with little warning. Pull codes to confirm before replacing parts.