# Car won't start? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 17, 2017, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-wont-start/777421 "2017-01-17T21:23:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2017, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-wont-start/777421/21 "2017-01-18T21:12:32Z")
> [@Kimballkid](#): > > The fact that the headlights ‘flicker on and off real fast’ or even still work at all would not indicate a dead battery to me. I’m leaning more toward something like the starter solenoid. The starter solenoid is involved, but typically not the root cause of this. the reason a nearly flat battery causes flickering lights and “chattering” when trying to start is because the starter solenoid itself only draws a few amps of current. but, when it’s energized and closes the contacts to the starter motor, the motor tries to draw a few hundred amps of current. the battery can’t supply it, so the voltage drops low enough for the solenoid to de-energize. If you hold the key in “START” it’ll just do that over and over. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2017, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-wont-start/777421/22 "2017-01-18T21:23:16Z")
> [@Kimballkid](#): > > The fact that the headlights ‘flicker on and off real fast’ or even still work at all would not indicate a dead battery to me. I’m leaning more toward something like the starter solenoid. Actually, this is a dead giveaway for a bad battery. ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2017, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-wont-start/777421/23 "2017-01-18T21:27:21Z")
OK. I just wanted to throw out another option since I’m currently dealing with what is probably a bad stater solenoid in my lemon of a pickup right now. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2017, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-wont-start/777421/24 "2017-01-18T21:40:06Z")
> [@Kimballkid](#): > > OK. I just wanted to throw out another option since I’m currently dealing with what is probably a bad stater solenoid in my lemon of a pickup right now. It’s possible it’s not a bad battery, but rather a corroded terminal or bad cable or bad ground, but 80+% of the time, it’s the battery. ---
**Author:** ![Common\_Tater](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/common_tater/32/13846_2.png) [@Common\_Tater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Common_Tater)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2017, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-wont-start/777421/25 "2017-01-20T20:52:19Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > Nope. Very warm climate. (It was 63 this morning.) And I have no idea where you’re getting the idea that warm weather is worse on batteries than cold weather. That’s the opposite of my personal experience and everything I’ve read. > > As for that last sentence. Wow. There is a measure called “cold cranking amps”. People sometimes recommend that if you live in a very cold place you get a battery with more cold cranking amps. I.e., you should basically buy a better battery if you live in a quite frozen place. So better battery = North, not South. > > Cold or warm, cruft on the terminals is a common issue that should be checked before going out and wasting money on buying a new battery. Battery chemistry was sussed out long ago, as a technology it hasn’t changed all that much. Heat is the great enemy. There’s a subtle distinction here. While it is true that in colder temperatures, a battery will exhibit increased internal resistance - and consequently is unable to provide as much current, while at the same time, the increased viscosity of the motor oil makes for much higher current demands. However in terms of battery longetivity, cooler temperatures are beneficial to battery life and/or storage. Higher temperatures increase the rate of certain chemical reactions, and that’s what a lead-acid battery is. Batteries self-discharge a small amount every day. High temperatures increase the rate of self discharge. Finally, a lead acid battery in a partially discharged state is prone to the plates being coated with a type of permanent sulfation, this is irreversible and represents a permanent loss of capacity. This is why a battery will often _fail_ on the first real cold overnight snap in subzero weather of the season, but the damage was actually done due to the high temperatures and sulfation that occurred during the summer months. The “North” and “South” designations didn’t reflect cold cranking amps, but design differences in terms of electrolyte capacity, and also the specific gravity of the electrolyte. Proper charging voltages are also based on temperature, at subzero temps far higher voltages are needed. In hot weather lower charge voltages are needed to prevent excessive outgassing. This was an attempt to extend the typical life of a battery in a hot climate, they simply don’t last anywhere near as long. Hope this helps. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2017, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-wont-start/777421/26 "2017-01-20T22:05:58Z")
I was able to get it going with a jump start and take it in to Ford to be serviced. > [@beowulff](#): > > It’s possible it’s not a bad battery, but rather a corroded terminal or bad cable or bad ground, but 80+% of the time, it’s the battery. They tested the battery and it failed (whatever the test is). I’ve got a new one now. I didn’t see much crud on the terminals, when I jump started it. ---
**Author:** ![md2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@md2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md2000)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2017, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-wont-start/777421/27 "2017-01-20T22:30:14Z")
Yeah. Once a battery starts to go, it only gets worse. What is Very bad is deep discharges. If you killed your battery like this, it might recover once or twice. But the recharge can cause the battery acid fluid to evaporate/dissociate, and one or more cells get low fluid. In the good old days you could top it up with distilled water, but most modern batteries are sealed - when they get to this point, they should be replaced. (I forgot to turn off my headlights during daytime forest fire fog one summer up north. Drained the battery maybe 3 times. By fall, as soon as it was below zero the car would not start.) ---
**Author:** ![tombrownoutdoors](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ce7236/32.png) [@tombrownoutdoors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tombrownoutdoors)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2017, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-wont-start/777421/28 "2017-01-31T18:36:30Z")
Wouldn’t call a tow truck. Check the connections, if it still doesn’t work go with a new battery. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2017, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-wont-start/777421/29 "2017-02-01T14:39:01Z")
I have the same problem with my Lincoln. Does it make a single click when you turn the key, if so starter motor could be bad. I checked the stores, a starter. Solenoid is $50 but a rebuilt starter motor is $80. However now I need someone to install it. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2017, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-wont-start/777421/30 "2017-02-01T15:11:13Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > I have the same problem with my Lincoln. Does it make a single click when you turn the key, if so starter motor could be bad. > > I checked the stores, a starter. Solenoid is $50 but a rebuilt starter motor is $80. However now I need someone to install it. > [@tombrownoutdoors](#): > > Wouldn’t call a tow truck. Check the connections, if it still doesn’t work go with a new battery. From about 12 days ago…reading is your friend! 🙂 > [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > I was able to get it going with a jump start and take it in to Ford to be serviced. > They tested the battery and it failed (whatever the test is). I’ve got a new one now. > > I didn’t see much crud on the terminals, when I jump started it. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2017, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-wont-start/777421/31 "2017-02-01T16:04:05Z")
> [@steronz](#): > > They start dying at about 5-6 years old, depending on local climate. I wish. Here in Arizona we just buy the cheapest battery possible and figure it will need replacing at about the three year mark; even the “60-month guaranteed” expensive ones don’t last much past that. My dad sold industrial batteries (for forklifts and the like) but they made auto batteries in the same plant. When the family Chevy needed a new battery he went onto the floor and asked the foreman who the best paster was, collected some of his plates, took them over to the best brazer and had them welded together, then took it into the lab to get a forming charge lasting a couple days instead of the usual 12 hours or so. All in all it was about a $100 battery when the going rate was $20 or so. It lasted 12 years. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2017, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-wont-start/777421/32 "2017-02-01T16:11:50Z")
Does anyone know the avg. life of a Tesla car battery? ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2017, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-wont-start/777421/33 "2017-02-01T16:50:46Z")
> [@Omar\_Little](#): > > Does anyone know the avg. life of a Tesla car battery? which one? the HV traction battery or the 12V storage battery? ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2017, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-wont-start/777421/34 "2017-02-01T17:13:51Z")
I could only wish that most of my threads were this successful. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-wont-start/777421.md?page=1)