Car won’t start? Listen first, then try this

Turn the key, or push the button, once and pay attention. Fast clicking or slow cranking usually means the battery. A single click with bright lights points to the starter or a cable. Cranking at normal speed without firing is usually fuel, spark or the security system, not the battery. Total silence and a dark dash is usually a dead battery or a main connection.

First, be safe

If you're on the shoulder of I-275, the Selmon or a bridge, hazards on. If getting out isn't safe, stay buckled in. If you're in or next to a live lane, call 911 before anyone else. A battery can wait. Then call us and tell us your direction and the nearest exit or landmark.

In a parking lot or your driveway, you have time. Read on.

What the sound means

Rapid clicking, no crank. The battery has enough to work the starter solenoid but not enough to turn the motor. This is the most common battery no-start. A jump usually gets it going.

Slow, lazy cranking. The battery is weak, the connections are poor, or both. It may start this time. It may not next time.

One loud click, then nothing, lights stay bright. The battery seems to have power, but the starter isn't turning. Could be the starter, its solenoid or the cable to it. A jump might not help. Battery, alternator or starter.

Normal cranking, won't fire. The battery is doing its job. Look at fuel, spark, or a security light flashing on the dash. Try your spare key if you have one. If it still won't fire, that's a mechanic or tow, not a battery call.

Nothing at all. Dark dash, no sound. Very dead battery, a loose or corroded terminal, or a main fuse. On push-button cars it may also be a dead key fob. Most cars have a backup spot to hold the fob. Check the manual.

Things you can try

1. Turn off everything. Lights, A/C, radio, chargers. Wait a minute and try again.
2. Check the shifter. It must be fully in Park, or Neutral in some cars. Jiggle it and try again.
3. Press the brake firmly on push-button cars. Some won't start without it.
4. Look at the battery terminals if you can reach them safely. Heavy crust or a loose clamp is a likely cause. Don't touch anything if the battery is swollen, leaking or smells like rotten eggs. Battery corrosion.
5. Try the spare key if the security light is blinking.

What not to do: don't keep cranking for long stretches. Crank for a few seconds, then let it rest. Long cranking overheats the starter and drains whatever is left.

Jump it or replace it?

A jump makes sense if the battery is reasonably new and something obvious drained it, like headlights left on. If the battery is three-plus summers old, has been slow for a while, or this is the second jump in a month, plan on a replacement. Jump start vs. new battery goes through it.

If you jump it yourself, connect red to the dead battery's positive, red to the good battery's positive, black to the good battery's negative, and the last black to bare metal on the dead car away from the battery. Then let it charge a few minutes before trying.

When to call

Call us if:

• It's clicking or cranking slowly and you don't have a way to jump it.
• It started with a jump and then died again.
• The battery is old and you'd rather not get stuck again tomorrow.
• You don't want to deal with cables in a dark lot at 2 a.m.

We come to the car, test the battery and charging system, and either jump it, replace the battery, or tell you plainly that the problem is something else. Jump start and no-start help and 24-hour replacement.

What to tell us

• Where the car is: address or lot, level and row if it's a garage.
• Year, make and model.
• What it does when you try to start it.
• Anything that happened before: lights left on, a jump last week, a warning light.

That way we bring the right battery the first time.

If it's not the battery

We'll tell you. We'd rather spend a few minutes testing than sell you a battery that won't fix it. If it looks like a starter, alternator or fuel issue, we'll explain what we found so the shop or tow has a head start.