When I was just getting into the car thing in the late 50's, early 60's when trying to start a car when the starter was spinning the engine it was "cranking", or "turning over" So if the battery was dead, it wouldn't turn over, or crank, unless pushed in gear. If it was firing, think popping, kicking, but not actually running, it was "trying to start", or "firing". Cranking and turning over has nothing to do with the car actually running or the ignition working. Firing or trying to start means the ignition is working at least enough to get a pop or kick. Just had to get that off my chest, as I here the term turning over not meaning what I grew up with.
It's a southern expression. "Got so cold last night, my car won't crank!" where "crank" equals "start".
seems there are several variations that folks use, so if you're trying to help someone figure out why their car won't start, you need to explicitly ask them if the starter motor is cranking the engine, and if there is any firing going on, like popping sound out the tailpipe.
I agree with your terminology. I get pretty exasperated when a car illiterate friend or family member phones me because a car won't start, but can't even tell me if it is "turning over" or "cranking". I guess I'm too critical.
And maybe the terminology is a regional thing, it is sure confusing trying to figure out what someone means when describing their problem.
Have to drill down, too. What's it doing? "Nothing". Nothing? Nothing at all? "Nothing." Well, do the dash lights illuminate? Does the radio work? Do the headlights work? That's "something." So when you turn the key, it doesn't do anything? "Well I get a click." Aha! A key piece of information might not seem important to someone who doesn't work on cars.
Service writer stuff. Weasel this info out of the illiterate . Not cranking No start Then there's the Mechanics lingo /diagnosis. Not cranking Battery voltage Crank signal Faulty starter No start Fuel delivery Ignition spark delivery Compression You think this simple terminology is mixed up and under your skin??? Remember the old music and our current times. Lola says she's a girl and you need to agree. Dude looks like a lady and you better respect it. Lots of luck getting folks to play along with cranking turning over and starting cause it ain't going to get any easier.
The term 'cranking' comes from the days when you used a handcrank to 'turn over' the engine to start it
funny....my old lady had this same issue last night......but I get ya....finally went to look at a $500 CL early 60's van listed the other day....he had a battery on it and said he had it cranking now - it was $1000 as he thought it might run......geez......
That's right. It's an abbreviated form of "crank up" (start) Learned that, living in the South. "What model?" means "what year?".....Don't ask me! LOL
after 8 years behind a parts counter i have observed most people who say the car won't "crank" means it won't start
Well, you're turning a crankshaft in the crankcase, if it won't crank, the crankshaft isn't turning over, right? And it can't run if the crankshaft doesn't turn over! If it doesn't turn over, it won't crank, err, run! See, you done got me doing it!
How about a debate about how and when to use the term engine vs. motor? This one is always good for an argument or two...
There is the argument that a motor is electric and an engine is fueled by fossel fuels. I could care less. If my motor won't turn over I'll say that it won't crank or that it won't start. If it cranks and won't start then I'll cuss at it 'till my wife makes it start. Sent from my SM-G930T using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
It's a regional thing. The South tends to hold on to things. Although it's diluted with each generation, Southern American English still has many 18th words and traditions. One thing Southerners tend to do is abreiviate. Abbreviation was proper and really common in 18th Century English. Example...O'er in the Star Spangled Banner. Another.....Y'all Most think that Y'all is abreiveated You All but that would be You'll. The root word is Ye not You. Southerners use ye every day but do not realize it. " How ye doing.....It's been a long time since I seen ye." Automotive wise Southerners still use early 20 th Century terms. Most of this based on the Model T. Crank.....in the South that means turn over and run or....start. This goes back to the Hand crank days when starting and Cranking was one action.....Really many actions that happen at once. Model.....meaning year. This goes back to when nearly every car was a Model T. What year Model T is that?.....Over time.....What year Model is that? There are so many terms some dating to the 18th Century and before that are said with out realizing. When I try to remeber them I can name off a few but most just come out. Britches for pants or trousers......that dates to the knee breeches of the 18th Century. While it can be aggravating it is our history. It makes life interesting......A little spice in our language. It will be a sad day when nary a word of the old talk will be spoken and we all sound like newscasters.
Ford Motor Company General Motors American Motors Evinrude Outboard Motors Hm, seems to be a trend there
Overheard the other day "..I put in a nuther batree and it crunk right up..." Ya gotta love the South sometimes.....
I get some where they are cranking the starter for an eternity, and then they say "it must be a flat battery!" (I think they watched "up in smoke" too many times")
Heh, heh.... I haven't seen one lose yet. "Motor" has always been the more correct option. That 2-wheel contrivance you have in your garage never was and is not now an "enginecycle"..... unless you have a very rare one with a water tank and a coal fire. (More on this in the next paragraph.) If you're not sure this is true, you can test it by going to a Harley dealer and ask for a Harley enginecycle and see if they snicker or laugh in your face. (Humm, interesting. Spellchecker doesn't seem to recognize the word "enginecycle".) But our language is a changing, evolving, living thing and if enough people misuse a word often enough, long enough and loud enough, it's possible for a wrong meaning to become accepted and the meaning to change. But the facts are, in the early days of locomotion, steam power predated internal combustion by at least a couple of decades. Those power makers were known as "steam engines". However, from the first day, internal combustion power makers have been called "motors". The dictionary and encyclopedia still call them that. Now, in those early days, some people did refer to internal combustion motors as "gas engines" to differentiate them from "steam engines". This use hasn't died and has taken on a life of its own, and so has been accepted as an alternative term for "motor". But this IN NO WAY means "motor" is wrong and only "engine" is right. All you followers of the engine religion need to get over your bad self and free up your mind. *This post is meant to contain humor and is pointedly aimed at the motor vs engine argument and not at any particular person or persons, living or dead. We're all friends here and can take a little rough kidding without losing face because we're manly men. .
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