We are going to begin by thinking of this in terms of total breakdowns as apposed to what might be called mild attack ( on th part of the vehicle). If the patient can't tell the doctor the problem, which is basically what's happening if the engine is stone dead,then matters naturally becomes aggravated.
Let us begin, then, with the engine that won't start, rather than one that has broken down on the road( though many of the necessary tests can apply to either circumstance).