Why does the car dashboard not light up and the engine fail to start?
2 Answers
The car dashboard not lighting up and the engine failing to start is usually due to poor contact at the battery terminals. The battery has positive and negative terminals, each connected with wires, and the connection points can easily become oxidized, leading to poor contact. A common solution is to sand the terminals with sandpaper, then tighten the screws at the connection points with a screwdriver and apply some oil to prevent further oxidation. This method is effective but time-consuming and labor-intensive. For diagnosing faults in the low-voltage circuit, an ammeter or voltmeter can be used to check each wire and locate the fault point. For the high-voltage circuit, a high-voltage spark test can be performed by removing the central high-voltage wire from the distributor, placing it 3 to 6 mm away from the engine block, and starting the engine to observe the spark.
I've experienced this situation before. After parking the car, the dashboard went completely dark later, and turning the key had no response—I thought the car was totaled. It turned out my friend used a multimeter to test the battery, and it was below 11 volts, clearly out of power. Actually, many times it's just due to an aging battery or a power drain causing a complete electrical shutdown, since the dashboard and ignition system rely on electricity to start. If you're unsure of the cause, first check if the battery terminals are corroded or covered in white residue, or try jump-starting it with a power bank to see if the car starts. Additionally, a locked steering wheel can also cause the dashboard to go blank—try turning the steering wheel left and right while turning the key. If that doesn’t work, you’ll need to check the alternator or the fuse box, especially the 30-amp main power fuse. If you can’t handle it yourself, call for roadside assistance immediately, as a forced start might damage the ECU.
