Automobiles are complex machines. And the more miles a car has on its odometer, the more issues they can tend to have. Sometimes those issues can cause a motor vehicle not to start. There are dozens of problems a car can have that may keep the engine from turning over. Sometimes, a car can make a rapid clicking sound as it tries to start. Or the engine can continuously try to turn over to no avail. And nothing is more frustrating than trying to start your car with the result being complete silence.
But can brakes cause a car not to start? While bad brakes will not cause the car to not start there are ways in which the braking system does cause the car not to start. Most newer vehicles require the brake to be pressed while starting the car, so in this sense, the brakes do affect the car’s starting ability. Whereas older vehicles do not, so the brakes do not influence the starting ability of older vehicles.
There is one other exception to this question, and that is a vehicle with an extra safety measure installed. Car owners can have a device such as this positioned by a proper mechanic so that the brake pedal must be pressed in order to start the car. Since this is typically a good rule of thumb to do for safety, most newer vehicle makers have made this a part of every car that’s manufactured.
Newer Car Starting Systems
It wasn’t until the early 2000’s that car manufacturers began to switch over to push button starters, which do not require a key to be inserted into the ignition. As long as the key FOB is inside the car, the car will start. An added function of these cars is that the brakes must be engaged for the car to turn over. Without pressing the brake every time to start the car, the vehicle will be going nowhere fast.
“In 2008, keyless ignition was standard on 11 percent of the vehicles sold in the U.S. By 2018; it was standard equipment on 62 percent of vehicles sold.” (Gareffa, 2018) So, as time goes on, more manufacturers are switching over to the keyless starting system that require the brake pedal to be engaged in order to start. Although the braking system is completely separate from the engine and does not have an impact on its starting ability, the brake pedal being pressed does play an important role.
Older Car Starting Systems
Cars that were manufactured before the late 1990’s and early 2000’s all required a key to start the car. The brake pedal would not need to be engaged, so as long as the vehicle was in Park or Neutral, the car would start. As long as there were no other underlying issues that might prevent the vehicle from running.
In these vehicles, the braking system remains completely separate from the engine, just like any other vehicle. But what differentiates the old from the new is the lack of a requirement to press the brake when starting. As mentioned, it is always a great safety measure to engage the brake when starting anyway, since you will need it to shift the car into gear. But as far the brakes preventing your older car from starting, you could remove the entire braking system from the car, and it would still start.
Other Reasons a Car May Not Start
Seeing as the braking system does not typically impact a car’s ability to start, there may be one or more other underlying issues that can prevent the vehicle from starting. Let’s take a look at some of the most common causes so a driver can use process of elimination to narrow down what the actual problem may be.
- Dead battery: This is always the most common cause for a car’s inability to turn over and start running. Another point to remember is that this can be caused by various elements. Leaving the headlights or interior dome lights on, a loose wire is present somewhere in the circuit, some batteries have water inside that can evaporate and cause the battery’s conductivity to fail, the battery’s lifespan has expired, or extreme cold can also drain the battery. And the easiest way to tell if your battery is the problem is none of the electrical components work (lights, radio, etc.), or the battery light on the dash is lit.
- Faulty starter: The second most common reason for a car not starting is a faulty starter. Unfortunately, depending on the car, this can be a little trickier to tackle if you’re performing your own repairs. But the good news is that it’s fairly easy to diagnose as your car will likely be making a loud clicking noise when trying to start. It can be a tad noisy and will be a sound that just instinctively sounds incorrect for your car to make.
- Defective ignition switch: If the battery is in good, working order and the starter doesn’t seem to need replacing, the culprit may be a defective ignition switch. These can be a tough repair to handle since the replacement typically requires taking apart the steering column. But if our first two reasons for a car not starting have been determined not to be the issue, the ignition switch is a likely reason.
- Clogged fuel filter: Although a clogged fuel filter is less likely to be the cause for a car not starting, it is not outside the realm of possibility. Being a part of the car that requires regular replacement, the fuel filter should be changed within a 20,000 to 40,000-mile range to prevent clogging. A car that has a fuel filter with tons of miles on it can risk becoming clogged, therefore preventing a car from starting because the fuel cannot then be delivered to the engine.
- Empty gas tank: This one seems like a complete no-brainer. But in the defense of some car owners with a substantial amount of mileage on their vehicle, sometimes the interior workings of the gas tank can fail. Each gas tank possesses “floaters” on the inside of the tank, which send a signal to the gauge to show the fuel level. These can fail, which then causes the fuel level to show inaccurate or not show at all. And every once in a while, a driver may just space out, forgetting to fill up. Hey, it happens!
For more information on reasons a car may not start, click here.
Time to Get Going
Many of the reasons behind a vehicle’s inability to start lie within various parts of the vehicle, some being simpler to rectify than others. But in most cars, the braking system is a completely separate component from the engine. To put it simply, you can separate the two systems from the car and still have them function separately.
We mentioned newer vehicles and their new safety mechanism that requires a driver to engage the brakes when starting. These vehicles possess an engine that is impacted in a sense by the braking system. Without the brake pedal pressed, the car will not start. As time goes on, this will become standard on all vehicles.
If you do have a vehicle that will not start, hopefully, we have provided a solution that will rectify the issue. Luckily, the five common reasons that we have outlined will typically have a solution to fix the problem. But when it comes to the braking system, rest assured that the brakes themselves will not hinder your automobile’s ability to start.
Sources
“5 Reasons Why Your Car Won’t Start”
Peter Akinsola, June 7th, 2017
https://www.fiix.io/car-advice/articles/5-reasons-why-your-car-won’t-start
“What You Need to Know About Keyless Ignition Systems”
Peter Gareffa, August 7th, 2018
https://www.edmunds.com/car-technology/going-keyless.html
“Your Mechanic Forum, Q: Brake pads fixed, parking brake, car won’t start”
Kevin Gainer, February 14th, 2017
https://www.yourmechanic.com/question/brake-pads-fixed-parking-brake-car-won-t-start-by-marissa-c