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Why doesn't the car work???

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Old 02-04-2009, 09:25 PM
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Default Why doesn't the car work???

For some reason my car is not turning on. First off the car has not given me any issues and this has pretty much happened out of no where. Drove fine all day until I got off work today. I was able to unlock the door with the remote as I do normally but as I put the key in and turn it to start the car everything in the car shuts off. The guages, radio and the remote don't seem to work anymore. The weird thing is that I sat there wondering WTF was going on when the needles on the guages started jumping side to side. My first thought was that the battery was drained some how and I connected a charger to it. As soon as I connected it everything was working except that when I try and start it there is a loud ticking sound coming from under the hood. I would like to get ideas before I take it to a mechanic and get ripped off.

Any help is appreciated thanks!!!!!!!!
Old 02-04-2009, 09:30 PM
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Check to make sure your battery terminals are on tight. Also, check that the ground wiring from the battery to the chassis is secured at the chassis ground point.

If everything looks ok, have the battery tested.
Old 02-04-2009, 09:34 PM
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The charger can't supply enough current to start the car. Give it time to charge, or jump it with another car. The ticking is the starter trying to work without enough power. I don't know if that explains the gauges.
Old 02-04-2009, 09:37 PM
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that has happened to me before, all i did was got out, locked in, waited about 5 mins, unlocked it, and it worked as normal, i still dont have an explanation for it, it just happened lol.

it may have something to do with the anti theft or something.
Old 02-04-2009, 09:52 PM
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have the battery and alt tested and check battery connections
Old 02-04-2009, 11:45 PM
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I am almost sure it's the battery because the lights and everything from the inside of the car turned on only when I had the charger on it but it just wouldn't start. I'll try in get a jump from another car and check the wiring from under the car tomorrow.THANKS!!!!!!!!!!
Old 02-05-2009, 12:11 AM
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If you replace the battery and it works fine, great. If the problem comes back i would look into the charging system and the alternator. a bad alternator will kill a battery.

so if it was the battery, what killed the battery?
Old 02-05-2009, 08:28 AM
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try to check for corrosion
my car did this after a semi new battery and all it was was corrosion on the connections =P
Old 02-05-2009, 12:07 PM
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Check for corrosion on your battery and also look at your key that starts it and see if the teeth are worn down!
Old 02-05-2009, 02:37 PM
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Take the battery in to be tested.
Old 02-05-2009, 02:55 PM
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It's definitely a loose connection on the battery. I've had that happen MANY times on cars of mine.
Old 02-05-2009, 03:24 PM
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bad ground at the battery
Old 02-05-2009, 05:56 PM
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My car did that once, drove fine all day. Used the door remote turned the ignition it just goes click click click, and the gauge needles were bouncing all around. I just disconnected the battery sanded some corrosion off the terminals reconnected it and its been fine every sense. Definately sounds battery related.
Old 02-05-2009, 06:23 PM
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+3 for corrosion. When you put the charger on it the corrosion doesn't come into play because its inside the terminals. Unbolt the positive and check for corrosion before you do anything else.
Old 02-05-2009, 09:14 PM
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This is too funny because this just happend to me today. The car started fine this morning I went to the Dentists office,Borders bookstore, and Walmart for lunch as soon as I came out of Walmart the car would not start. After playing with the positive terminal cable for 20 minites the car started. So is it safe to say that corrosion is my problem also?
Old 02-05-2009, 11:15 PM
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Ok so I tightened the cables of the battery and got a jump from another car which was able to turn on my car. I had the battery and alternator checked and they both work fine. Now the car turns on on its own but the needles on the gauges don't move at all when I' m driving and the radio doesn't work. I'm thinking that I may have a fuse out. Don't know yet because it is raining here and I really don't feel like checking them in the pouring rain. Does it sound like it fuse to you guys?????
Old 02-08-2009, 10:14 PM
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Ok so I checked all the fuses and they are fine. The gauges and radio still don't work and right now I'm lost I noticed that the lights on my car don't flash when I lock or unlock the car with the remote. Can twitchtwice be right and maybe it does have something to do with the alarm???




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