Car Won’t Jump Start, Just Clicks? [Reasons & Solutions!]
There are many reasons your car may not start, and it always seems like it happens at the worst times. After everything is hooked up and ready to go, you attempt to start your car, convinced that it’ll turn over as soon as you crank it. You turn the key, and…nothing. It just clicks.
Your car won’t jump start for several reasons, including a terminally damaged battery, loose or corroded battery terminals, a bad alternator, a bad starter, or even lousy jumper cables. With any of these issues, you may experience a clicking sound without any power running to your battery.
Let’s get into what each of these looks like and what you can do to remedy the problem.
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1. A Terminally Damaged Battery
There comes a time in every car battery’s life when it’s just time to replace it. Batteries are only designed to work for so long, and eventually, you’re bound to run into a time when the battery isn’t going to work anymore.
Unfortunately, more often than not, the battery decides it’s at the end of its lifespan at the worst time.
Sometimes a terminally damaged battery happens just because of age. Sometimes the battery actually suffers physical damage. Either way, this term simply means a battery that has to be replaced for whatever reason.
A damaged battery is most likely your problem if the car starts off and on.
The Solution
The solution for a terminally damaged battery is always to replace it. There’s nothing else you can do in a situation like this since batteries are only designed to last so long.
Be sure, however, to test your battery with a car battery tester to make sure that’s the problem before going through all the hassle of replacing your battery.
Since you’re not going to be able to drive your car, the best thing to do if you don’t have your own tester is to remove the battery and take it to the nearest auto mechanic.
To remove your battery, simply disconnect the battery cables and pull it out. Be careful; they’re heavy! This can be done at any auto shop or your local Walmart if you need to replace your battery. You’ll just look up your car’s year, make, and model and select the appropriate battery.
2. Corroded or Loose Battery Terminals
The battery terminals are the small metal parts that connect to the actual battery. They supply a medium for the power to run through so your car can start. Over time, the battery terminals become dirty and corroded. They also loosen over time.
If the terminals aren’t up to their usual functioning standard, the car won’t be able to get power from the jump, and it will likely just click over and over. A simple look at your battery terminals will tell you if this is the problem.
The Solution
By a quick look under your hood, you’ll know you’re having an issue with corrosion on the terminals. Corroded battery terminals will usually have a blue or white powder that will be very visible. If your battery terminal is corroded, the best thing you can do is replace them.
You can try to clean them instead using this battery terminal cleaning brush on Amazon (which is also quite inexpensive), but new terminals aren’t that expensive or hard to replace.
To replace them, you’ll just want to disconnect the terminal starting with the negative terminal. Then remove the positive and lay them side by side.
From here, you can clean the terminals, cut and strip the wires, add heat shrink tubing and reconnect the assembly. Check out this article for a complete guide on how to do this.
3. A Bad Alternator or Starter
Bad alternators and starters are the most likely issue if your car isn’t jumping but is clicking. Unfortunately, these are also two more expensive fixes.
If the alternator goes bad, you will experience similar signs to a dying battery. You may notice the lights have become dim. The car may often stall or make whining noises. You also may begin to smell burning rubber or wires.
The alternator charges the battery as you drive, so if you’re just getting a clicking sound, it could be because the alternator didn’t charge the battery at all. The jump start isn’t providing enough power for you to start the vehicle.
You will likely notice clicking or grinding sounds if it’s the starter, even after trying to jump the car. You may also see smoke coming from under the hood.
Usually, these two things go out over time, so you should expect to notice them before it gets bad if you’re paying enough attention. For more information on the alternator and starter and whether or not this is a possible issue, check out this article.
The Solution
If you’ve run into a problem with your starter or alternator, you’ll have to have it replaced. There’s no cheap fix to this problem. There are a few tests you can run, however, to help you determine whether or not you actually have a problem with the starter or alternator.
If you have the right equipment and feel comfortable, you can remove your starter and test it. Here’s a helpful article on how to do this. This will give you a picture of whether the problem is with your starter or some of your vehicle’s other electrical components.
The good news is that alternators work to keep the engine running, so typically it won’t be an alternator problem if the car is not jumping at all.
It’s also difficult to test the alternator without being able to jump the vehicle since you need to be able to monitor the battery voltage levels. If you can get the car started, then test the battery with a voltmeter before and after starting.
4. The Jumper Cables Are Bad
This is likely the thing that is thought about the least when you can’t get your car to jump. Many people leave their jumper cables in the trunk for years, never considering that they could be useless. Then, when they run into an issue with their car, they’re left wondering why the car isn’t starting.
Jumper cables typically have a lifespan of three or four years, so if you’ve had them sitting in your car for ten years, they’re probably not working well, if at all.
In addition, like anything else, some jumper cables are better quality than others. If you’ve invested in a set of low-quality jumper cables, then it’s even more likely that this is the reason your car won’t jump start. Low-quality cables aren’t built to carry the amount of current it sometimes takes to start a vehicle.
You may also find issues if the cables are too long since this produces more internal resistance, preventing enough current from reaching your car battery.
The Solution
The solution for bad jumper cables is easy. Simply replace them. Jumper cables are relatively inexpensive, though you may pay a bit more for a higher-quality set.
If you aren’t quite ready to replace them yet, then see if you can call a friend over with some different cables to see if your car will start. This should give you a clearer picture as to whether or not it’s just the cables or something more serious.
Occasionally the cables aren’t bad, and you simply aren’t charging the battery long enough. If you’re uncertain how long you should leave the cables attached, here’s a helpful article.