Car Won't Start: One Click and Then Nothing. What's Wrong?

If your car won't start, you may be in trouble. It's quite hard to predict what happened with the vehicle without inspecting it properly but sometimes, common issues can tell you about the actual problem with your car. If the vehicle clicks and then nothing happens, most likely, the problem is with the starter motor or battery. But some other issues are possible, too.

Today, we'll tell you what to do if your car doesn't start, only makes one click instead. We'll also cover the most important problems that can lead to this and show some fixes. In some cases, you may temporarily deal with the problem without professional help to start the car and go to the dealership or repair shop to have the vehicle inspected and repaired.

So, here's what we are going to tell you today:

• Understanding the symptom when the car won't start, only clicks.
• What can cause the problem if your car clicks instead of starting?
• How to quickly fix the problem and keep driving?
• What if the problem can't be fixed just on the roadside?

Let's get started!

Let's explain the symptoms to be on the same page

There are literally hundreds of reasons why your car may refuse to start. But when you heat the click right at the moment when the engine should start cranking, this brings the reasons down to several possible causes. Though we need to make sure that this is exactly the symptom you have in your car.

So, here's what we are talking about here:

• you, as usual, get into the car, it opens the doors, gives you some invitation lights, no problems at this stage;
• then, you turn on the ignition with your key or press the button;
• instead of the expected cranking sound from the engine bay, you hear just one loud click;
• after that, nothing happens - your engine doesn't crank and doesn't start;
• to make another attempt to start the engine, you will need to turn off the ignition and repeat the starting procedure;
• but you will again hear just a click and nothing else.

So, if the symptoms are just as we've described above, you should read the article and find all the answers to your numerous questions. But if something is different, maybe you will need to investigate more. In some cases, this click may not be heard every single time you are trying to start the engine. Occasionally, you will just hear nothing.

Let's look at the most common reasons for such behavior in your vehicle

Unfortunately, there is not just one reason for a clicking and not starting car. In most cases, the starter motor is the one to blame for this clicking sound. But it may click in several places and it may click because of several reasons. We will try to cover all common reasons and if you don't find the solution to your problem, have your car thoroughly inspected by a professional.

Here are the possible causes of the no-start issue and clicking starter:

1. Stuck starter motor

When the starter motor is stuck, it can't rotate. It may be stuck because it's broken or because something went wrong with the flywheel. You may know that the starter actually rotates the flywheel and this is how it starts the engine. There is a small gearwheel on the starter motor and a big gearwheel on the flywheel. They come in contact only when you need to start the engine.

But if they get stuck, the starter motor may be in a position where it just doesn't have enough power to rotate. If this is the case, you probably can't solve the problem by yourself. Also, there should be some other deeper reason for this issue because starters don't usually get stuck.

2. Bad starter bendix

The small gear that rotates the flywheel is located in the special part of the starter motor called the bendix. This part is moving to the sides to come in contact with the engine when needed and to disconnect once the engine is started. But when the bendix is worn out, it can't do its job correctly.

In most cases, the gear itself is the reason for this problem. It may have broken or just misshaped tooth or teeth. To solve this issue, you will need to replace the bendix or the entire starter (depending on the type of starter motor in your car).

3. Starter solenoid relay

The starter solenoid is the special relay that needs to take the bendix off the flywheel once the engine is started. If this doesn't happen, the bendix will rotate with the flywheel and the starter will almost immediately die.

Checking the starter solenoid is not hard if you have the needed equipment and experience. But if you don't, better let professionals do this. Replacing the solenoid is a quick job in the majority of car models but the solenoid itself (at least the OEM one) may not be cheap.

4. Bad flywheel

The flywheel of the engine has a special gear on it to let the starter rotate it. Once something goes wrong with the gear, the starter can't crank the engine and this may lead to the situation when the starter is stuck over the flywheel. In this case, you will hear the clicking sound when trying to start the engine.

5. Bad or dead starter

One more issue is when your starter motor is dead or dying. In this case, it may click sometimes or just be silent instead of cranking the engine. Bad starters have the only possible solution - to replace them.

If you decide to install the new starter motor, you better buy the OEM one for the replacement. Aftermarket starters are much cheaper and may seem to be OK but they aren't long-lasting. Also, the sound of starting your engine may eventually be really bad.

6. Wiring issues

This reason is one of the most desirable if you look at the prices for parts and labor. But locating the wiring problem is not as easy as it may seem. In most cases, something may be wrong with the wire that connects the starter to the 12V battery. But it's not that straightforward and hard even to find, let alone check.

Also, the wiring of the ignition cylinder or the engine start button may be causing issues. We should say that all wiring problems should be solved by professionals.

7. Starter mounting

Usually, the starter is mounted directly to the engine with several bolts or nuts. It's extremely important that these bolts or nuts are tightened with a certain torque. If not, the starter may have some free play and eventually get stuck because of this.

You may check this on your own but tightening these fastenings you should in that case only if you have the torque wrench and now the needed torque for these bolts or nuts.

8. Battery

In some cases, the clicking starter may be one of the consequences of the low 12V battery. If it doesn't have enough juice in it to crank the engine, it will most likely fail to start the engine. But it still may have some power to try and rotate the starter motor. And this may sound like a click.

What are some quick solutions to this problem?

If your starter motor is clicking instead of cranking the engine, the problem is serious and you need to show your vehicle to a specialist. But to get the car to the repair shop, you still need to start the engine somehow.

Here are some things you may try:

• jump-starting may help if the thing is in the 12V battery;
• you may hit the starter motor body and especially the solenoid with something to try and let it work one last time;
• you may put your transmission in N and push it a little, then put it in P and push a little more (it won't go anywhere but the starter may change its position and eventually crank;
• if you have the manual transmission, you may try to push-start the vehicle.

In all other cases, the tow truck is your choice.

Your actions if the problem can't be fixed quickly

Even if one of the temporary fixes helps you, you shouldn't forget about the problem immediately. Arrange a visit to the trusted repair shop or to the dealer and have the vehicle inspected and repaired to avoid getting into such a situation once again.

Here's what you should do:

• call a tow truck if you can't start your car with any other method;
• arrange a visit to the repair shop or to a dealership;
• have your car inspected as soon as possible to avoid other issues;
• have the vehicle repaired according to what the diagnostics found;
• check if everything works well after the repair.

This may seem like a very simple and straightforward issue - your car is clicking instead of cranking and starting. But you may see that we've found at least eight different reasons for this problem. So, never make quick decisions and always locate the actual problem before investing money in parts and labor.