Why Your Battery Won’t Jump Start

A common reason that drivers find themselves with a dead car battery is actually cold weather.

With winter just around the corner, we wanted to give your battery the attention it needs this time of the year. If you just tried to jump-start your car but nothing happened, the damage could be deeper. Here are a few reasons why your battery didn’t start:

User error. First time jump-starting your battery? If this is the case, it can be easy to connect the jumper cables improperly. You can try again (perhaps watch a YouTube video for direction if the ower manual was not visual enough) or ask a friend or professional to give it a go.

Battery is dead. Unfortunately, car batteries do not last forever. And they will typically last anywhere between 3 to 5 years, depending on your climate and driving conditions. If there is a defective cell or an internal short circuit in your battery, it will not allow the battery to be jump-started. A new battery it is!

Faulty jumper cables. Not all jumper cables are made the same. Jumper cables that are too long, carry insufficient current, have too much internal resistance, or are simply too old may not give your vehicle the kick it needs. Be sure to invest in quality jumper cables to start your car’s battery when you need them.

Check your neutral safety switch. Vehicles with automatic transmission have a safety switch that keeps the battery from being jump-started if the vehicle is not in park (P) or neutral (N). For a vehicle with a manual transmission, you will need to make sure to fully depress your clutch before starting the engine. A damaged safety switch in either of these vehicles will prevent your engine from being jump-started.

Repair starter motor. To spin the motor, your stater motor is going to need some juice from your battery, seeing as it can’t crank the engine without it. Hear clicking and grinding sounds while trying to get the engine to turn over? You may have a faulty starter on your hands.

You need your vehicle up and running as soon as possible. Don’t delay if you can’t seem to get your battery started. Swing on by and we’ll get to the root of it as soon as possible.