Q: Car won't start

asked by on October 05, 2016

When I put the key in the on position the radio displays cal err, the prnd display disappears after a few seconds, the message center displays low fuel, service vehicle soon, and the check engine light is on. I just filled my tank up yesterday and I haven't driven that much so I know I have fuel. I also changed the starter and battery. I even tried disconnecting the battery for 30 min

My car has 187000 miles.
My car has an automatic transmission.

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Hi and thank you for contacting YourMechanic. It seems to me that there may be a cable detached from the starter when it was changed. If all of the cables are on the starter then I would check the fuel pump out. Sometimes the fuel pump sending unit will put codes into the computer system to shut off the fuel pump during the event of low fuel. This is to protect the fuel pump from burning up. You could have the codes cleared with a scanner and restart the vehicle. When you turn on the key, listen for the fuel pump to activate. If the fuel pump does not activate and the codes are erased, then the fuel pump has failed. If you hear the fuel pump, but the engine will not crank or turn over, then your key may have lost its memory. If you have a secondary key, try that key. If not you will need to get a new key from the manufacturer. If you are still having trouble and would like help, consider having an expert automotive technician from YourMechanic come to your home or office to inspect and diagnose this issue for you, and make or suggest any repairs as needed.

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