Sprinklers not coming on automatically

Answer 1

If you have a volt meter, you can test the output of the controller to see if it is even sending a signal to the valves.  If you touch one lead to the common terminal in the controller and the other lead to the terminal for the zone you are trying to run you should get around 24-28 volts.  If you are getting 0 volts it is a bad controller, but if you are getting the proper voltage you likely have a break in the wire between the controller and the valves or a loose connection in that wire.