A car that will not start is not one fault, it is about six, and they need different answers. The battery gets the blame for most of them because it causes the majority, but sending a jump pack to a fuel or starter problem just wastes an hour of your morning.
The quickest way to narrow it down is to listen to what the car does when you turn the key, and to look at what the dashboard does at the same time. You can do that from the driver's seat before you ring anyone.
Nothing at all, no lights, no click
A completely dead car with no dash lights, no interior light and no click is almost always a flat or disconnected battery, or a corroded terminal. If the car sat unused for a fortnight, or something was left switched on, that fits.
Check the terminals are tight and free of white or green crust before anything else. It is a common cause and it costs nothing to look.
Slow, laboured crank that will not catch
That heavy, dragging turnover is the classic sign of a battery with just enough charge to move the starter and not enough to fire the engine. Cold mornings make it worse, and it usually gets steadily worse over several days before it finally fails.
This one often responds to a jump start, but if the battery is more than a few years old it is usually living on borrowed time.
One loud click, or a rapid clicking
A single sharp click with healthy bright dash lights points at the starter motor or its solenoid rather than the battery. Rapid machine gun clicking usually means the opposite, not enough current, so back to the battery or its connections.
A starter fault is not something to fix at the roadside. That is a recovery to a garage.
It cranks strongly but never fires
If the engine spins over properly and simply will not catch, the electrical side is doing its job. Now you are looking at fuel, ignition or security.
Work through the obvious first. Is there fuel in it, and is the gauge trustworthy? Has it been filled with the wrong fuel? Is there an immobiliser or key warning symbol lit on the dash? Is the car in park or neutral with the clutch fully down? Modern cars will refuse to start for a spare key with a flat fob battery, which catches people out constantly.
- Fuel level, and whether the last fill was the right fuel
- Immobiliser, key or padlock symbol lit on the dash
- Key fob battery, try the spare key
- Gear selector position and clutch pedal fully depressed
- Any warning lights that were on before it died
It started, then died again straight away
A car that runs while jump leads are attached and stops the moment they come off is telling you the charging system is not working. That is usually the alternator or its belt, and it is a recovery job rather than a jump start, because you will only break down again somewhere less convenient.
If the battery warning light was showing while you were driving before it died, that is the same story.
What this means for the call you make
When you ring us, describing the noise saves real time. Dead silence, slow crank, single click, or cranks but will not fire tells us whether to arrive expecting a jump and a charging check, or to arrive with the flatbed ready to load.
If the car is on your driveway, this is a home start rather than a recovery, and it is often the cheapest way to deal with it. If it is on the roadside, tell us where you have stopped and how safe it is, and we will prioritise accordingly.
Either way, we check whether the vehicle is actually charging once it is running. Getting you started and then leaving you to fail again the next morning is not a fix.
Need this sorted today?
Car will not start in Cornwall? Tell us the noise it makes and we will arrive with the right kit, day or night.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if it is the battery or the starter?
Listen to it. A slow, heavy crank normally means the battery. A single loud click with bright dash lights more often means the starter motor. Rapid clicking points back at low voltage and the battery again.
The car has fuel and cranks fine but will not start. What now?
Check for an immobiliser or key symbol on the dash and try the spare key, as a flat key fob battery stops plenty of cars. If nothing changes, it needs diagnosis at a garage rather than at the roadside.
Can you get me going at home rather than towing the car?
Often yes. That is a home start. We come to the address, test and jump it where we can, and only recover the vehicle if it genuinely will not run or is not safe to drive.
My car only fails to start after it has been standing for a week or two.
That is typical of a battery near the end of its life, or a small parasitic drain on the electrics. Short journeys make it worse because the battery never fully recharges. Have it tested rather than jumping it repeatedly.
Is it worth trying to jump start it myself first?
Only if you know the correct jump points for the vehicle. Many modern cars have designated points rather than the battery terminals, and connecting in the wrong place can be an expensive mistake.
Services covered in this guide
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