It’s a sinking feeling: You put the key in the ignition, turn it and … nothing happens. If this happens to you, listen closely. The sound your car makes—or doesn’t—is a clue to what’s going on under the hood, and whether you should call for a tow or try to fix it yourself.
Here are some of the most common issues, according to Richard Reina, product training director at CARiD.com, and what you should do about them.
No Sound, No Lights
It might be: A battery connection problem.
What to do: Check the cable connections at the battery. They may look fine, but see if you can twist and turn them by hand; if you can, the connection’s loose. Remove them, clean them with a paper towel or rag, reconnect (you’ll likely need a wrench to tighten down the clamps) and try again.
It might be: A dead battery.
What to do: Try a jump start. You’ll need cables and someone with a car to connect your battery to theirs. Here’s how to jump start your car.
No Sound But Dashboard Lights Go On
It might be: The car isn’t in park or neutral, or the switch on the side of the transmission has gone bad in the park position.
What to do: Move the gear to neutral and see if the car will start. Also try pushing the brake pedal (or clutch, in a car with a manual transmission).
It might be: A faulty starter motor, or your ignition switch or cables from the ignition to the starter aren’t working properly.
What to do: Call for a tow and get to a repair shop right away.
It might be: A problem with the key fob, like a bad transponder or a dead battery.
What to do: There should be an option to start your car even if the fob’s battery is totally dead. Check your owner’s manual.
Engine Makes A Clicking Sound
It might be: A weak battery.
What to do: Turn on the headlights. If they come on brightly, your battery is good and the clicking means you have either a bad connection or a bad starter. If the lights come on very dimly, the problem is a weak battery, and you should try a jump start.
Normal Cranking But Engine Won’t Fire
It might be: You’re out of gas, or running very low.
What to do: Call a service to bring you some fuel.
It might be: A flooded engine, if you have an older car with a carbureted engine. This happens when there’s too much fuel in the engine and the spark plugs are wet and won’t spark.
What to do: Hold the gas pedal all the way down and crank the engine; this will clear the fuel out of the combustion chamber.
It might be: A blown fuse for the fuel pump or ignition circuit.
What to do: When a fuse fails, it’s easy to spot—you’ll see the metal strip is broken and has a bit of black around it. Check your owner’s manual for the fuse box location and replace the fuse. Most car makers provide spare fuses in extra spaces in the fuse box.
A Slow, Dying Crank
It might be: A weak battery.
What to do: Try a jump. Then get to a mechanic as quickly as possible, because it’s only going to happen again.
A Crank With A Grinding Noise
It might be: The starter is not engaging the flywheel.
What to do: Cycle the key on and off three or four times; it should catch the flywheel and start. However, this means that you have broken teeth on your flywheel, so get your car to the shop right away.
Super-Fast Cranking With A Spinning Noise
It might be: A broken timing belt. The connection between the upper half and the lower half of the engine is broken. The pistons have no resistance, and they’re moving up and down faster than usual because some valves remain open.
What to do: Stop cranking immediately and call for a tow; this is a serious problem. To help prevent this problem, replace your timing belt as part of your regular maintenance.
If your car won’t start, hearing a tow truck is a welcome sound. Fortunately, it’s easy to call one with Emergency Roadside Service, available through the GEICO Mobile App. Another nice noise? Hearing that you could be paying less for car insurance from GEICO. Get a quote now and see if you could save!
Read more: The Extreme Weather Driving Guide
By Ellise Pierce
Illustrations by Curt Merlo
Crystal says,
I have a 2015 Chevy sonic.. I’ve been given a boost 3 times, it’s revving but not catching.. its very cold out.. what could b the problem
Aileen says,
My car been dine while I drive it starts back up but dies my rpm was below 1 so I turned my idle up this seemed to fix the problem. It started doing it again when I idle or slow down I stall if I rev the engine it wont it works better in cold now nothing it wont start at all I have lights an radio an it makes a click sound when I turn the key i don’t know what is wrong I did hear a winning sound a few days ago .
Sheila says,
I’m having car trouble.the car won’t start. It From what I just read, it may be that I have a flooded engine a bad starter or bad alternator. Or just a simple battery problem.. I wish I knew an honest mechqnic who don’t tel lies for a living so they can get all of my little bit of money. I just want to drive.
Brenda Chen says,
Hi Nathan,
I had a dead battery for my car, maybe because I have left the light on all night, and it was in the snow overnight. Does Geico cover the service to jump start the car in the insurance? I don’t have a jumper cable in place now. Thank you!
Sarah Cornelius says,
Thanks for these auto care articles. Here’s a problem with my car that I can’t solve.: occasionally after it has been running and I turn off the engine, I will be unable to start my car, no response to key being turned. I will call for help and when I try the key again, after at least 30 minutes, the car starts.
This condition is unpredictable. The dealership made me new ignition keys, thinking that was the problem. It’s not; it happened again w/new keys.
Do you have any suggestions?
Armand says,
I had a Chevrolet station wager one time,it dit the same thing,explained to the
dealer the problem,they said bring it in we will check it out..So, I called the factory,explained to them in details the problem.They could not come up with a answer,but this is what they ssy.”trade it in”well I bough me a new car.”problem solved.
Gideon obuseng says,
My golf1 car when I turn the key on the engine doesn’t run.what can be the problem?
reatile says,
check your battry if it is good then chech the current from switch to the starter
Andries says,
My v6 ford sierra made a crackling noise when started .noise became louder wile driving and suddenly engine just stopped what can be the problem ?
Jackie Oliver says,
I really like what you said about checking your lights to check your battery. It’s a really clever idea! I’ve been stuck with a broken down car a few times, and have had to call someone to come rescue me. With this, I could at least check it myself, and have an idea of what is going on. That way, I would know if I needed a tow truck, or just a little jump start.
Juancarlos Estrada says,
My car doent want to turn on and when i try turning it on, the lights dim and it doesnt start just clicking noise so what does that mean?
John Carston says,
I’m glad to have found these tips for what to do when my car won’t start. I’ve been stranded before and luckily I was able to get a towing service to help me but I’d like to be better prepared in the future. Thanks for your post.
Braden Bills says,
I’ve had this big fear of having my car break down out in the middle of nowhere. It’s nice to know that I can rely on someone who can get me out of that situation if it comes about. It doesn’t hurt to try to prevent the situation from happening in the first place, though. It’s always good to check your car battery before going out on a big trip. Thanks for the information!
John Carston says,
I’m glad I came across this article. I’ve had a few issues starting my car but so far I’ve been able to get it going after a few tries. After reading a few of these tips I think it could be my battery connections but I will try cleaning the wires first in case they are corroded before I find I may need to call a 24 hour towing service. Thanks for the information.
Beverly says,
Why should you keep your fuel tank half full in winter?
Vince Burns says,
I think it is the worst when you find out that your battery doesn’t work or that your ignition is just not working the way it should. I know a lot of people that will panic at this time, but all you really need to do is visit a car service center and get it looked at. They usually can get you started and make sure you can get it fixed.
John Blake says,
I have always wondered what I would do if my car wouldn’t start in the middle the night. I had no idea that there is 24 hour tow service. I will need to give you a call. Thank you for your help.