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Car Cranking & Noise Repair in Burnaby, BC

 Backed by a 12 month / 20,000 kilometer warranty

8AM – 6PM Monday to Saturday

A car is a highly complex mechanism with small parts in motion. If you are not careful in taking care and maintaining your car, that could cause many problems, and strange noises and rattling sounds are your first hint that something is not right and not where it should be. At Instant Car Repair, Burnaby, we offer services where we have one of our professionals inspect your car, find the source of the noises and fix it as well. Noticing a noise in your car is normal, but leaving it unattended is criminal! Call us today, and we will be happy to fix it for you!

What is car cranking? What can be done about it?

Every car owner has faced this –  you turn the key in the ignition to start your car, but all that happens is that you hear a strange chirping sound repeatedly, and the engine fails to start. When this happens, it is said that your car is cranking. A little bit of cranking is normal, as long as the car starts at the end. But if your engine is just not responding, something is wrong.

Fixing this issue is not a big deal at all. Our skilled mechanic will come to have a look at the problem and, depending on the situation, suggest a solution. The simplest, most effective, cost-effective one tends to replace the starter.

Reasons why your car is cranking but just won't start

  • Issues with the spark plugs: Defective spark plugs can cause the cranking of the car. The job of the spark plugs is to light up the air/fuel mixture in the engine cylinders. The combustion that occurs then is how your car starts to run. So, if the spark plug isn’t working, your car will fail to start, and the cranking will continue. Your spark plugs can go bad for various reasons, one being that over time, the spark plug gets too much carbon build-up, inhibiting it from functioning correctly. Sometimes, a leak in the system might lead to oil covering the spark plugs and the inability to do its job.
  • Low fuel flow: Not enough fuel flowing could result from a bad fuel pump. If your fuel pump is not doing the job of pumping fuel from the tank to the engine, then the car will simply not run or start. It is best to replace your fuel pump in such a situation.
  • Low compression: A car with low compression will have trouble starting, and the cranking noise will be persistent. To fix this issue, you might have to contact our mechanic, who will suggest that you get new valve seals, piston rings, and other small replacements to ensure that the compression matches the optimum level.
  • Issues with the power supply: A loose connection here or there can be the difference between whether you can start your car or not. This will probably be the first thing a mechanic would and should check out.
  • Clogged fuel injectors: Fuel injectors help to get the fuel from the tank to the engine. Over time, corrosion and settling of debris can reduce their effectiveness, which leads to insufficient fuel reaching the engine. The best practice would be to clean the fuel injectors regularly.

Cranking and other noises from your car are the first signs that something is not in place. You might hear a screeching noise when you hit the brakes, a strange knocking sound coming from your engine, or excessive wobbling in the steering wheel, all of which can indicate a deeper issue with your car. 

When one of our trained mechanics comes to inspect the problem, they check the brake pads, brake rotors, spark plugs, wheel nuts, serpentine belt, and other unsuspecting parts because these are most likely the reason why these noises are occurring in the first place. Our team will conduct a thorough inspection first, figure out the source of the problem, and then give you the necessary options that you can opt for to fix them.

We are open from 8am - 6pm Monday to Saturday