Q: Car slowly lost power and wouldn't accelerate. Then when I pulled over and it started smoking and now it won't start.
I drive quite a bit. I put easliy over 20,000 miles on it in 6 months. Ive changed the oil a couple of times and filled my fluids like i should. One day my car was in park and idling and i noticed a burning rubber smell and it acted like it wanted to die. I needed to get home which was a little over 20 miles away. I turned it off when i noticed the smell and when i tried to turn it back on it struggled. I came up to a stop sign and it tried to die again. A little less than halfway home it started losing power and it would rev up but would only maintain speed while slowly losing speed at the same time. I finally pull over and turn it off and i noticed it was smoking from under the hood. I pop the hood and theres a small fire in the back part of the engine bay. I was able to blow it out but it still smoked a little. My car never overheated and it didnt have a check engine light at the time of this. Now it acts like it wants to start but it wont turn over. Please help :(
My car has 134124 miles.
My car has an automatic transmission.
Recommended Services
| Car is not starting Inspection | $94.99 - $114.99 | Get a Quote |
Check the back of the engine by the firewall for any burned wires. It is possible that the harness to the engine has fallen down onto the exhaust manifold and is burning through. The wires may have shorted to the manifold causing the engine to not start. If you need further assistance with your engine not starting and causing a small fire in the back on the engine by the firewall, then seek out a professional, such as one from Your Mechanic, to help you.
Get an instant quote for your car
Our certified mechanics come to you ・Backed by 12-month, 12,000-mile guarantee・Fair and transparent pricing