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The car has powerful new battery (1 week old). I drove the car and after 4 hours, the car will not start, not even click when you try to start the car? All the lights are ok and they are not dim. What could be the problem?

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2  
Sounds like the solenoid isnt functioning correctly. If the starter isnt working then the solenoid would still click. – Mauro Sep 6 '11 at 9:18
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your seem to be correct but I still can't ignition switch be a problem. – Dave Sep 6 '11 at 18:56
Check the fuses, too. – jp2code Sep 27 '11 at 20:55
Did you find a solution? I have the same problem. – Manatax Feb 14 at 3:39
@Manatax check my answer. It was loose battery terminals and they are hard to detect! – Dave Feb 14 at 4:05
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4 Answers

up vote 4 down vote

Editing my answer

It had happened to me a couple of time and common symptoms that I found are

Loose Battery Connection

Somehow the battery terminals got loose, tighten it and it will solve the problem. It happened to me before.

Jump Start

In my latest case, even tighting the termainsl didn't work. I had to get a jump start. Even with jump start the car was reluctant to start and then it started only we started the other car. The increased amperage solved the problem. Could it be the battery, No. I had new battery installed 2 weeks ago.

Ignition Switch

This is the likely cause if all other lights work but your car does not click. This is the switch you turn in the key or it could be part of it that is connected to that mechanism in the steering wheel. To troubleshoot this, turn on all your lights, try to start the car. If the light dim considerably, your ignition switch is OK. In my case, when I opened the ignition switch, I saw a bandage around the Ignition Switch that propted me, may be this is the problem but I am not sure yet.

Bad Starter

It could be that the starter is bad. It is good idea to check with a mechanic and see what could be the likely cause. A mechanic knows which cars comes with which problems. In some cars it is the starter that usually fails and that way you dont have to guess elsewhere.

Bad Solenoid

As another answer says, it could be just the solenoid that does not wants to engage.

Bad Ground

Again from another answer, the ground may be not good enough

Bad Starter Connection

So this seemed to be my problem in the first place :) The car will not start, not even click but all lights are ok. Put a stick and touch the wire on the starter and wow the car starts! I wonder what really is wrong but it is just touching of that wire that makes the car from no-start to start.

Hope it helps

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This confuses me a little - if the terminals are loose, I wouldn't expect the electrics including lights to work at all when there is no connection to the battery, and I would expect everything to be fine when the connection is restored. Sounds like you might have wider issues - requiring a jump start implies your battery is drained. Have you checked your alternator? – Rory Alsop Aug 25 '11 at 14:13
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I do have some hidden electric issue in the car. But the exact same thing happened to me on another car. You are right, at least the car should engage and it won't while all lights are totally ok. One indication: when you turn on, although nothing happens, all the lights go very dim, almost gone. – Dave Aug 25 '11 at 14:51
The lights take a lot less amperage than the starter, so sometimes the lights come one but the starter won't turn over the engine. Usually the starter makes a click (at a minimum) when this happens. – xpda Sep 22 '11 at 19:05
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I've had this problem before a couple times.

  • I had a failed starter solenoid one time.

  • Another time the ground strap had broken off of the starter.

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The starter doesn't engage? I think your starter relais is broken. When you turn your key the starter relais will push the starter against the starter ring gear on the flywheel. When the relais is broken no contact is made and therefore you are unable to start the engine.

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It does start most of the time but 1/15, it wont start and wont even click as if nothing happens. I still suspect ignition switch (I found a bandage around it when trouble shooting) but a mechanic told me, cars like mine mostly have starter problems. – Dave Sep 6 '11 at 18:55
up vote 0 down vote

Since you've only driven the car 4 hours with a new battery, the most likely thing would probably been a loose wire on the battery. Check the big wires and the small ones both.

One other possibility that hasn't been mentioned is that a safety switch on the brake pedal or gear shift level may not be switched. Try wiggling the gear shift lever and brakes. If that doesn't help, check out the switches.

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well I have been told my a mechanic with maza 626, starter is the main problem, not the ignition switch. This thing happens like regularly every two weeks :) See my own answer though. – Dave Sep 22 '11 at 21:02

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