Q: Put new battery in due to sewege smell, now car wont start at all. Starter is good, what can it be and what can i do?

Hi there:

There may be multiple problems going on with your Chevrolet Cruze that are causing the no start issue. First, if you’re smelling an odd aroma from the AC vents upon start up, it’s possible that you may have coolant leaking or an electrical issue that is causing the smell. If it’s electrical, it’s very possible that an ignition component, like a crankshaft position sensor or electrical harness may have melted or is damaged. It’s also possible that the smell has nothing to do with your ignition or fuel system problem. Due to the fact that there are several individual components that might be damaged, you should have a professional mechanic complete a car is hard to start inspection; so they can determine what is faulty and recommend the right repairs.

Hello, thank you for writing in. I believe that you have two separate issues going on at once. The smell of sewage is typically related to an air conditioning refrigerant leak. The fact that the smell was stronger when running the A/C helps to solidify that the issue is likely related to that system. Look for a leak on the A/C lines, evaporator, and condenser. The battery issue is likely a misconnection. Go back and check the battery cables. Make sure they are clean, dry, and tight. Inspect them for corrosion, and make sure that the ground connection for the battery is also strong. Attempt to treat these two issues separately.