The most important thing is not to get nervous! Turn on the hazard warning lights, press the clutch pedal and, using the car's inertia, try to carefully move to the edge of the roadway and stop as far to the right as possible at the curb, and if possible, outside the roadway.
WARNING: Please note that when the engine is not running, the effectiveness of the vehicle's braking system is reduced and more force on the brake pedal may be required to brake. The same applies to power steering.
Set the parking brake; if the car is stopped on a slope, use wheel chocks. In difficult driving conditions and on country roads, put up an emergency stop sign, as provided for by the Road Traffic Regulations. Now it is necessary to identify and eliminate the malfunction that has arisen.
There are two main reasons:
- the engine management system does not work (including ignition system);
- the power supply system is not working.
First, find out if there is petrol in the tank. Turn on the ignition and look at the fuel gauge. If the gauge scale shows the presence of fuel, and the reserve fuel indicator light in the instrument cluster does not light, you can assume that there is petrol in the tank.
Open the hood and carefully inspect the underhood space. Pay attention to the integrity of all units. Check if all the wires are in place, if there are any torn, burnt, or damaged insulation. Inspect the gasoline hoses, fuel rail - are there any gasoline leaks?.
WARNING: If gasoline is leaking, do not start the engine under any circumstances until the problem has been completely eliminated!
Inspect the expansion tank of the cooling system - has the coolant leaked? Also check the oil level in the engine crankcase. If everything is in order, proceed to check the engine management and power supply systems, which is described earlier (see "The crankshaft rotates but the engine does not start", p. 41), but before that, check the condition of the timing belt. If the belt is broken, the engine will not start without any apparent reason.