Car won’t start — causes and what you can check yourself
Sometimes it’s the battery. Sometimes the starter motor. Sometimes something you can fix yourself.
It clicks rapidly, several times in a row
If you turn the key and it only clicks — quickly, several times in a row — the battery is flat or too weak. The starter motor is trying to work but isn’t getting enough power.
Solution: a jump start. Either from another vehicle or with a jump starter. If the battery charges again afterwards, it was only discharged. If the problem keeps coming back, the battery is faulty or the alternator isn’t charging properly.
The starter turns, but the engine doesn’t start
If you can hear the starter turning but the engine doesn’t start, the battery isn’t the cause. Here it’s either fuel, ignition or air that’s missing.
Possible causes: a faulty fuel pump, wet or worn spark plugs, a clogged fuel filter, or the engine control unit has detected a fault and is blocking the start.
Nothing happens at all
If nothing happens at all — no clicking, no turning, no warning lights — either the battery is completely flat or there’s an earth fault. Sometimes it’s just the ignition coil or a blown fuse.
Check: do the headlights come on? Does the radio work? If yes, the battery isn’t the problem. If no, it’s probably dead.
The engine was running and suddenly stopped
If the engine cuts out while driving and won’t restart, it’s more serious. Possible causes: fuel pump failure, a snapped timing belt, a faulty engine control unit, or an empty tank (sounds trivial, but it happens).
In most cases only the towing service can help here. We’ll take your vehicle to the garage.
What you can do yourself
Check the battery terminals: are they tight? Sometimes a terminal works loose through vibration.
Check the tank level: does the gauge still show something? Sometimes the gauge is deceptive.
Switch off all consumers (radio, lights, air conditioning) and try again.
Wait a few minutes and try again — this sometimes helps with a flooded engine.
When roadside assistance is enough
If it’s only the battery, a jump start is often enough. We come, start your vehicle and you drive on.
If the problem runs deeper, we tow your vehicle to the garage. We’ll tell you honestly on the spot what makes sense.