Can won't start - nothing happens when turning the key, jumpstarting doesn't work.

[fuzzybabybunny]

My Toyota Echo won't start anymore. When I turn the key nothing happens - no sound. The battery and check oil lights turn on, but they're faded.

Ok, so dead battery.

Hook up a portable jumpstarter, wait for 5 minutes, still nothing.

Hook it up to my Honda Fit, wait for 5 minutes with the Fit on, still nothing.

Uhhhh....

This is really random because the car was fine when I left it a month ago.

 

[foghorn67]

The battery could be totally dead. Try taking it to an autoparts store to test it. Or take a voltage meter to the battery posts.
Batteries need a certain amount of charge before they can even begin to crank (like no sounds), but enough juice to power interior lamps and dash lights.
If you are savvy enough, swap batteries to see if it cranks your Echo. Remember not too have your wrench touch any other metal object while it's contacting the posts.
Remember the basics:
1)Check the battery posts (terminals) and cables. Are they on nice and snug?
2)Check for corrosion on the posts. Scrape it off with a wire brush if so.
3)Don't put the battery on concrete (old wives tale?). Place it on something else like wood or cardboard while swapping.
4)Again. When wrenching the battery posts, don't let the wrench hit another metal object. Don't bridge the two posts with the wrench.

The charging system is one of the easiest things to diagnose. Don't stress at it.

 

[x-alki]

It could be a dead battery but my guess is you have a bad connection to the cables. Are you sure whatever you are jumping it with has a solid connection?

 

[StageLeft]

I tried jump starting my MPV a year or two ago and for the life of me that fvcker would NOT jump start with its bad battery. And the connections were money. I even posted a thread about it here asking what was up and received no real advice. I've jumped a car before, too; I never figured out why it wouldn't jump.

Anyway, just drive to Walmart and buy a batter and put it in and you'll be good to go. Alternatively even if your battery is dead you probably could charge it up enough to start the car, then drive to walmart and have them swap the battery.

 

[PlasmaBomb]

My Toyota Echo won't start anymore. When I turn the key nothing happens - no sound. The battery and check oil lights turn on, but they're faded.

Ok, so dead battery.

Hook up a portable jumpstarter, wait for 5 minutes, still nothing.

Hook it up to my Honda Fit, wait for 5 minutes with the Fit on, still nothing.

Uhhhh....

This is really random because the car was fine when I left it a month ago.

Faded suggests that the battery is dead... do the headlights come on at all? If the battery is flat they will be really weak too.

Failing that the solenoid in the starter could be stuck, and a little percussive maintenance is a temporary fix. Either that or bump start it and hope driving frees it.

^ not that I have just replaced my battery only to find that turning the key produces a click doesn't turn the engine over...

 

[BUTCH1]

I tried jump starting my MPV a year or two ago and for the life of me that fvcker would NOT jump start with its bad battery. And the connections were money. I even posted a thread about it here asking what was up and received no real advice. I've jumped a car before, too; I never figured out why it wouldn't jump.

Anyway, just drive to Walmart and buy a batter and put it in and you'll be good to go. Alternatively even if your battery is dead you probably could charge it up enough to start the car, then drive to walmart and have them swap the battery.

If a battery is almost totally flat (dead) your gonna have problems trying to jump start the vehicle, jumper cables are meant to give a weak battery enough boost to get a car started, not to pull the entire amount of current needed through them, I tried that once and wound up smoking the cables!. Best bet is to charge the battery with a charger as attempting this can be VERY tough on one's alternator.

 

[EightySix Four]

The battery Is dead. Replace it. Most modern cars draw a certain amount of electricity even when the car is off, and of the car has been sitting too long, it will die. Battery tender FTW.

 

[BUTCH1]

The battery Is dead. Replace it. Most modern cars draw a certain amount of electricity even when the car is off, and of the car has been sitting too long, it will die. Battery tender FTW.

Yup, the BCM (body control module) is always on, needs to so it can receive signals from the FOB, run the alarm and security features ect. I had my car at an airport lot for 11 days, it started when I got back but you could tell it cranked slower. One of those solar chargers would fit the bill nicely to keep a battery topped up in that scenario..

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

Ahhhh.... I see. The main issue that I was having trouble getting through was why my car wasn't starting even when connected to a fully charged secondary battery - I just figured that being connected in such a way would allow the second battery to fully start the car, but I guess that's not the case. Dead battery then.

 

[T2urtle]

yep batteries can sometimes not hold the charge or be jumped...

this is a SMALL trick i used and it worked ONCE.

my father neeeded a jump. I went over with my small battery box. hooked it up and it didn't crank. I disconnected and thought my box was too weak, did my jumper cables. It didn't crank either... now I got smart, i hooked up the jumper box to act as a battery and wired my jumper cables to the battery as well and it cranked, just had to wait 2-5 minutes and it started.

I told my dad to go home and i would go to sears to get a battery and meet up at home. home was 5 miles and sears was 7 miles other way. i told him to leave my jumper box connected since it fit under the hood, he didn't listen. about 1 mile from the house he calls me and told me car died while at a light, i guess it couldnt hold charge at idle. or he did something goofy like turn on radio and rolled down the window. repeated steps and worked out.

if your battery is completely dead, just used the jumper box hook it up parallel to the battery and use that.

 

[StageLeft]

If a battery is almost totally flat (dead) your gonna have problems trying to jump start the vehicle, jumper cables are meant to give a weak battery enough boost to get a car started, not to pull the entire amount of current needed through them, I tried that once and wound up smoking the cables!. Best bet is to charge the battery with a charger as attempting this can be VERY tough on one's alternator.

OK, now I feel a bit less stunned

 

[JulesMaximus]

Sounds like your battery is gone. Replace it and it should start right up.

 

[simonizor]

I would say that your starter could be going bad if you don't even hear a click when you turn the key. You should probably try a new battery first because it's more than likely cheaper than a new starter, but if that doesn't work, my next guess would be the starter. I've had one go before, and when it went I didn't hear anything at all when turning the key, not even a clicking noise.

 

[EightySix Four]

I would say that your starter could be going bad if you don't even hear a click when you turn the key. You should probably try a new battery first because it's more than likely cheaper than a new starter, but if that doesn't work, my next guess would be the starter. I've had one go before, and when it went I didn't hear anything at all when turning the key, not even a clicking noise.

A lot of starters won't even try and turn over when the battery is lower than a certain voltage.