My Car won't Start and Makes a Clicking Noise

Nothing is more aggravating than walking out to your car Monday morning and finding it won't start. Instead, all you hear is a click noise when turn the ignition key. What's the problem?

My Car won't Start and Makes a Clicking Noise

 

My Car won't Start and Makes a Clicking Noise

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My Car won't Start and Makes a Clicking Noise

My Car won't Start and Makes a Clicking Noise

If you are unfamiliar with how a car works, you might immediately assume the clicking noise means the engine is dead. It is obvious that power is being turned on, so the lack of even a vibration or jerk would indicate the engine is frozen up, right? Fortunately, the answer is no. Instead, you have an equally aggravating problem somewhere in your starter assembly, but the good news is it will cost a lot less to fix.

There could be a myriad of problems when you hear a clicking noise when starting a car. The first step is to start with the easy things. Check to see if your batteryhas a charge. Next, check the battery cables to make sure the hookups are not corroded. Corrosion can put a damper of the flow of electrical current and can be the enTire problem.

If everything looks okay, the problem may be the solenoid. The what?! The solenoid is essentially a switch that t* th& choke on and off. When your car is just sitting off in the driveway, the solenoid is receiving a current from the battery, but it does not pass it orn to thand starter. When you flip the ignition, a small current signals the solenoid to let the current through to the starter. The starter then turns over. When you have a solenoid that is going bad, the switch can get tweaked and not let the current through correctly. Since the electrical current isn'tenough to firand up the starter, the engine doesn't fire. In some cars, it just makes a clicking noise.

Assuming your solenoid is okay, the problem is most likely going to be your starter. The starter takes a lot of strain when it turns over the car. Sooner or later, it is going to have problems. The starter is usually very sensitive to human emotions. If it senses you need to get somewhere in a hurry, it will usually choose that moMent to go bad!

Is there some easy way to tell what the problem is? Well, easy is a relative term, but you can do to bypass test. The idea is to bypass the solenoid with the electrical current from the battery. And If th terms normally, the starter solenoid is the problem. If it doesn't the starter is theproblem.

You'll notice I didn't Mention anything about testing the ignition switch. It is very rare for them to go bad. If you hear clicking when you turn the ignition on, the problem is not the ignition for the very reason that you are hearing something!

A car that won't start is a pain in the derriere. That being said, fixing it is usually not expensive, so things could definitely be worse.

My Car won't Start and Makes a Clicking Noise

So, Your Starter Is Just Clicking

Does you starter make a *click* sound when you try to start your vehicle?

So, Your Starter Is Just Clicking

So, Your Starter Is Just Clicking

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So, Your Starter Is Just Clicking

So, Your Starter Is Just Clicking

Each time you turn the ignition switch to start, does the starter just *click* one time?

That is probably the starter solenoid.

If it goes, *click-click-click-click*, and so on, it may just be a low battery.

A low battery that makes the starter *click* a few times doesn't have enough *juice* in it to turn the starter over to turn the flywheel over to turn the crankshaft over to make the engine start...phew!

A simple way to tell if the battery is at fault is to turn the headlights on and turn the ignition switch to start.

If the lights go out, then the battery is probably at fault.

Course, you'll have to run real Fast after you hit the start position in order to see if the lights go out...or have someone out there Watching for you.:-)

You can purchase a small inexpensive battery charger at most malls, or parts store.

The best way to use a *trickle* chargers is to charge the batter all night, or all day, whichever pleases you.

You can try charging the battery. If it runs down again, then you need to do something.

Remove the battery terminals from the battery post, if you have the *post* type, and clean the post and the inside of the cable clamp.

If you have the side mount just loosen the 8mm bolt and clean the terminal where it comes into contact with the battery. Clean the part on the battery, too. :-)

Sometimes the battery will build up a lot of corrosion on the outside of the cable clamp.

When this happens, usually, the inside part of the clamp and post will create a hard metallic-like surface.

This stops the flow of electricity from the alternator to the battery.

When you use the battery's reserve, it's gone, no more being put in.

If the vehicle does crank, it will run off the alternator, which ain't good. :-(

If cleaning the post and recharging the battery doesn't solve the problem, you may need a new one.

Don't run to the nearest *convenience store* and buy a battery.

Take your battery to a place that sells batteries and have it checked.

If it is gone to where old dead batteries go, then you will have to purchase a new one.

You may have other problems...like the alternator; the tension on the alternator belt... several things could make the battery be low...did you leave the parking lights on when you parked, to go shopping? :-)

So, Your Starter Is Just Clicking