HELP Car won't start

[pickwithaustin]

Take your multi meter out to it and check the battery. That would always be the most logical first step. Alternative, open up Torque on your phone and see what the gauge for battery is reading.

[GrandAmGT]

In the past on other GM cars I've had if there was a problem with the alternator the battery icon would light up on the dash board. The OP didn't say this light came on.

On a related topic, why are lead acid batteries for our cars so expensive?? I recently replaced mine and a good bargain was $170 for an oem size battery (94R). I bought my car used this past May and it only 19,700 miles but it was five years old and had the original battery. I had it tested at Autozone and it was bad even though it was not obviously performing poorly. I bought a new one anyway because I wouldn't know it was bad until this winter when the temperature drops below freezing one night.

[MarouG6327]

This is probably dumb but all the electronics on the interior of the car still worked fine does still mean it's probably a dead battery? Sorry for lack of knowledge

[MarouG6327]

Originally Posted by skipinminn

call a tow truck and get it to the shop

I did :(

[MarouG6327]

Originally Posted by Moto-Mojo

Did you try jumping it from the battery - in the trunk - or the terminals under the hood? I'd try directly on the battery. Did it still "click" when you jumped it? Probably just a bad connection. And some batteries only live 5 years and I see you have a 2010.

Battery from the trunk and yes it just clicked. The radio and everything worked on the inside still dead battery?

[MarouG6327]

Originally Posted by Jsafe17

Is that the original battery? If so time for a replacement

Beleive so I bought it used. Still dead even if all the interior electronics work?

[MarouG6327]

Originally Posted by christianchevell

either battery or starter. And from your description I would say starter. Jumping should have started a "dead" car then it would have slowly ran out of charge if the battery could charge and would at least start eventually from the power of the other cars battery. I BTW just had to have my starter replaced as it slowly got worse.

Thank you for your help I should find out soon. How much was the cost to replace the started?

[ChrisBlair]

Originally Posted by MarouG6327

This is probably dumb but all the electronics on the interior of the car still worked fine does still mean it's probably a dead battery? Sorry for lack of knowledge

Hi. Not dumb, nobody was born knowing everything. Most of us probably know becasue we were stranded by the side of the road by some hunk of junk or other.

It takes a fair amount of battery 'power' to start the engine. The clicking sound you heard was the starter solenoid, essentially a heavy duty switch.

The lights in the dash etc take comparatively little juice.

Back in the day, you'd turn on the headlights, ask somebody to look at them as you key the engine. With the bad battery, the headlights get quite dim as you try to start.

I agree that the battery is most likely the root cause. Checking battery voltage is a good first step but bear in mind a battery showing 12v will sometimes fail to start an engine especially if it is an old battery.

[Moto-Mojo]

Originally Posted by ChrisBlair

Hi. Not dumb, nobody was born knowing everything. Most of us probably know becasue we were stranded by the side of the road by some hunk of junk or other.

It takes a fair amount of battery 'power' to start the engine. The clicking sound you heard was the starter solenoid, essentially a heavy duty switch.

The lights in the dash etc take comparatively little juice.

Back in the day, you'd turn on the headlights, ask somebody to look at them as you key the engine. With the bad battery, the headlights get quite dim as you try to start.

I agree that the battery is most likely the root cause. Checking battery voltage is a good first step but bear in mind a battery showing 12v will sometimes fail to start an engine especially if it is an old battery.

Good answer. Twelve volt system - Ohm's law - low voltage = HIGH amperage. Instruments only need to 12V, and milliamps to operate, starter needs the 12V and BIG amps! Dead battery = no amps....

[nancygrl]

Gonna go out on a limb and say alternator...Symptom of running weaker and weaker sounds like it was running solely on the battery because the alternator wasn't doing it's job, and now the battery is probably toast too. Correct me if I'm wrong, battery is for kicking it over and get car started, but once the car is running the alternator takes over for running the car, electrics and keeping battery charged.

I had this happen on my 92 Camaro very far from home a long time ago, and on my '02 Tahoe last winter.

[JGS]

i once had the same issue. i tried jump start and nothing. i got a new battery and problem solved

[Jsafe17]

The alt failure will give you a light on your dash... the battery will run the lights and accessories and still not start the car.. the op needs a new battery. I hope the shop is an honest one. You have a car towed in that needs a battery and then they know you don't know what you don't know and the bill gets big $

Any 2010s out there on the oem battery please do your self a favor and replace it before the dead of winter.

http://www.amazon.com/ACDelco-94RAGM...ype=automotive

[Ruffrider51]

Originally Posted by Jsafe17

The alt failure will give you a light on your dash... the battery will run the lights and accessories and still not start the car.. the op needs a new battery. I hope the shop is an honest one. You have a car towed in that needs a battery and then they know you don't know what you don't know and the bill gets big $

Any 2010s out there on the oem battery please do your self a favor and replace it before the dead of winter.

http://www.amazon.com/ACDelco-94RAGM...ype=automotive

Well? whats the verdict? Battery or alternator? I vote for battery. don't leave us hanging..

[MarouG6327]

Love the comments guys because I have no idea and I'm learning. Hoping bad battery and nothing worse.