my car is not starting, it just makes this clicking noise. what is that?

Answer 1

You need a new starter.

Answer 2

99% of the time it means that your battery doesn't have enough energy to turn the starter motor. Even if the lights and the radio still work, the starter motor requires a lot more power and may not work if the battery is low enough. It's kind of like a flashlight when the batteries are almost dead and the light is really dim. There can be several causes of this, and many are easy to check. I will list them in the order that is usually easiest and least expensive to check (and the order I use).

Most likely is that a light was left on and drained the battery. If this is the case, all you need too do is charge the battery and you'll be fine (or get a jumpstart and drive the car for 10-15 minutes and let the alternator charge the battery).

Another common possibility is that the battery connections are corroded and even though the alternator and the starter are both fine not enough energy is getting out of the battery to start the car or into the battery to keep it properly charged. To check for this, take the battery connectors off the battery and see if they are covered with a white powdery substance where they contact the battery (look at the pattery terminals too). If your car has an anti-theft radio, make sure you have the code to get it working again, because what usually triggers them is loss of power.

If neither of these are the culprit, make sure the belt going to the alternator is tight. This can be true of both the older "V" belt setups, where there are several belts, or the newer serpentine setups, where there is one flat belt with a bunch of grooves on one surface. Either type can stretch, but if the belt is loose but not stretched the fix is different between the two setups. With the "V" belts, tension is usually set manually, where one of the accessories driven by each belt can be moved to make the belt tigher or looser and then snugged into place with a bolt. Sometimes there is a separate bolt used to make the adjustment, and sometimes the accessory must simply be pulled or pried until the belt is tight and then the bolt that holds it in position tightened down. In either case, the bolt that the accessory pivots on may also need to be loosened and then retightened after the adjustment is made. With the serpantine setup there is usually a spring-loaded piece called a tensioner that pushes against the belt (with a free-spinning pully wheel) and keeps the tension within the correct range, but the tensioners can break and need replacement.

Depending on how exacly the battery was made and under what conditions it has been used (heat, cold, leaving lights on and draining it), batteries to eventually wear out, usually somewhere between 4 and 10 years. They are generally easy to take out, and take to the parts stores for testing, which most parts stores will do for free. If you need to get a new battery, make sure it will fit in your car, because they come in multiple physical sizes.

If everything listed so far checks out and is as it should be, you probably either have a worn out alternator or a broken/loose/corroded/shorted connection. I would remove the alternator and have it tested (most parts places will do this for free, but it has to be out of the car so they can put it in their testing machine). Depending on the car, a new alternator may be very expensive, but you can't go very far without it. If it does test OK, then I would have a shop try to find the bad connection or wire, unless you are very handy with electrical testers and good at tracing wires. Unfortunately, wiring issues are one of the harder car problems to track down and find, but fortunately they are also one of the least commonly occuring problems.

There is one other possibility, but it is almost as unlikely as a bad wire or conection. Sometimes when the starter motor wears out it starts needing more and more power to function, which would make it initially appear that the battery was at fault. Removing it and having it tested, like the battery or alternator, can verify this. I say that it is unlikely that this is the problem not because they don't wear out, but because they usually show different symptoms than this when they do.

Hopefully it will be a quick and easy fix and you will be back on the road. Good luck!

Answer 3

If you are satisfied that your battery is not flat, and has clean, tight, uncorroded terminals, then the problem is most likely in the starter motor. Strike the starter motor a few times lightly with a hammer. Lightly, you are trying to shake it up, not dent it. This can sometimes get it working. If the battery is good and hitting the motor does not work, then the motor needs to be repaired or replaced. Even if hitting it works, it still needs repair.

Most likely though the problem is flat battery. If you have good car accommodation with mains power nearby, try charging the battery for several hours. Small battery chargers are not expensive. If you do a lot of short runs in the car, a few miles/kilometres at most, this can drain battery and a few hours on charge every few weeks will prevent such problems.

Answer 4

Starter or therein, if it was battery you would get nothing or a partial turnover, you might be able to get a start out of it like the auto tech was explaing, if it its a stick shift the roll start is always fun (push car with clutch in and in 1st or 2cnd when rolling at a decent rate let the clutch in rather quick, key in run position..)

Answer 5

could be starter or starter silenoid. or maybe just loose battery cables. check cables first. if still no start have buddy turn over why you tap on the starter. don't hit too hard as you will break the starter housing. or just take off and take to auto parts store to test.

Answer 6

Could be a few things such as dead battery, bad solenoid switch or loose or corroded connections on the battery or solenoid switch or starter.

Answer 7

first check the pole put the
key in start and some body moving the pole, is it have some white powder wash it with 7up to clean it.

Answer 8

Sounds like your battery is dead. Take the battery to a shop and have them test it.

Answer 9

I think your Car battery is not so good charging so that it can,t start the Engine.

Answer 10

It may be your starter. If it was your battery, it wouldn't make a noise at all.

Answer 11

You need some guy with know how, and a Voltmeter to look at it. Like me

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