My car won't start - what happened?

Question

I went to start my car this morning - when I turned the key, it made a little sound and then, nothing.

So I shut off the ignition, and then tried again. No sound at all. I don't think it's a case of the battery being dead, because absolutely nothing happened (whenever my battery's died, it just won't turn over). My power locks also did not work. They key was able to turn, but that was it.

Did I blow a fuse? What else could have happened? I have plenty of gas in the car, and it's been working with absolutely no problems lately.

If you have an idea of what happened, then how can I fix it ... do I need to take it to a mechanic, or can I fix it myself?

Thanks.

Answer 1

sounds like your "starter" is shot

Answer 2

Good Morning...

It really does sound like you have a dead Battery.....
There are several test that I can recommend.

1. Turn the headlights on, to see if there is a charge in the Battery.

2. Try to jump start the Car connectinig the Negative Battery from one car to The Negative Terminal on the Donor Car, and then the Positive Terminal to the Positive Terminal. Allow the Donor car to run for 5 Minutes, and then try the Ignition.

3. If this doesn't work then apply the Brake, and shift your car into Neutral and try the ignition again, if this works then you probably have a faulty Safety Switch. Usually a quick fix.

4. If you have been having some difficulty starting your car on recent occaision then you may have a faulty starter. Try tapping the starter found on the Bottom of your Engine with a hammer.

5. Another possibility is that you have a loose Battery cable on one post or the other. The Cable leading from the Negative Terminal is usually connected to the Starter, and can sometimes work itself loose after a period of time, and just needs to retightened.

6. If the car is Over 20 years old there is another possibilty The Voltage regulator may be shot and needs replacing, a job best left to a mechanic.

If your car is still under warranty then do your self a Favor. Get it to a Mechanic, just to insure your Peace of Mind and let him check it. Through Proper Diagnostics the Mechanic can provide some advance warning of Future Head Aches as well as any Recalls that may be covered by Manufacturer.

Hope this helps!
Robert

Answer 3

Chances are your battery is dead. Pop the caps off the battery on top and check inside the cells, make sure that there is water in the cells. If there isn't then get some distilled water preferably (regular water will work) and fill the cells. Then charge the battery with jumper cables. If it doesn't work then take the battery to AutoZone, Checker, Kragen, Walmart or where ever to check the charge. The battery could have a shorted cell. If its a blown fuse you can pop the front hood and open the fuse box, and look on the top of the fuses to make sure the wire connector is still intact and not burned. Also check the fuses inside the car under the drivers seat some where (use a flashlight). Good luck.

Answer 4

If you put your key in the on position and your radio doesn't come on, or if you put your headlights on but they don't work... you're battery is dead.

There are times when the battery "dies" but not completely, so that when you try to start it, it makes noise but doesn't turn over (this is what happened to you last time).
When the battery is 100% dead, what happens is what you are describing. No noise at all and anything electric (lights, radio, power locks, power windows, etc.) won't work.

If someone can jump start your car, try leaving the car running for a good hour (sometimes the car's alternator can re-charge the batter for you), but if the battery doesn't work even after that and you can't restart the car once you've turned it off, then go and buy a new battery and replace it yourself or have a mechanic do it.

Answer 5

Its battery or electrical related. If you have another car take the battery out and take it to be tested, or if you have a volt meter check the voltage of the battery. If its under 10v nothing will work in the car. Since you got some noise like it was trying to start and then nothing there's a pretty good chance that the battery is in fact dead. It could be a bad alternator though causing the battery not to charge, you should have the battery tested and replaced if necessary and then immediately get the alternator checked once you get the car running. Autozone does all this for free and would have the parts.

Answer 6

It's definitely your battery or the starters fried! You may just have a dirty or loose terminal so take them off, clean them, and reinstall them. If it doesn't work, check the battery acid level. Any dry cells? If so, you can add acid but the battery is probably junk! Time for a new one! If all checks out, then your starter is drawing too many amps and it needs to be replaced.
If you heard noise you don't have any fuse or fuseable link problems. It could be the alternator wasn't charging. Did you notice the guage or idiot light? Of course not, no one looks at those things!

Answer 7

It could be something as simple as one of your battery connections is corroided or loose and no longer making contact. I would check those first to see if thats the likely cause before calling for a mechanic. Do you head lights turn on? I would rule out the computer also because it would generally not stop everything from working which requires power.. if the lights do not turn on I would suggest its one of the cables or a very dead battery..

Answer 8

Well, if no sound is made at all you could be looking at an ignition relay pending a good battery. Given that you said that the first time you tried to start the vehicle it made a little cranking noise I would defnately say the battery is the first place to start. It is also the easiest. You can take the battery out of the vehicle and take it to your local parts store and they will test it for you and tell you definately whether it is good. If it is still good, which I doubt, pull out you schematics or your wallet.

Answer 9

What kind of car is it and how old is it? How old is the battery? Sometimes the battery will have just enough juice to crank once, and your lights will still be on. I would suggest trying to jump it. You might have to leave the cables on for a few minutes if the battery is dead dead. What kind of battery is it? Is it the type that you need to add water to? Check that if that's the case. It might be your starter---there is a old trick that you can hit the starter solenoid with a hammer because it might be shorting out. Forgot to add that you might have loose connections on the battery cables and/or corroded. If you don't know how to clean them, pour coca-cola on them---it works.

Answer 10

It sound like the battery but the first thing to do is turn your lights on and see if they are working. Check that the terminals cable are secure and there's no corrosion on the post of your battery. If not try giving the car a jump.

Answer 11

could be a number of problems. depends on the car. sounds like a similar situation my sister had. she had a neon, went to the gas station, filled up, went to start the car again, and the key turned and that was it. thought it was the battery, jumped it, it wasn't. thought it was the starter, worked with that, it wasn't. turned out it was the fuel pump. it needed to be replaced. Then the car started right up!! good luck