Well, so far (since I’ve had my car a year) my car has not had any big problems at all. But yesterday, when I went out to start it, it only made a clicking noise. I’ll probobly try to take it to the shop down the street tomorrow or tues, but while I’m waiting, I thought I’d see if you guys and gals could formulate some hypothesis concerning what the problem is.
I didn’t leave any lights on or anything, and they still worked, but,after the clicking, my mom and I tried to jump-start the car. It started just fine, but as soon as I took my foot off of the gas, it died. We tried to keep it running a couple of times with the cables still on, but it kept dying as soon as I took my foot off the gas. It started this afternoon, but, once again, it died as soon as I tried to put on the brake to put it in reverse and get out of the driveway. What kind of problems does this sound like? Anyone care to take a guess? 
How about the alternator? starter?
Sounds like corroded battery terminals to me.
First clean any loose corrosion off with a brush. Caution do not get the acid on your clothes. It will eat holes in them.
Then put some baking soda in a soda bottle-about 2 tablespoons- and add water-8 oz is about right.
Shake it up and pour it on the terminals. If it foams there is corrosion. brush it until it doesn’t foam any more.You may have to make more soda solution.
Now see if the terminal is loose.If it is twist it several times to clean off oxidized metal.Then tighten bolt.
If it isn’t loosen terminal and polish both sides until they shine.
Reassemble and try to start the car.
If it won’t start Jump start it and let it run for 1/2 hour or so.
good luck
Another vote for corroded battery terminals. I’d wager 10-1 that that is the problem. Even if the terminals look clean, the corrosion could be inside the cable, or the ground cable could be loose where it attaches to the engine block.
If it were your starter bendix you’d get the clicking sound, but the car wouldn’t die after you jump-started it.
I’m not wagering, I know, its the battery. Put in a new one, they are cheap, like $40 new…you are supposed to do that every 5 years anyway…sometimes less, but hey look at the thing, its old, its got corroded battery terminals & time for a new battery, which they put in free & clean the corroded battery terminals when they do it.
I wouldnt put in a new battery until you know for sure. I spent the money on one a few months ago and it ended up the battery was fine, it was my alternator that was gone.
That “clicking noise” is the solenoid (the mechanism that shoves the starter motor’s gear into the flywheel – not as messy as it sounds) so it can turn the motor. If you get the clicking, but no starting, then you have low voltage going to the starter motor. There’s enough to move the solenoid, but not enough to turn the engine over. Since it starts when you use jumper cables, the starter motor & solenoid are probably okay.
Since it doesn’t keep running after yuo remove the jumper cables unless you keep your foot on the gas, it might be because the battery will not take a charge, or is unable to provide the amperage to keep things running by itself. If it keeps running while you floor it, but dies when you remove your foot from the gas, that suggests that the alternator is probably producing the right amount of juice, but the battery isn’t taking (or holding) a charge very well.
Sounds like your battery may have a dead cell. It has enough juice that it can sustain operations at above idle (the alternator’s producing the additional juice needed). However, when you press your brakes, it dies. Sounds like it has the voltage, but can’t produce the amps. If voltage is analagous to water pressure, then amperage is analagous to the rate of flow. A battery with one or more dead cells can still provide the right voltage, but can’t shove enough electrons down the wires to operate everything (not quite accurate, but sufficient to the explaination).
I’d still try the least expensive remedies first, but I’ll bet it’s your battery, and that it isn’t your alternator. It doesn’t sound like battery terminal problems to me (although that could be a contributing factor).
–Baloo
It’s Kuru.
Seriously, from the description, it does sound like either the starter or the alternator.
To figure out how much the repair will cost, look at the balance of your check book and the job will leave you about $20 left over to sweat it out until your next pay check.
I’m not kidding.
I was sitting here for a long moment thinking about your car, trying to channel it’s demon spirit and all I’m getting is static. ( Which is my normal reception anyways.)
So, after re-reading your description of the problems, my arm chair quarter back prognosis of your mechanical problems is perhaps you have a problem with your fuel line/pump, which is run by a flux capacitor. You haven’t been time traveling lately, have you?
Sorry, can’t resist sarcasm. (You’d be amazed on how many people I say " Oh the problem was with the flux capacitor." too and they just go, " Uh huh." Try it sometime.)
Then again, all our/my car problems in the past seven years have come from mice. If I actually had a automotive problem that did not originate from a damn mouse needing a new home and or snack in/of my car, I would probably do a happy dance. So, ignore this post is the best advice you will get today.
Kind of seconding what’s been said. You may have two problems: alternator not charging and a battery that’s gone to Valhalla. The first course of action would be to look into the battery replacement. Anywhere you might go to purchase a battery these days will be able to test the one you’ve got and tell you for sure whether the battery needs replacing. If it does, do it.
The hope is that will fix you up. But you don’t need to blindly replace parts, either. Any decent garage should be able to test your alternator and see if it’s functioning.
The only other possibility that comes to mind is a short that’s draining juice faster than your alternator can charge the battery.
Good luck!
I think it’s the battery, corroded terminals, or possibly bad cables or a bad grounding cable for the block (very unlikely, but I have seen it happen on big trucks). If you have any doubt about it, buy a new battery anyways. Get the biggest, Conan the Electrocutor-sized one that can fit in the car. I’m glad I did.
One night the clutch cable broke on my Honda. OK, no problem, I practiced double-clutching and synchro-only shifting all the time and I am an expert at it (although it really scares people when I do it). However, every time I came to a stop light, I had to kill the car, put it in first, and start it in gear to get going again. Thankfully I had put an enormous battery in the car, one which was nearly twice the physical volume of the standard replacement battery. So starting in gear was no problem.
And in this manner I drove nearly 30 miles, from downtown Kansas City to home, starting in gear well more than 30 times. The battery was just fine, and lasted 3 more years at least.