Car Clicking Not Starting Survival Fundamentals: 3 Steps to Make before Calling AAA

The clicking noise when starting the car can ruin your day or, at least, make you very nervous. Chances are high that you'll be late for work and need to make quite s few calls.

We want to save you from stress and googling "car clicking not starting" for a quick fix. So below, you'll find a brief action plan to save you time and effort.

Here's what you can do after you turn the key or push the button, hear clicks, and understand the car doesn't start:

• Turn everything off and start your car again
• Clean the battery terminal connectors and start your vehicle one more time
• Jump-start your car.

Reasons for the clicking sound when starting the car cold

You might blame the battery when your car is clicking but not starting. And you would be right — even if the multimedia still works. You can hear a single click or multiple ones, and the causes for these "symptoms" will differ.

A series of rapid clicks usually indicates a problem with electrics caused by the following:

• Poorly connected battery terminal cables. Loosen wires don't let the battery get enough energy, leading to reduced power supply. This shortage doesn't let your car start, keeps your headlights dim, makes the air conditioner work worse, etc. Once the connections aren't corroded, use the wrench to tighten the connections.
• Corroded or calcified terminals. Gray or greenish granules on the battery terminals are corrosion. It naturally appears with time when not cleaned or greased or because of overheating and leakage. Clean the corrosion with a rug or wire brush without removing the battery. We’ll tell you how to do it in the following sections.
• Failing battery. The battery is like the heart of your vehicle. It supplies the power without which the car can't move, check the road, or give you cold air on a sunny day. Your battery can be too weak to energize the starter, which makes the engine run. Then the starter switches on and off, making a clicking noise.
• Faulty alternator. The starter enables the engine, which powers the alternator. The alternator then charges the battery. So a defective alternator leaves your battery low. You'll know it's to blame if, after jump-starting, your car immediately stops. But if your automobile can normally start after driving for around 30 miles, it's the low battery problem.

If you hear one click, then nothing, you can have:

• Corroded starter solenoid. When a driver turns the key or presses the button, the battery sends energy to the starter motor. This happens through the starter solenoid. And when its coil's surface is corroded, it absorbs the energy directed to the starter motor.
• Damaged engine. The engine itself can get locked or harmed. If this happens, you'll hear slow clicking when starting the car, but the engine won't come to life. That's because its components can link together due to excessive friction or get rusted because of occasional engine use. Another reason is low fuel pressure which happens when the engine overheats and gas vaporizes.

It's always better to tow your car to a service or call a mobile auto repair once it doesn't start. However, why not return your vehicle to life and drive to a mechanic yourself? The brief guide below may help.

3 easy steps to take when your car doesn't start (before calling the towing service)

Any driver can get into the "car clicking, not starting" situation. And today, this driver is you.

So you're sitting and asking yourself: "Why is my car clicking when I start it?" And "What should I do now?" Check a few helpful recommendations below.

1. Turn everything off and start your car again

So the first attempt to start your car has ended with clicks. You begin to get nervous about it. Yes, you'll need to see a mechanic soon, and wherever you plan to go — you'll probably be late.

But no, you don't have to call the towing service right away. Let's try a few things first, and maybe you'll get to car repair driving your automobile.

So after you hear the first click, don't keep turning the ignition key or pressing the Start button over and over again. Most probably, your battery is low, and each try takes its power away.

Instead, switch off the air conditioner, lights, and multimedia, and try starting your car again after a minute. The same clicking? Okay. Now let's look at your battery!

2. Clean the battery terminal connectors and start your vehicle one more time

Open the hood and check the connections of your battery. Are they covered with white, blue, or green powder? If your battery is 2+ years old, corrosion deposits might be between the terminals and wire ends.

You don't have to take the battery out, but you can do it for more convenience. For this, take a wrench and unplug the black (negative) cable first. The red (positive) one goes next.

Don't forget about a few rules:

Rule #1. Never place anything metallic like a wrench or a toolbox, embracing both terminals of your battery and the jump starter. This connection can burn the wires and even cause an explosion.

Rule #2. Don't touch the terminals with your hands to avoid getting zapped.

Rule #3. Once you take out the battery, keep it vertical as it stands in your car. Turning it can cause short circuits.

Clean the connectors with an old toothbrush, sandpaper, or wire brush. Don't worry about damaging them; they're pretty durable.

Rule #4: Don't use hot water for cleaning terminals, as the two poles will short out when water reaches them.

Return the battery and connect the wires in reverse order when ready. The red one goes first, and the black one goes second.

Rule #5. Make sure you connect wires respectively: the "plus" and the "minus" marks should coincide. Connecting wires the wrong way can spoil your battery.

If the power flow couldn't reach the battery because of the corroded terminals, cleaning had to solve this problem. And it's time to try starting your car.

Has it worked? If not, don't get frustrated and get your jump starter ready or call a friend — there's the last thing to try.

3. Jump-start your car

First, check if you have jumper cables. If you have a jump starter, you won't need to bother your friend and wait another hour.

With a jump starter

Turn off your car and place the transmission in the parking mode. Place the jump starter as far as the cables allow. It's even okay to put the jump starter in the under-the-hood space.

Now take the red wire and connect one of its ends (no matter which one) to the positive terminal of your battery. The other side goes to the "plus" terminal of the jump starter.

Now do the same with the black cable. It doesn't matter which of the batteries you connect first, but beware not to connect the terminals with your wrench and other rules above.

Here also are a couple of must-does you need to remember. They'll help you avoid injuries and damage to your battery or even the car.

Rule #6. Never connect the same cable to both terminals of either your battery or the jump starter. A short circuit happens after you connect the two poles with a red or black wire. So as not to get confused, connect the black wire first and then the red one.

Rule #7. Watch not to put a positive and a negative end on one terminal. This way, you'll make a current flow that can cause damage.

Rule #8. Once you have one end of the red wire connected to any battery, watch not to place the other end on the car body.

Once you connect all the cables between your car and the jump starter, you can try starting your automobile right away.

Rule #9. When your car starts, quickly disconnect the black and then the red wires from your battery. Otherwise, the excessive current flow may harm your vehicle.

Don't turn the car off until you drive half an hour or at least 30 miles. This time is critical for topping up your battery.

With a donor car battery

Both cars should be off and in parking mode. Here, the sequence of connecting wires is similar except for one (last) action.

The red wire goes to the positive terminal of the recipient, then — to the positive terminal of the donor.

Connect the black cable to the donor's negative terminal. Attach its other side to the unpainted metal detail under the hood.

Rule #10. Never put the black cable on the negative terminal of the recipient’s battery. This can provoke an explosion.

Once the cables are connected, leave them for around 20 minutes. During this time, the low battery will charge.

Try starting your car now, and once it works, remove the black and red cables from your car immediately. Don't turn the vehicle off until you drive around 30 miles.

If your automobile isn't back to life, it's time to call AAA or the nearest towing service and take it to car repair.

Wrapping up

Once you hear the clicking sound when starting a car cold, keep your head cold and follow the 3 easy-to-do recommendations. First, turn the vehicle off for a while and try again.

Once it doesn’t help, clean the battery terminals and make another attempt. The last but very effective step is to jump-start your car.

We hope this mini-guide will help you in a stressful situation.