My Car Hates Me

[kastrix]

I was out driving in my car two nights ago and came home, ecerything was running fine. The next mornign i came out to get in and go to sears, and i turned they key and all i got was one click. This has never happened before.

I have been reading the boards and everyone seems to have this happen in colder weather and they seem to be able to get it started.

I have turned the lights on and off, whacked the starter with a hammer cleaned the battery posts. I dont know what else to do. This has NEver happened before. The car has always started up like a dream even in the -20 degree weather in montana.


Any ideas? I dont like the thought of having to tow my car since i live out of the city a ways...

[dzx]

Have the ignition on, get the car rolling good with someone pushing it, jump in, stick it in gear and pop the clutch.

[scottzg]

Bed Dattery.

[kastrix]

Bed Dattery.

I wish that were the case, Everything on the inside works fine. My seatbelts were quick, windows were quick, stereo was pushing out mad bass with no cut off even at max volume. I even hooked it up to a battery recharger just to make sure.

[BAC5.2]

Starter stuck?

Do what DZX said and pop-start it. If it runs, you probably might want to consider replacing the starter. If it doesn't run, that sucks

[dzx]

I've had that happen before, i couldnt get it to start at all, so i had to push the car around my work parking lot at 2am in the morning with a very slight grade which really sucked. Finally got it started, went to a gas station and when i went to turn the car on it started right back up, haven't had a problem since then.

[evolutionmovement]

I second a low charged battery. The only time my starter did this to me was when I was only making short trips to and from work this winter (I work a few blocks away). I bought a starter (hey the old one had over 250k on it, so it would be about time) thinking it had a dead spot, though just in case I drove the car around to recharge the battery. The new starter is still sitting under my front seat. All my accessories also worked fine.

I even brought my car in to have the system tested a few years back at Sears and they said my battery was fine (yet the car had to be jumped, which is why I was there). I told them I wanted a new one anyway and they looked at me like I was stupid, yet that problem never reoccured.

When I worked briefly at Pep Boys I found most people couldn't properly use the charging system diag machine and it would gove false positives.

Steve

[bmxpunk]

THe same thing happened to my Impreza last week. I could charge the snot out of it all-night, didn't work, cleaned the posts, helped but still didn't start. The thing would fire right up if jumped. But I finally replaced the battery and runs like a friggin champ now. I tought it was wierd. How old was your battery?

[greg donovan]

if the battery is new the crank and/or cam sensors could be shot. they went out on my 95. car would only start sometimes. fortunately there was a recall on them for that year.

[scottzg]

Battery starter wire or bad ground. Or, you battery can't put up the amps.

[93forestpearl]

Do you have a multimeter? If not, you may want to invest. They come in handy when trying to diagnose this kind of stuff, like bad alternators, batteries and such.

[nsantos23]

DIVINE VOICE!

BATTERY TERMINALS AND/OR CORRODED STARTER TERMINALS!

HEHEHEEHEH


NEO

[VRoman]

I had the same problem two years ago - the starter died. Turn the key - and nothing happens but "click-click" sound. As it was said before, start the car by rolling and popping it in 1st gear. Go to AutoZone and replace the starter. It takes about 10 minutes to do right at the parking lot if you have your toolbox with you.

[dzx]

You got it started by now right?