What the car is telling you
- One loud click and nothing: often the starter or a bad connection
- Rapid clicking: usually a weak or dead battery
- Slow cranking that gets slower: battery or charging system
- Cranks normally but won’t fire: fuel, spark or a sensor
- Starts, then dies while driving: often the alternator
- Battery light on the dash while driving: the charging system needs attention
Starter or alternator?
The starter turns the engine over. The alternator keeps the battery charged once the engine is running. When the starter fails, the car usually won’t crank even with a good battery. When the alternator fails, the car often starts fine, runs for a while on battery power, and then dies.
A quick test of battery voltage, cranking voltage and charging output tells us which one you have. That way you do not pay for a starter when you needed an alternator.
Cranks but won’t start
If the engine spins at normal speed but never catches, the battery and starter are probably fine. The problem is fuel, spark or a sensor the computer needs to run the engine, like a crankshaft or camshaft position sensor. That calls for diagnostics, which we do on-site.
Done in your driveway?
Most starters and alternators can be replaced in a driveway. A few vehicles bury them deep enough to need a lift.
When it needs a shop
If yours is one of those, we will tell you up front and point you to a shop we trust.