So for the past ~two weeks I’ve dealt with the clamp that goes around my negative post had been slipping off of the post. Today before work(seems to be only when you have somewhere to be) I went to crank my car, to hear a single click but no start.
Now, the lights come on, AC goes full blast, and the headlights and radio work. I jumped the battery from my wife’s car with no luck.
Based on this, could you give me some ideas/options/advice on how or what to fix/check? I have minimal tools and virtually no mechanical knowledge.
Any and all help is appreciated. Even if it’s just a “damn. That sucks.”
Video update. Yes I knowy car is dirty.
Didn’t know this community existed but in case someone else needs it later: https://lemmy.world/c/mechanicadvice
In some cars ( don’t know if it applies to all with modern systems) you can have enough amps in the battery to move the starter relay, making the clicking sound, but not enough to fully engage or turn the starter. Also in my past experience I had one car (VW Beetle) where over long driving the heat would cause the replay to get “gummy”, so it would stick enough to prevent it from moving. An old trick there was to short the terminals to free it. I wouldn’t recommend that on a new car though, too many electronics that can get damaged.
I would investigate the battery and its connections first. Make sure it’s a good battery still, that everything from the terminals to the starter AND alternator are good. An alternator charging problem can lead to a battery that is slowly not getting a full charge and eventually dying, even if it’s not old. But until you get it to turn over, it’s one of these parts of the starting system, it’s not too complex.