What do you do when your car won't start?

Question

You have to be someplace (work, school, etc.) so you get in your car... but it won't start. What do you do?

Screenwriter · Accepted Answer

First thing to do is do a car checkup. Won't take more than 10 minutes:

What sound does the key make when you turn it? A clatter, clatter? Battery, most likely. If the key turn yields a clackety clack, the brushes on the starter aren't doing their job. You can start your car with a screw driver using the starter, but that takes a little skill. Unless you've done it before, don't try it.

You've opened your door and your dome light doesn't come on... hmmm... Key in starter and won't turn over... LIkely your battery. Call AAA. It's an hour wait, but if you need a new battery AAA will supply one on the spot, just whip out your credit card. Or you can get a jump. Battery might've drained because you left door ajar, lights on. A recharge will cure that.

How OLD is your battery? Check the papers in your glove box. If it's 3 to five years old, the battery may be done... (surmising before AAA arrives). Sometimes you might even have a BRAND NEW one that dies. If you got it from AAA, the warranty covers it for three years. They replace it and depreciate the battery cost according to length of time you've owned it. Keep all those records: tire and battery stuff in your car.

Could be your alternator, and, again AAA can determine this with a checkup.

COULD YOU BE OUT OF GAS? Ooops.. Something so obvious that can be overlooked. Check your fuel gauge. If you are empty, again, AAA will come to your house and give you several gallons of gas to get you to most nearby points, i. e., a gas station.

In other words, have a AAA or Good Sam card to cover you in case of these all too common emergencies. Call whoever you need to to tell them you'll be late or reschedule your appointment due to car trouble. Everyone knows how this is.

Best thing is KNOW you vehicle. Its sounds and how it operates. If you're familiar, you can also troubleshoot common issues like a bad starter or battery.

laurieluvsit · Accepted Answer

VOTE G : Cry You're thinking is too practical Mr Tom... lol

BeMuse · Accepted Answer

I'd skip school or work from home that day and reschedule any meetings that needed to be done in the office. Then just fix it. Most things that go wrong quickly aren't that complicated to fix... I think the worst thing that happened to me with a car is when someone I know needed a ride to go pick their car up from the shop, my car refused to change gears and my car was locked in natural and would not turn on in front of the auto mechanics garage entrance. They were like do you want us to check it in and try to fix it for you tomorrow. I was like nope, just help me push it into a parking spot. Then I got a ride back to my house to pick up a few tools by the person I gave a ride to. I troubleshooted it for like an hour in the parking lot before figuring out it was a problem with the transmission lever shift control cable so I had my friend sit in the drivers seat with their foot on the break stuck my arm down in the engine bay and changed the gear on the transmission by hand until I got it into drive and then hot swapped into the seat by putting my foot on the break and then drove it home and turned off the engine and used the emergency break to keep from rolling away and then manually put it back in park. Then ordered the pieces online, got them in like a day in the mail box, and fixed it in a half hour.

LikeALog · Accepted Answer

Call work and tell them I'm sick. Well I am sick just thinking about what it's going to cost. 😉

Apple1996 · Answer

Jump the battery and or try unlocking the wheel (this happens to one of my cars often and if locked the car won't start)

If those things fail I'll let my husband look at it then if that fails call a tow truck and get it looked at.

OlderAndWiser · Answer

My girlfriend and I both work in the same office and we always ride to work together. So, if one car won't start, the other car will.

Moose304 · Answer

Depends on why. If my starter turns but the engine won't crank I have a deeper problem. If it won't do anything then most likely it is the battery. If this happens and you can't account for the battery being dead, DO NOT just jump it off and leave unless you have no other option. Someone I know destroyed their alternator driving about 5 miles from home to an auto parts store simply because their battery was bad. Get a friend to help you get it out and take it and get it checked. I do this several times a year for female friends.

zeitgeist057 · Answer

I would take a moment to figure out what was wrong if possible.

Then I would probably hop on one of my motorcycles to get to wherever I needed to be, unless it was something I specifically needed my truck for (like a big grocery trip, or hauling or something)

What do you do when your car won't start?

Dinklex3 · Answer

I'd try and figure out what's wrong with it.

I've been in situations where i sat in the car for 30 minutes and it was because i didn't turn the key all the way. There was something else dimb that i did too. But I'll usually take time to assess because i know it's probably me, lol.

If it still doesn't work then I'll call a friend or coworker to pick me up.

WindAtMyBack · Answer

Assuming I don't have time to fix it or jump it or whatever...

If it's not important I just don't go. If it's important I'll grab a neighbor to take me, or more likely they'll just hand me the keys to their car. I have at least three neighbors who would hand me the keys to their car, and a few more who would give me a ride. I'm sure at least one of them would be home.

Kabluie · Answer

Last happened to me in dead winter in 2018 after coming back from a plane trip and I parked in an outdoor lot near the terminal. Was able to call airport security and they had a jumper pack to get me going. I figured the battery finally went and it did. Drove to Autozone not too long later.

Just replaced that exact battery about a month ago, it was getting to the end and we weren't going to repeat that again. Deep cold puts the most stress on batteries.

purplepoppy · Answer

I get a bunch of guys to look under the bonnet and scratch their arses while arguing what the problem is and moaning cars aren't fixable as in the old days.

Amy10223 · Answer

If I need to be somewhere I will probably call and cancel, and then have my car towed to the garage to be fixed. If this were to happen on the street, then I'd call my insurance that provides help for things for things such as this.

Paris13 · Answer

Call your Insurance Company for a Tow That Should be on One's Policy. Or have TripleA.. Happened to me a few days back. lol!!! xx

DaveJord · Answer

I have a battery jump start kid with a rechargeable battery... other than that I punch the dash. Then pull out my insurance app and request roadside assistance.

2Wheels · Answer

If I can't figure out the problem myself I would most likely just take another vehicle and figure it out later. Thankfully I have options.

josephinelcajon · Answer

Start diagnosis from the moment I turn the key. Check instruments sounds smells EVERYTHING is a clue! I do not stop until I find the problem and fix it or find someone who can.

Sixgunsound · Answer

I’d let either of my jobs know what happened and then start trying to figure out why. I’m responsible with my paid time off so I usually have some available.

DJB72 · Answer

Used to be able to bump start a car alone but can't push with my prosthetic so these days it's Uber to get to an urgent meeting or a breakdown service if it's just about getting started.

Adam1978 · Answer

Not a issue I got, I don't have a car so it can't fail me. I have already taken the alternative route.

JustiReno · Answer

Well, don’t buy a Ford.. Last time my Escape didn’t … go anywhere.. is because I pressed the gas into the floor and it didn’t come back up … I walked to my mom’s house 😭

Sour-rose · Answer

Seeing work may be 30 minutes away or an hour and 40 minutes away... aw shi. Guess I don't work today and school? Meh, i'll catch up... soon

Aerissa_Jade · Answer

Get a jump from a stranger, for the car... not me.

Agent_Elflord · Answer

If no other cars at home are available, then I will stay home. I live 50 minutes away from town, so there’s no way I’m calling for an Uber/Lyft or for a friend to pick me up.

bolverk · Answer

Fix it, its usually not to hard to figure out what the fault is as there only so many things that can go wrong, especially if you avoid the more modern cars with engine management systems.

bubblegunnn · Answer

*cry  Huhu mamaaaaaaa Or Ughhh.. not todayyyy

MrOracle · Answer

Use my other car. Or fix the problem if I have a few minutes.

dustybiker · Answer

Figure out the problem myself. Call a friend for ideas and a tow if needed.

Guy13 · Answer

Call Triple A, enroll, and call back for roadside assistance !!!

douride2 · Answer

Hopefully it is like last winter and all it took was a jump to get going. In the end I had to replace the battery though.

humanearth · Answer

Take another car and fix the other one later

Phoenix98 · Answer

I take the battery out and take it to get tested.

bean2k21 · Answer

seems like a question for non-Mercedes drivers

exitseven · Answer

I have a portable power supply and I will try that first before calling AAA

xyzfdg · Answer

Long as it's not raining get my bicycle, which I often do anyway so long as it won't rust in rainy weather.

Likes2drive · Answer

Call out of work and then try to figure out what is wrong with it then maybe call AAA for a tow to a shop if it’s something I can’t fix

Curmudgeon · Answer

In days of compact cars with manual transmissions and flat or downhill slopes, I would push it a bit, and then pop the clutch. But today? Lyft awaits.

captain_voidwalker · Answer

Call one of my employees to come pick me up, bieng the boss does have its perks. Not that I wouldn't do the same for them mind you

Aiko_E_Lara · Answer

I'll just ride uber. Despite it being expensive, losing my job is a bigger loss. And fix my car later

Snakeyes7 · Answer

If I'm in the car, chances are I need to be somewhere, stat. I'll get my friend to take me and I'll figure out what my car wants later.

DCooper · Answer

That's why I carry a long extension out of my 1/2in socket set. I get that out and give the starter a couple whacks with it. Then she fires right up. Problem solved

CaptainLegal · Answer

I always have a spare battery with me in the winter, saved me many times.

Brandi555 · Answer

It’s probably out of gas. That happened to my dads tractor. I left it in the lawn.

maximumpower · Answer

Fix it myself. I maintain my cars specifically so this crap DOESN"T happen.

Anonymous · Answer

Nothing since I don't have a car in the first place

Anonymous · Answer

Until I could get the car serviced, A friend told me to try getting partly under the car and pound on the gas tank. It worked. (for the type of problem I was having)

EnglishEuropean · Answer

Keep churning until it does. It's a bugger to start when it's hot.

mobiusforniner · Answer

Push it down the road and pop the clutch... if it won't stay running, its probably the alternator/generator and im screwed.

WhiteBoyChill · Answer

Say a few fcking cuss words, stress out about it, and they just say fck it

captainggaming · Answer

Hope it's just a dead battery, and call AAA/AA to give the car a jump.

Andres77 · Answer

Pull out my backup charger

Kerrim23 · Answer

Call my boyfriend and make him fix it

NathanDavis · Answer

I get another car

jshm2 · Answer

Take a hostage.

Dargil · Answer

Call my brother to bail me out.

Redstang88 · Answer

Take my truck

TroyDT · Answer

Take my other vehicle.

boobliker · Answer

talk to it nicely and try again after a cupper

Iron_Man · Answer

Investigate the problem

Surely · Answer

Get in my truck and go on my way!

BigManSAB · Answer

Uber…….. I have no one I can rely on!

goodgirlsteven · Answer

stay home and wait for my boyfriend LOL!

SaoirseS · Answer

Try another.

Ryan1979 · Answer

Fix it

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