Car Won't Start? Find a mechanic near Chelmsford

Compare, Book, Repair. Save.

Having Starting Problems? WhoCanFixMyCar will resolve the issue.



We work with friendly, professional garages and mechanics across Chelmsford. Whatever the symptoms (e.g. a clicking noise, an issue with cold starts, or after a long drive), one of our specialists will put things right.


Enter Your Registration to see local reviews and prices in seconds.

Get started now!

Top garages for My Car Won't Start in Chelmsford (51 found)
LDN AUTO SERVICES LTD
71 Jobs Completed
Braintree
4.3 / 5

Welcome to LDN Auto Services, we take pride in offering a wide range of services to cater to all your vehicle repair needs. From basic maintenance tasks such as oil chang

Essex Motor Service Ltd.
159 Jobs Completed
Chelmsford
5.0 / 5

We are a family operated service and customization business with over 10 years of experience, covering Chelmsford and the surrounding area. We are a specialist in automob

Harris and box vehicle solutions ltd
203 Jobs Completed
Witham
4.0 / 5

Wickford Autocentre
1108 Jobs Completed
Wickford
4.6 / 5

Going by first impressions, Russel Gardens in Wickford may not be the sort of place where you would expect to find a modern auto centre, and especially not one that can o

Celitos
41 Jobs Completed
Chelmsford
4.9 / 5

...

Quest Motor Group
26 Jobs Completed
Braintree
3.3 / 5

As an authorised Bosch Car Service workshop, you rest assured that we deliver high quality servicing, maintenance and repairs for all makes and models of vehicle. Our acc

Miles Motor Mechanics
73 Jobs Completed
Little burstead
4.4 / 5

began my mechanic career through Addison Lee the London taxi service and this was through Ford which was a scheme where both were involved. I served my time repairing the

BOOST'M
8 Jobs Completed
CHELMSFORD
5.0 / 5

NO JOB IS TOO BIG TOO SMALL,TUNNING,REMAPiNG, SUSPENSION

Torque Monkey
Member since 29 March 2024
Chelmsford

Previously known as iTuning Autocenter, Torque Monkey is set to be the latest performance tuning centre and car repair auto shop in the Home Counties. With over 15 years

Braintree Motor Works Ltd
Member since 29 March 2024
Braintree

Here at Braintree Motor Works, we offer a full range of car servicing and can undertake work on all makes and models. We are also specialists in car diagnostics in Braint

Markham and Smith Motor Engineers Ltd
Member since 29 March 2024
Witham

Looking for great value car servicing in Witham, Essex? We are an independent sales and service centre specializing in the service of Ford vehicles at great prices. We pr

Mercury Car Centre
Member since 29 March 2024
Brentwood

"We offer MOT, Services or Car Repair in Essex. We are independent specialists for Audi, VW, BMW, Jaguar, Mercedes, Porsche, Volvo, Land Rover and Range Rover. If you are

Wood Automotive Ltd
Member since 29 March 2024
Great Waltham

We are an established local independent garage and are proud to be members of Autofirst Network – a nationwide network of independent garages operating to the Network’s 6

Perkins Garages Limited
Member since 29 March 2024
Braintree

The team to go to for service you can trust, at a price you can count on. Here at a Perkins Garages Limited we aim to provide you with an unrivalled experience when s

Show More Garages
Car Won't Start? Find a mechanic near Chelmsford
Frequently asked questions
+

What are common reasons a car won't start?

The most common reasons a car won't start are as follows: a flat battery, corroded or poor battery connection, fuel pump faults (or no fuel), a carburetor or choke issue, a fuel-injection fault, or a damp distributor cap.
+

Why won't my car start in cold weather?

A cold-weather start problem is usually caused by one of two reasons: first, car batteries are less efficient in cold weather and may not have enough power to turn the engine (you may hear a clicking noise, or the starter may only turn the engine slowly.) Second, cold weather can point towards a problem with your carburetor or choke - in older cars - or fuel injection system in newer cars.
+

Why won't my car start after a long drive?

A 'hot start problem', as it is known, typically points to an engine-management or sensor issue, for example: temperature sensor, oxygen sensor / lambda sensor giving an incorrect reading, leading to an incorrect air/fuel mix and ignition timing. It could also be a crankshaft sensor issue - again, leading to poor ignition timing.
+

My car won't start and it just clicks. Why?

If you turn the key and just hear a clicking noise, this is because your car battery is flat. The clicking you hear is the ignition circuit activating, but the battery has insufficient power to turn the starter motor and start the car. It can be resolved with a new battery, a jump start from another car, or, in manual-transmission cars, a push-start.
+

Does WhoCanFixMyCar work with mobile mechanics?

Yes! Many of our members are mobile mechanics, and plenty more are fixed-location garages with a mobile service, such as a call-out van. Post your job and you'll see which members are able to come to you.
+

How much does it cost to get my car started?

Typically, a mechanic or garage will have a 'call out' charge of around £50, which includes some diagnosis time. That may be all you have to pay! Additional labour time or components will cause the cost to rise of course - just post your job to assess your options.

Average rating for  My Car Won't Start in Chelmsford bookings

5.00

4 reviews

Hopefully our FAQ section has answered some of the questions you may have about getting your car to start. However, if you would like more information, we have the produced the following guide to help you understand the subject in greater detail.

There are a variety of reasons for a car not starting as there are many systems which effect the mechanism for starting an engine.

If your car won’t start it can be extremely irritating as there may be no way of knowing what the problem is. You may have a minor issue that you could resolve with a small amount of maintenance or it could be a major problem that requires a professionally trained mechanic to diagnose and repair.

If your car is not starting the best thing to do is get a mechanic to come out to where you live and take a look at the vehicle which you can do by entering your details in the form above.

If you would like to learn what the problem may be, read on!

No start on a rainy day

If your car seems to be working fine on a dry day but won’t start when it’s raining, it’s likely that the distributer cap has moisture inside. Fortunately, this is not disastrous and will not require a huge amount of repair work from a mechanic. All that is involved in the service is using solvent to evaporate moisture from the unit.

If you think you can carry out this job and know where your distribution cap is, it is essential that you keep the following points in mind.

  • Only use a lint free rag
  • Only use clean solvent as even a speck of petrol mixed in will cause an explosion within your car.

This is the easiest job to self-diagnose and complete without the help of a mechanic however the following issues should be referred onto a professional should you see these symptoms in your own car.

  • The car engine starts but then dies
  • The car engine makes a clicking noise and won’t start
  • The car cranks over but won’t start
  • The car is silent when you turn the key in the ignition
  • The car won’t start on cold mornings
  • The engine misses while idling
  • The engine misses or hesitates during acceleration
  • The engine knocks or pings

There is no way of knowing what could be causing you an issue so it is essential that you have a mechanic assess your car asap. If your car battery has died this will be an easier problem to resolve as all that is required is a jump from another vehicle.

If you need to jump start your car due to a dead battery, follow these instructions. However, don’t forget to have your vehicle checked by a local Chelmsford based mechanic even if a jump start works.

  • Find your jump cables
  • Line another car up and park it, leaving both ignitions off
  • Remove the caps from each battery
  • Connect the cables
  • Attach one of the red clips to the positive terminal of your battery (it will have POS or a plus sign on it and it may be bigger than the negative terminal)
  • Attach the red clip on the other end to the terminal of the other car.
  • Attach one of the black clips to the negative terminal of the working cars battery
  • Attach the other end of the black clip to a surface area of unpainted metal on the car that isn’t working (somewhere far away from the carburettor or battery)
  • Try to start your engine

If the engine starts, brilliant! Take a drive around Chelmsford as this will recharge the battery.

If it doesn’t, go back and make sure the cables are all attached properly and let the other car run for five minutes or so.

If the car still won’t start, then it is likely your car has a major issue that you should get a mechanic to look as soon as possible.

Finding a mechanic you can trust to do a good job and charge a fair price is not always easy. We work with a network of 17,700 mechanics and garages across the UK so we can find a competitive repair deal for you.

To find the best garages available in Chelmsford:

  • Enter your car registration number
  • Give us a few details about your car and your requirements
  • We’ll send you a great selection of quotes from mechanics and garages in Chelmsford

You can then compare the quotes and read reviews from previous customers to find the best deal in your area, before booking the repair online.

What do our customers say about us?