What to Do When Your Car Won't Turn Over
- 1). Turn the car completely off for safety. Having the car on is potentially dangerous if you have a short in your connections and make contact.
- 2). Check the battery terminals. The terminals are the metal clamps that connect to your battery, and it's this connection that delivers power from your battery to your car. Many people replace their battery before considering that the problem may be with their terminals. Check to see if the terminals are dirty, loose, or corroded.
- 3). Tighten the terminal by using a pair of pliers or a crescent wrench to tighten the bolt at the end of the connections. Although the terminals are receiving an electric current, it's safe to touch them as long as you do not touch both terminals at the same time. Try starting the car again to see if this solves your problem. If it doesn't, continue to the next step.
- 4). Disconnect the terminals and clean them if they look dirty. Cover the terminal water a mixture of three-parts baking soda and one-part water. Let the mixture set on the terminals for five minutes, then scrub the terminals with a wire-bristle brush or a toothbrush, making sure to focus on cleaning the inside of the terminal where it makes it's connection with the battery. Try starting the car to see if this solves your problem. If it doesn't continue to the next step.
- 5). Jump start the vehicle. Park another car close enough to attach jumper cables, and then turn its engine off. Attach the red cable to the positive terminal of your car battery and attach the other side of the red cable to the other car's positive terminal. Attach the black negative cable to the other car's negative terminal and connect the other end of the black negative cable to a clean unpainted surface on the engine of the dead car. Turn on the other car's engine, wait one minute, then start your car. If this doesn't work, try readjusting the connections of the jumper cables on the terminals. Disconnect the cables in reverse order from how you put them on.
- 6). Remove the battery and get it checked. Most auto parts stores will check your battery for you free of charge. If the battery is bad, check the warranty information on the battery for free replacement or a prorated credit and replace it.
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