Click Click Click....then slowly starts??

[MSBX4RUNNER]

I went to start my car and it just went "click click click".... I thought it was the battery but the lights were all on and radio and everything was working just fine. I tried it again and it went "click click click"...then it tried to start and then it finally kicked over and started. I have never had a problem with it before. I live in TX and we had our first "cold" snap... does that have anything to do with it? Hope it starts in the moring when I need to go to work! Any ideas on what it might be?

 

[snowbrdr033]

Sounds like it could be your battery, especially with the colder weather coming. Depending on what type of battery you have, you may want to consider checking the cells to make sure there is a sufficient water level in all the cells. Also consider how old the battery is!
Hope that helps.

 

[MSBX4RUNNER]

Thank you, I had the battery checked yesterday and they said it was low on water and put more in it. If it was the battery wouldn't the lights not have worked?

 

[MSBX4RUNNER]

I dont know much about these things.... I'm a girl.... I hope it is only the battery and not something more. I just wanted to see if yall had any ideas before I take it in tomorrow

 

[snowbrdr033]

haha, it's alright. It's a learning process! Just because the battery is starting to go does not necessarily mean that the lights would not work. Hypothetically, if the battery had been run completely dead (i.e. headlights left on all night), then there's a good chance the lights wouldn't even come on if you put the keys in the ignition. It would need a long charge in order to get the battery back.

I know Advance auto and probably autozone offers free battery/starter/alternator checking at the stores. Bring it in and tell them you want it checked, they'll hook it up, have you start it, turn it off, etc. and the computer can tell you which part is actually going bad.

Definitely a plus that you put water back in the battery, that is definitely essential; if the battery happens to be 2/3-4 years old, it may be time to consider getting a new one. Or at least thinking about it! There's nothing worse than having a dead battery when you really need to get somewhere - it always seems to happen when it's least convenient, too, haha.

 

[Acidmeld]

Definitely the battery. It's pretty common for a battery to do just what your describing when it's low on water, low charge and cold. As for the lights, it doesn't take alot of juice to run the electrical systems, only 20-30amps. It takes alot more to run the starter, 2-300 amps when cold. If the battery has 150 amps it can easily run everything but the starter.

 

[MSBX4RUNNER]

awesome, thanks guys! just took it to orielly's and the guy checked it, it was bad, bought a new one and he switched it out for me DONE AND DONE! Thanks again!!!

 

[snowbrdr033]

haha, the perks of being a girl.....or buying it at one of those places! Just like when you get new wiper blades, "Oh, I'll put 'em on for you, too!" .....well, by all means, help yourself, hahah. Glad you got it figured out!

:bash:

 

[micosavo]

Exact same thing happened to me. All the lights would come on, but click, click, click. Had to get a jumpstart from my other car and it started fine then.

It worked fine after that, but at the next maintenance the battery failed the "cold-start" test so I it replaced.