Car Mechanical Question

[CHCRandy]

My sisters car wont start today. No dash lights, just clicks. Well, she sent me a video earlier and with nobody in car and no keys in the car.......this car is clicking as if someone was trying to start with dead battery or bad starter.

How can that happen with no keys in car? Thoughts? Not sure make yet, I think a Cruze...but not positive.

 

[Leo]

If it is still clicking, unhook the battery and hook it back up. I don't know your car, but sometimes the electronics get in a loop they cannot complete and cannot cancel whatever the last command is. .If it starts clicking a relay again when you hook it back up, without the key. It will require hands on troubleshooting.

Also, many of today's batteries give no warning when they fail, It can start perfect, run perfect and when you shut it off, it never starts again. Take a voltmeter with you.

 

[mom45]

Is it one that uses a fob instead of a key? Is there a remote start on it?

 

[churchmouse]

If it is a much newer car it will not operate if the battery drops bellow a certain level. CKW’s Acadia acted simulators what you are describing. Measured voltage at the battery was 11.6 Bolts DC. I put in a new battery and it started up after the system recognized the battery.

 

[El Conquistador]

I would say the battery is dead or bad. When the batteries voltage get low it can cause it to do some weird things.

 

[xwing]

Well, the clicking is the starter trying to engage. So maybe something messed up in the electrical system such that the car is trying to start? Possibly a bad ignition switch? I had a car which would stay in accessory mode with the key removed; fixed it by replacing the ignition switch.

In addition, you probably have a low battery (possibly caused by the above issue)... Just a guess.

 

[WebSnyper]

My sisters car wont start today. No dash lights, just clicks. Well, she sent me a video earlier and with nobody in car and no keys in the car.......this car is clicking as if someone was trying to start with dead battery or bad starter.

How can that happen with no keys in car? Thoughts? Not sure make yet, I think a Cruze...but not positive.

Stuck starter solenoid?

 

[CHCRandy]

It is a 2017 Ford Fusion. I am almost betting it is battery as well. I was just kind of thrown off with the video of it trying to turn over with no key.....she is in Virginia, so I am really no help to her.

 

[schmart]

It is a 2017 Ford Fusion. I am almost betting it is battery as well. I was just kind of thrown off with the video of it trying to turn over with no key.....she is in Virginia, so I am really no help to her.

If she does replace the battery, make sure to reset the battery life counter. The charging system modifies the charge rates as the battery gets older and won't fully charge a new battery. Sadly, unlikely that auto zone, Walmart, etc can do that.

Easy to do with forscan (a free Windows program) and a Bluetooth odbc dongle.
Rick

 

[Frosty]

I had a 99 F-150 do something like that, it would just randomly try to engage the starter, even while you were driving. Turns out the windshield had a small leak and the BCM was getting wet causing all sorts of random problems. Apparently this was a common issue at the time.

 

[bobzilla]

Battery. It’s amazing sone of the wild things modern cars do when the battery dies.

 

[G_B_C]

As others have said, throw a battery at it.

 

[dprimm]

As others have said, throw a battery at it.

Be careful to not crack the windshield doing this.

 

[Leo]

Be careful to not crack the windshield doing this.

In young days my frustration resulted in the action you described. It did not end well. I generally had to learn the hard way. Thankfully, I learned to think things through.

 

[G_B_C]

Be careful to not crack the windshield doing this.

Also cant forget to throw the old battery in the ocean to charge the electric eels.

 

[Frosty]

Also cant forget to throw the old battery in the ocean to charge the electric eels.

I thought we had solar now for that