Will magic and earnest hope fix my car?

December 6, 2005 8:53 AM

Car trouble! It's freezing cold out this morning. The car won't start. The engine doesn't turn over or make any regular engine-y noises. (obviously I'm not the best with cars, so please use small words in your advice...)

It sort of 'clicks' when i turn the key, instead of turning over. Like *turn key* CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK *return key to off position*. The heat, radio, lights, etc. all work fine, which tells me the battery is not dead (right?). The 'engine' and 'oil can' lights in the dash come on after attempting to start the car.

It's a 2002 Ford Taurus. I've been sort of lax in the oil-change department, and I've a sneaking suspicion that I'll now have to pay through the nose for that. HOWEVER, I'm hoping maybe also the cold is playing a factor? It's 8 degrees outside, but feels like -5 (or so says weather.com).

Also, the car ran just fine at about 10:45 last night. My plan now is to let it sit in the sun and warm up a bit, and hope that the problem... goes away? That the car will thaw and start and then I'll get me to a nunnery that does oil changes?

posted by inging to travel & transportation (29 comments total)

Your battery is screwed in the cold. Possibly it's old and at the end of it's useful life, or it has had a hard life of start-stop motoring. Take it inside and charge it with a external battery charger.
posted by Harald74 at 8:57 AM on December 6, 2005

Some good advice in this previous thread. Read and enjoy, but fully charge the battery first, before you do anything else.
posted by grahamwell at 8:57 AM on December 6, 2005

Battery. Shut off everything when trying to start it might work. Headlights, radio, etc.
posted by Dean Keaton at 8:58 AM on December 6, 2005

Not even starting to turn over makes it sound like a problem with the alternator. You could still have enough juice to power the radio, etc., but but not get the engine to start. Have you tried getting a jump?
posted by Gilbert at 9:01 AM on December 6, 2005

For a temporary solution, you can take the battery inside, let it warm to room temperature, reinstall it in the car, and start 'er up. It'll work. Or get a friend to give you a jump.

Longer term: buy a new battery, perhaps one which advertises "12 million cold-cranking amps!"

Lack of oil changes probably aren't your problem. Though if you take it somewhere to get the battery replaced, you might as well do the oil too.
posted by jellicle at 9:06 AM on December 6, 2005

It sounds to me like your starter has gone bad. Warming the car will not help in that case. The starter is part of the ignition of the engine (ie. turning it over and causing it to spark & then ignite and run) but it is a separate component from the ignition module and the electronics. Once you get the starter replaced, get thee to the oil nunnery. Your car will thank you.
posted by onhazier at 9:07 AM on December 6, 2005

Another vote for battery problem, which could be a consequence of a failing alternator. Just because your interior gadgets turn on doesn't mean you have the juice to start her up.
posted by jmd82 at 9:09 AM on December 6, 2005

I also was going to go with the starter, but you might as well start with jellicle and Dean's suggestions as these won't cost you anything
posted by poppo at 9:10 AM on December 6, 2005

If it's got juice in the electrical system, then there are two possible problems, and it may be both:

1) Weak battery. You can prove this easily enough with jumper cables. Then take the car to an auto parts store - most places will test your battery for free and tell you if you need a new one.

2) The "click" may be a bad solenoid in the starter, which causes this exact problem. This is likely the problem if jumper cables/charging doesn't work.

It COULD also be an alternator problem, too, but the cheap way to figure that out is to get it started and have it tested, too. Alternators are relatively cheap and easy to replace.
posted by TeamBilly at 9:15 AM on December 6, 2005

I'm just going with Occam's Razor - cold out, car won't start, car started last night = battery.

In the event that you can't get it started with a jump or warming the battery, come back here and read the comments re: starter motor. :)
posted by jellicle at 9:24 AM on December 6, 2005

If you have electricity at the car, put a lit-up light bulb under the battery box to warm it up. A heat lamp aimed at the battery would be even better.

Pry open one of the caps on top of the battery and check the fluid level. If you can see the tops of the plates, carefully add some warm water to each hole until the water's surface distorts because of the shape of the hole. (That's how you know it's full.) Don't overfill, because the stuff that spills out is strong acid.

If you aren't mechanical, don't try taking the battery out, you'll get frustrated. If you do take it out, remember that it's full of acid.

Probable immediate problem: Weak battery
Possible, but less likely immediate problem: Starter solenoid
Not immediate problem: Alternator

If battery, Probable cause: Old battery
If battery, possible causes: Alternator, bad battery cables, cruddy connections at battery, you left a light on.
posted by Kirth Gerson at 9:28 AM on December 6, 2005

I think you're getting the message about the battery.

You need to remove it from the car if you can and charge it overnight. You could get a jump, but the chances are that the same thing will happen the next night.

Assuming you charge the battery fully and the car starts, the critical thing is how long it take for the problem to happen again.

If you're lucky, it won't. This can happen, just bad luck, poor timing etc, happens once, doesn't repeat.

More likely you'll get through a few days and then the whole thing returns. At least you know what to do to get the thing going, but you then need to determine whether you need a new battery or whether there's a charging problem with the car. That's the point you might want to talk to a mechanic. Mechanics are expensive though, taking a punt and just buying a new battery has a pretty good chance of solving the problem and doesn't really cost that much (compared to mechanics fees).
posted by grahamwell at 9:34 AM on December 6, 2005

Get a new battery. Not the alternator, which would have been detected as failing and turned on your "battery" light. Cold weather will exascerbate any issues with a battery, and the car is now about 5 years old, the typical car battery lasts 5 or 6 years.

It *could* be the starter, but seriously, the battery is a hundred times more likely.
posted by knave at 9:36 AM on December 6, 2005

You need two things:

an Optima Red Top Battery. The Optima batteries do better in the cold than anything else I've ever tried.

a AAA membership, because they will always come rescue you.
posted by tumble at 9:41 AM on December 6, 2005

Your battery is the culprit.

While a failing alternator could cause the battery to degrade to the point where you'd get that ratchet-like sound when you turn the key, the fact that you said it's freezing cold outside says to me your problem is simply a battery that has been crippled by the cold. You'd have been warned about a failing alternator the last time(s) you drove your car by the ever-dimming lights, battery light on your dash, et al.

Regardless, you can squeak a some more life out of it by charging it (either with a charger or by jump-starting your car and letting it run/drive it for a while), but you're going to need a new one sooner or later. Car batteries typically have a life of five years or more, but climates that have wildly varying temps from season to season can lessen this, as to lots of short trips where it frequently doesn't get the chance to fully recharge.

You're probably outside the 3 year/36,000 mile warranty, but your battery most certainly has a pro-rated warranty still in effect (most OEM batteries have at least a 5 year pro-rated warranty). You'll probably have to go to a Ford dealer to take advantage of that, though, which is rarely cheap. A better option would be to buy a $50-60 battery (closer to $100 if you want a balls to the wall battery with the most cranking amps, and a longer warranty) from a local auto parts store like Autozone or Pep Boys, who will almost always install it for free.

So, jump start, and bet on it happening again, or get yourself a new $60 battery (with a new warranty) if that's a better option for you.
posted by porntips guzzardo at 9:55 AM on December 6, 2005

Jellicle, the Occam's razor approach is so perfect.

If you are going to live in a cold climate, it's good to own jumper cables. I have a jump battery that can be charged, then used to jumpstart a car. I hope your day improves.
posted by theora55 at 10:20 AM on December 6, 2005

Be careful jump starting batteries; they can explode from hydrogen gas ignition. Chances are slim, but if this happens even once, you have acid all over you. Hook up positive to positive, then one negative, and the last negative connection should be made somewhere away from the battery, like a bolt on the engine or frame of the car. And keep your scarf away from the fan belt.
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 10:32 AM on December 6, 2005

Hook up positive to positive, then one negative, and the last negative connection should be made somewhere away from the battery, like a bolt on the engine or frame of the car.

To make it crystal clear (even though it's been implied): the connections go from the jumper car to your car. This is the order: jumper car's positive to your positve, then jumper car's negative to your car. The last negative connection is onto something metal in your engine compartment, as far away from the battery as possible. Also, the jumper car will not be running while you hook up the cables.
The serious tone is just to make sure that everybody pays attention while doing this, but it's actually pretty easy. Even*I* can do it.
posted by NoMich at 10:52 AM on December 6, 2005

Oh yeah, one more thing: don't use hybrid cars as the jumper car. The battery pack dealies on their car could get fried in the process and that's a $3000 fuck up.
posted by NoMich at 10:54 AM on December 6, 2005

The clicking is the starter's solenoid trying to engage the starter motor to turn the flywheel, but there is insufficient amperage in the connection for it to do so. This could be because:

(1) the battery is tired & cold;
(2) the starter is hosed;
(3) the electrical connections have too much resistance in them, i.e., corrosion at terminal or or loose connection at battery or starter.

You'd should have had an alternator or "check battery" light if the alternator was bad, resulting in inadequate charging to the battery. Chances are, for reasons given above, that it's not the starter or the battery lead connected there. Check connections at battery 1st - if corroded, loosen & douse with baking soda and water & scrub with wire brush until clean. Reconnect & try again. If this doesn't work, take out the battery & have it checked at Firestone or similar shop & recharged. Replace as necessary.

If you put water in it, use distilled water, not tap water, which contains chlorine.
posted by Pressed Rat at 11:42 AM on December 6, 2005

i've had two dead alternators in my life, and each time it was the no-going and the click-click-click.
posted by soma lkzx at 12:44 PM on December 6, 2005

Yes, but it's the battery that powers the starter, not the alternator - it recharges the battery.
posted by Pressed Rat at 1:32 PM on December 6, 2005

Yes, the "check battery" light should have come on if the alternator was the problem. A lot of things should happen. But neither of the two alternators that died on me caused a "check battery" light. And the symptoms were basically identical -- dead battery on a cold winter morning.

A new battery and a couple jumps helped for about a week, and then it just wouldn't start at all. New alternator fixed it right up until the next winter, which is when I figured out that my rear defroster has a short or something, and was stressing out the alternator. That one's in its third winter now that I've stopped using the defroster unless absolutely necessary.
posted by CrayDrygu at 3:07 PM on December 6, 2005

Most likely causes:

1. Battery.

2. Alternator.

3. Starter Solenoid.

As it turns out, that's probably also the order of ease of replacement (although depending on the car, #2 and #3 could flip).
posted by Doohickie at 3:16 PM on December 6, 2005

I had an almost identical issue with my older tempo a year or so ago, except it was just one loud click. The problem was the cabling to the starter.
posted by cellphone at 3:37 PM on December 6, 2005

If it's a stick you can push start it too. Then just drive it to a battery palce (that isn't Sears) and have them test the battery. You'll know if it's bad right away and you can get a new one.
posted by fshgrl at 5:10 PM on December 6, 2005

Bad battery cables or corroded connections at the starter or the battery can cause this symptom, as cellphone mentions. You might try cleaning them and making sure the calbes are tight on the posts.

Also, newer manual trans cars with theft systems may not be able to be push started - some look at the key going to and from the crank position.
posted by rfs at 9:09 PM on December 6, 2005

I think the battery issue has been covered. Now then, you know what happens when you ask Dad for advice: you've gotten the wisdom, now you have to put up with the lecture. Stop putting off oil changes. That's just stupid. You probably aren't flossing or getting regular check-ups either, are you. ARE YOU?
posted by nanojath at 10:54 PM on December 6, 2005

Thank you, everyone. I managed to get a jump (with the cables i got last year fro christmas, thank you practicalsanta) and get the car going with little difficulty.

I only wish I had gotten the bit of anti-Sears advice before I hit the road. Although they replaced my battery and my car now runs, it took them and hour and a half, and then they didn't tell me it was done for another 45 minutes. Thankfully, the waiting room had the WB on the tv and a Good Housekeeping from July to keep me occupied. Did you know that berries can be made into many tasty, healthy, summer treats?

Regardless of the Sears-drama, my gratitude goes out to all for your excellent advice. And yes, Dad, I'll get an oil change regularly from now on. And no, I don't floss or get regular checkups... but I learned it from watching YOU, Dad. I learned it from watching you!
posted by inging at 7:51 AM on December 7, 2005