If my car is low on coolant and has a bad gas cap, will that keep it from starting?

Answer by  Mark15 (94)

Neither one of those problems could keep a car from starting, however, they are both inexpensive and easy repairs. A proper coolant lever is very important.

Answer by  emtrobstu (233)

No. If it's not starting it's either A) battery B) starter C)ignition D)spark. If your car turns over then it might be a timing issue or even fuel delivery. If nothing happens it's battery/fuse or faulty wiring.

Answer by  viridis (59)

Running a car that's low on coolant isn't a good idea (a bad gas cap is less worrisome), but that shouldn't prevent it from starting.

Answer by  Anonymous

Not generally. -You may have loss of compression and coolant due to a failed head gasket. Without compression, your car will not start. If you have gas and spark, then a compression check should be performed on all cylinders. (Overheating is the usual culprit; has your car overheated badly lately?)

Answer by  MikeG (1650)

This should not prevent your car from starting. Lack of coolant could result in the car overheating and thus turning off after reaching critical temperatures. A bad gas cap usually trigger the check engine light and could possibly affect backpressure. Check the battery and alternator first, then check the spark plugs and wires, next check the air system.

Answer by  CELH (298)

As long as it is not low on gas the cap shouldn't matter, unless the computer is sensing it and not allowing the car to start. Coolant doesn't have much to do with starting. Fuel and fire are what you need to start a car.

Answer by  Amber40 (24961)

Low coolant shouldn't keep the car from starting but a bad gas cap could cause it not to start. If the cap doesn't seal it may not run.

Answer by  Atomicrayon (2504)

Both of those seem extremely unlikely as to be the reason to why your car is having trouble starting. Typically you could safely drive without a gas cap and it have no affect on your car. Now low coolant is a bad idea engine wise, but again it has no effect on your cars ability to start.

Answer by  Amber40 (24961)

A bad gas cap could keep your car from starting but low coolant should not. It's never a good idea to run the engine with low coolant. You run a high risk of overheating and causing serious engine damage.

Answer by  rano123 (109)

being low on engine coolant and not having a gas cap are 2 independent problems. Having either of these two conditions will not effect the starting ability of your vehicle. Depending on the year make and model of the vehicle, they will both most likely turn the service engine soon light on and may effect your engine performance.

Answer by  samisaysalways70 (69)

If your car is low on coolant and has a bad gas cap, you have to fix this problem with the help of any good mechanic.