Drat. Car Won't Start

[Mr. Scot]

Turn the key and all I get is a machine gun clocking noise

Guessing my battery is dead. Certainly hope it isn't more than that.

[LifeisaGarden]

alternator

[Mr. Scot]

alternator

Hope not.

[LifeisaGarden]

Are you getting any power at all? lights coming on, blinkers work.

[Matt Foley]

Battery. Same thing happened to me two weeks ago. Get a jump and drive to Advanced Auto Parts. They'll test the battery for you and tell you the scoop, then they'll even help you put the new one in.

[Mr. Scot]

Battery. Same thing happened to me two weeks ago. Get a jump and drive to Advanced Auto Parts. They'll test the battery for you and tell you the scoop, then they'll even help you put the new one in.

That's the plan.

I have power, but it's low. Lights dim, windows slow, etc.

[Zcustom]

Battery. Same thing happened to me two weeks ago. Get a jump and drive to Advanced Auto Parts. They'll test the battery for you and tell you the scoop, then they'll even help you put the new one in.

LOL @ getting help installing a battery, I thought you were a tough guy

[Matt Foley]

LOL @ getting help installing a battery, I thought you were a tough guy

I used to work on cars. I was telling him in case he didn't know.

[Sultan33g]

lol

[mush]

1. look at your terminals and see if there is corrosion on either one. If there is remove battery cables, prolly with a #10 metric and clean them.

2. Jump it off if that doesn't work. your alternator, if it's working, will keep it going once it starts forever. If it dies on you going down the road then you know your alternator isn't working because it just failed to power the fuel pump.

3. So at the end of the day your battery is completely dead but you should be able to ascertain the age of it to help you with this, if it's a 'young' battery then you've prolly got alternator issues in which case don't throw the batter away get the alternator rebuilt.

there is another reason for this, which hopefully is not your case, and that is that there is a short somewhere in the car which is draining the battery. If the short is in the alternator then when the car hasn't been run for several hours feel the alternator and if it's hot then it's there, otherwise it's a wild goose chase trying to find the short but the right person can find it pretty quick. Sorry to get too verbose but this runs you throughthe whole gamut of what it could be and bumps up the combined intellectual wealth of the huddle.

[Kevin Greene]

alternator

Well the battery definately is delivering a weak power source to the starter. Could be a bad battery, bad connection at the battery or at the starter or main vehicle ground source. Could be a battery draw when the car is shut off, such as trunk light, or bad relay etc.

Alternator not charging generally will throw a dash warning light while you're driving.

[Johnny Rockets]

Take it to a local repair shop and tell them your starter fluid reservoir is empty. Once they fill it up it should crank right up. Let me know how it turns out.

[Zcustom]

I used to work on cars. I was telling him in case he didn't know.

That's the Meat we all know and love.

Sorry for doubting you bruh

[SMACKDAB]

6 fresh new "D" batteries usually get me going.