Uh-oh! What’s that sound? If your engine sounds similar to a moody cat (rur-rur-rur), there’s a good chance you have a dead car battery.
Before you get on the phone and call for a tow truck, check to see if your car won’t start but the starter “clicks.”
Some solutions:
If you’re feeling handy and know your way around, down, and inside and out of a car… try cycling the key. Turn on the dome light and watch it while you try to start your car’s engine. If the light stays out, the battery is weak. But, if the light stays on and you’re feeling confident, try tapping on the battery terminals. You’ll need tools to clean corroded battery terminals, but you can try to to move the terminals to make contact—slightly tap on them. Lastly, if you have access to the starter motor, try smacking the starter with the tire iron from your car jack. Tapping on them can free electrical contacts.
If you’re not finding much luck with the above solutions, you most likely have a dead car battery. But don’t fear! Jumpstarting the car is an option. (And yes, there’s still a way to jumpstart your car without cranks.)
Head back to the car with the dead battery and find a good ground—this is a piece of bare metal. Many cars will have a dedicated ground bolt, indicated with a “-” and arrow indicating it is safe for jumpstarting. Make sure that the wire isn’t too thin so the lead has something to latch on to.
Now maybe your battery is dead and can’t get a jump. In other words, it’s dead dead and needs to be replaced.
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