an6drew

Went to start the car this morning & … nothing. The starter wouldn’t crank at all. The battery still has some charge to it (lights work, clock is still running & I can hear the fuel pump run) but nothing happens. The car has been sitting for 3 days- on Monday I noticed that the right blinker/parking light was on for a day, so turned it off. The battery is a 4 month-old Optima and I’ve never had starting/ electrical issues with the car before. I’m at work now, but will try & hook up jumper cables tonight as I hope its just the battery. But could it be something else? Could a low battery still have enough voltage for accessories but not to turn over the engine at all?

Thanks a lot,

Andrew

emac

Andrew
Yes it can. I had the same problem last week. I left my parking lights on and when I got to the car the interior lights were bright, had a horn etc. but when I went to start the car it didn't even groan. I charged the battery and had the same results, I then noticed a loose negative connection to the battery post. Cleaned up both posts and started like a champ.

Greg D.

In doubt, check your battery connections for corrosion, the grounding strap under the car (from the body to the tranny), and you might want to try and whack the solenoid with a rubber hammer just for laughs. Could be that too... But from your description, sounds like a discharged battery - check the voltage and/or push start the car if that's all it is!!

an6drew

Looks like I'll be jump starting tonight. I think i was having nightmares of bad alternators, starters & all things expensive.

I'm a bit of a retard when it comes to electrical stuff, but I do know the ground strap is ok (cleaned everything up when I pulled the engine a few months back) and the negative battery cable is new, although its a cheap one & the clamp seems a little big for the post.

Is it ok to rely on the alternator to get the battery charged up this one time (I don't own a charger as the car is normally driven twice a week)?

thanks
Andrew

Richard C2S

Check that negative battery cable. It may be just a little loose, which may allow the lights to work, but not the starter.

Alan Herod

although this problem does not sound like it, there is a malady that visits itself on our cars. engine won't crank when hot, ultimately won't crank when cold. Symptom of the starter motor and/or solenoid getting tired. About $90 to refurbish. Since the car is in the garage you can trouble shoot this by jumping from the positive lead that goes to the starter direct to the starter motor to determine if the starter motor spins. Of course if jumper cables cure the problem, it is probably a weak battery.

ron mcatee

an6drew, fully charge the battery with a battery charger. The alternator is only capable of charging a small amount that depletes while driving. If you try to charge the battery with the alternator, it will put undue stress on the alternator and probably cause premature failure in the future. I think there have been many threads on this issue and all have said "do not charge battery using the alternator"