Shut off while driving on the freeway, engine will not crank?

JESSICA GONZALEZ

MEMBER
2013 KIA OPTIMA
2.4L
4 CYL
2WD
AUTOMATIC
107,795 MILES

I tried to restart it and all I got was a loud single click. At the time there was smoke coming from the passenger's side of the motor. It was an electrical smell. My car has not been able to turn over since. All fluid levels are perfect. Have full power to everything simply won't crank. I did feel like it was dogging a bit but I'm in Seattle on bumpy roads, steep hills, and excessive heat and humidity. I tried again to restart after the vehicle was cooled for a day. It's no longer smoking but still won't turn over. I need to get home today which is a two-and-a-half-hour drive from here. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

1 Reply

JACOBANDNICKOLAS

MECHANIC
108,269 POSTS

Jessica,

I'm a bit concerned about the smoke, and it smells electrical. That can be dangerous. When you say it can't turn over, do you mean the starter won't engage?

If the starter won't engage, there are fuses we can start checking. However, if a fuse is bad, there must have been a short causing it. Replacing it will simply repower the shorted wire that may have been smoking, so if you install a new fuse and see smoke, immediately remove it. Also, do not use a higher amperage fuse.

I attached the wiring schematic for the starting system. I highlighted fuses that need to be checked.

Here is a link you may find helpful:

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-to-check-a-car-fuse

Pics 3 and 4 show the under-the-hood fuse box and which fuse to check and pics 5 and 6 show the IP fuse box location and which fuse to check.

Let me know what you find. Also, let me know if you saw the smoke prior to trying to restart it.

Take care,

Joe

Note: Again, if you replace a fuse and start seeing smoke again, immediately remove the fuse.

See pics below.

Images (Click to make bigger)