Hope my car
January 3, 2024 10:55 AM Subscribe
Please help me diagnose my car that won't start. There's
Car's electrical system was completely dead this morning. FOB to open the door didn't work, no ding ding sound with the key in the ignition and the door open.
Engine won't turn over, not even the clicky sound it makes when the battery is mostly drained.
I had a (not fully charged) powerpack (lead acid battery) and tried to jump my car. The first time I touched it, the car ran through the startup routine (horn, lights). Engine still wouldn't turn over and I only occasionally get the clicky sound.
After recharging the powerpack for a few hours (not enough?), the car didn't make the startup routine and the engine still won't turn over but I get the clicky sound more frequently.
How should I diagnose this? Clean the contacts on the battery? Wait for the powerpack to fully charge overnight and try again? Order a new one from Amazon?
If it still won't start tomorrow (enough to get me to a shop to replace the battery), what would you recommend I do? The car is in the bottom level of an underground parkade.
Thanks!
Car's electrical system was completely dead this morning. FOB to open the door didn't work, no ding ding sound with the key in the ignition and the door open.
Engine won't turn over, not even the clicky sound it makes when the battery is mostly drained.
I had a (not fully charged) powerpack (lead acid battery) and tried to jump my car. The first time I touched it, the car ran through the startup routine (horn, lights). Engine still wouldn't turn over and I only occasionally get the clicky sound.
After recharging the powerpack for a few hours (not enough?), the car didn't make the startup routine and the engine still won't turn over but I get the clicky sound more frequently.
How should I diagnose this? Clean the contacts on the battery? Wait for the powerpack to fully charge overnight and try again? Order a new one from Amazon?
If it still won't start tomorrow (enough to get me to a shop to replace the battery), what would you recommend I do? The car is in the bottom level of an underground parkade.
Thanks!
Best answer: Those powerpacks don't always have enough juice to start a cold engine. This just sounds like a dead battery, but some dead batteries also have dead cells and wont hold a charge.
Try getting a jump from a running car, see if it holds the charge. if it does you're okay, if not then plan on getting a new battery.
Most auto parts shops will test your dead battery to see if it is indeed in need of replacement.
posted by OHenryPacey at 11:17 AM on January 3
Try getting a jump from a running car, see if it holds the charge. if it does you're okay, if not then plan on getting a new battery.
Most auto parts shops will test your dead battery to see if it is indeed in need of replacement.
posted by OHenryPacey at 11:17 AM on January 3
You might try recharging the powerpack fully, but if you get enough for a recharge and it still won't start, that may be a starter or alternator failure.
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 11:20 AM on January 3
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 11:20 AM on January 3
If you can't start it from the fully-charged powerpack tomorrow, I would recommend removing the battery and taking it someplace where they can test it and recharge it for you (in the US, places like Autozone and Advance Auto Parts will do this for free - I had to do this myself a few months ago, riding my bike to Autozone with my car battery in the back basket!). Or if they test the battery and it's bad, you can buy a new one.
If a recharged battery or new battery doesn't fix it, it's probably the alternator, but even if that's the case a fresh battery might be enough to get you out of the parkade.
posted by mskyle at 11:27 AM on January 3 [1 favorite]
If a recharged battery or new battery doesn't fix it, it's probably the alternator, but even if that's the case a fresh battery might be enough to get you out of the parkade.
posted by mskyle at 11:27 AM on January 3 [1 favorite]
If you are able to get it to start, make sure to run the car for 20 minutes or so, so that the alternator can recharge the battery. If the car won't restart a subsequent time after recharging itself, you likely have an electrical problem upstream, which a new battery will not fix.
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 11:36 AM on January 3 [1 favorite]
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 11:36 AM on January 3 [1 favorite]
Sounds like an alternator issue to me. Sorry dude, they are expensive.
To get out of the parking garage, I'd buy a new battery and then immediately drive to a garage - you can only drive for a few minutes on a battery-alone. Not sure about a new one, maybe 1/2 hour at most.
posted by The_Vegetables at 12:10 PM on January 3
To get out of the parking garage, I'd buy a new battery and then immediately drive to a garage - you can only drive for a few minutes on a battery-alone. Not sure about a new one, maybe 1/2 hour at most.
posted by The_Vegetables at 12:10 PM on January 3
It does sound like a dead battery, but you might be able to get out of this with what you have. I'd suggest fully charging the boost pack, then connect the boost pack to your car's battery for a while (at least 15-30 minutes). This will give the boost pack time to actually start to charge your car's battery. Then, try to start your car. (Don't get impatient and try to start your car every few minutes during this process; all that's going to do is to wipe out any charge you've managed to put into your car's battery.) The issue is that usually, the boost packs cant provide enough power instantaneously to start the car, but given more time, they can move enough energy into your car's battery so that your battery can.
If that doesn't work, then I agree with the other answers - probably time to get a jump from another car, or take the battery to be tested and charged/replaced).
Depending on your relationship with the owners of the parkade, you could also try reaching out to them to see if they have any provisions for assistance. I've had a dead battery at a long-term (airport) parking garage, and they had a cart-mounted setup that can be used to jump-start a car.
posted by yuwtze at 12:58 PM on January 3 [1 favorite]
If that doesn't work, then I agree with the other answers - probably time to get a jump from another car, or take the battery to be tested and charged/replaced).
Depending on your relationship with the owners of the parkade, you could also try reaching out to them to see if they have any provisions for assistance. I've had a dead battery at a long-term (airport) parking garage, and they had a cart-mounted setup that can be used to jump-start a car.
posted by yuwtze at 12:58 PM on January 3 [1 favorite]
you can only drive for a few minutes on a battery-alone.
You mean a few hours, although you would want to keep non-essentials off as much as possible. Headlights are a fairly large drain, so once you don't need them, turn them off or run the side lights only if that's an option.
(we have an EV, and its 12V consumers, lights, blower, instruments, wipers, etc are powered ONLY by the 12V battery which easily keeps the lot going for more than two hours. It's not that much larger than the one in its IC sibling).
posted by Stoneshop at 1:19 PM on January 3
You mean a few hours, although you would want to keep non-essentials off as much as possible. Headlights are a fairly large drain, so once you don't need them, turn them off or run the side lights only if that's an option.
(we have an EV, and its 12V consumers, lights, blower, instruments, wipers, etc are powered ONLY by the 12V battery which easily keeps the lot going for more than two hours. It's not that much larger than the one in its IC sibling).
posted by Stoneshop at 1:19 PM on January 3
Something that is often overlooked is the ground system in a car. Loose ground strap connection(s) to the frame can cause intermittent weird electrical problems. For instance see this YouTube video.
posted by forthright at 3:12 PM on January 3
posted by forthright at 3:12 PM on January 3
If your insurance has roadside assistance, call them - they can jump the car and sometimes they have a battery. If you need to get a new battery, Autozone will put it in for you.
Low probability but it happened to me: a break inside the cable from the positive side of the battery to the starter; when cold the copper shrank and connection was lost; once started the engine heat caused enough expansion to make the connection. Took three tows to the shop before they found that one!
posted by TimHare at 3:35 PM on January 3
Low probability but it happened to me: a break inside the cable from the positive side of the battery to the starter; when cold the copper shrank and connection was lost; once started the engine heat caused enough expansion to make the connection. Took three tows to the shop before they found that one!
posted by TimHare at 3:35 PM on January 3
~you can only drive for a few minutes on a battery-alone.
~You mean a few hours...
There’s no way you can run an ICE car for a few hours on battery alone, even if you have accessories off. In addition to just starting the car, the battery will have to power the ignition system (i.e. getting power to the plugs), and keep the engine management system up and running. Many cars also have electric motors running the radiator fans, which will be another drain. You might get a half-hour down the road, depending on how strong the battery is. But a few hours? No way.
posted by Thorzdad at 3:53 PM on January 3
~You mean a few hours...
There’s no way you can run an ICE car for a few hours on battery alone, even if you have accessories off. In addition to just starting the car, the battery will have to power the ignition system (i.e. getting power to the plugs), and keep the engine management system up and running. Many cars also have electric motors running the radiator fans, which will be another drain. You might get a half-hour down the road, depending on how strong the battery is. But a few hours? No way.
posted by Thorzdad at 3:53 PM on January 3
I have started my pickup truck with a power pack. I got said power pack because when I called Ford roadside assistance, the cat pulled up in a beater jeep, got out with his power pack and started in on the first try. He told me that I was his 3rdf stop that day. I have subsequently started other cars with the power pack.
It does sound like a dead battery. In the event it does start with the power pack, I am with Thorzdad in that I would get it to your preferred shop ASAP to make sure it is not an alternator issue. If it is an alternator, the battery will be drained pretty quickly, not hours. Also, draining the battery repeatedly, is not good for the long-term life of the battery.
posted by JohnnyGunn at 4:29 PM on January 3
It does sound like a dead battery. In the event it does start with the power pack, I am with Thorzdad in that I would get it to your preferred shop ASAP to make sure it is not an alternator issue. If it is an alternator, the battery will be drained pretty quickly, not hours. Also, draining the battery repeatedly, is not good for the long-term life of the battery.
posted by JohnnyGunn at 4:29 PM on January 3
Best answer: How old is the current battery? This sounds exactly like what happened to one of my cars a couple months ago; the battery was so old (5+ years) & dead that I couldn't jump it or get it to start after plugging it into a heavy-duty battery charger overnight. It made the clicky sound the first time or two I tried to start it, but was silent after that.
posted by belladonna at 5:00 PM on January 3
posted by belladonna at 5:00 PM on January 3
When this recently happened to me (completely dead one morning, no dash lights, etc.) is was a loose battery connection.
posted by jabah at 5:04 PM on January 3
posted by jabah at 5:04 PM on January 3
I should mention (I was first commenter in the thread) that I just had to take my 2017 Subaru in for a dead battery. The battery completely died in exactly a year: first time that’s ever happened to me in fifty years of driving in Wisconsin and Minnesota.
Which is to say: you never know WTF is really happening and it is a good idea to have an auto shop you trust. They actually got the battery company to pay for the whole thing!
Good luck with your car.
posted by Gilgamesh's Chauffeur at 7:22 PM on January 3 [1 favorite]
Which is to say: you never know WTF is really happening and it is a good idea to have an auto shop you trust. They actually got the battery company to pay for the whole thing!
Good luck with your car.
posted by Gilgamesh's Chauffeur at 7:22 PM on January 3 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: So fully charged power pack couldn't do it.
Caved and got BCAA - usually there's a 48 hour lockout for roadside, but waived with a $75 service charge.
Turns out the battery was 9 years old, completely drained, and would not take a charge. They put a new one in and I'm back on the road.
Thanks all.
posted by porpoise at 1:52 PM on January 4 [2 favorites]
Caved and got BCAA - usually there's a 48 hour lockout for roadside, but waived with a $75 service charge.
Turns out the battery was 9 years old, completely drained, and would not take a charge. They put a new one in and I'm back on the road.
Thanks all.
posted by porpoise at 1:52 PM on January 4 [2 favorites]
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I have never used a “power pack” for a jump, just jumped from a working car, so I can’t advise on that one. It is also possible you have some non-battery problem, so getting it to a shop somehow is the best option.
posted by Gilgamesh's Chauffeur at 11:16 AM on January 3 [6 favorites]