Q: Car clicks but won't start unless jumped - just replaced battery two days ago.

asked by on August 31, 2017

Car wasn't starting after sitting overnight unless I jumped it so I took the battery in to be tested and it tested bad. Replaced the battery and the +connection, car started fine for a couple days. This morning it would not start on its own, just clicking again. Tried jumping it and it started up fine.

My car has 223000 miles.
My car has an automatic transmission.

Alternator Replacement $166.62 - $1297.14 Get a Quote

it sounds like you may have a problem with the charging system not properly maintaining a charge on the battery. The clicking sound (usually very rapid) is a result of the battery not generating enough power to cause the starter motor to turn the engine over. As you may know, the alternator charges the battery while the engine runs by generating amperage and recharging the battery while the engine turns the alternator pulley. The voltage regulator is a unit that regulates the charging of the battery by the alternator and maintaining a certain amperage while the engine runs. When the alternator is not working properly, this may result in the battery quickly losing charge and the car losing all power. You may also notice a whining sound as a result of the bearings inside the alternator begin to fail. I would recommend having an expert from YourMechanic come to your location to diagnose and inspect your charging system.

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