Car Battery Charger Reviews

Our pick of the answers:

BUT READ THIS FIRSTmake sure you read instaruction first if you are not sure its not something you should take a chance on
to jumps start a car usually your leave it on and it whil give you enougn power to start the car if your car baterie is not charge enough . Make sure your power pack his charged first also

Our pick of the answers:

There are several possibilities.

A blown fuse is the easiest thing to check, and should be the first thing you check, as there may be a fuse between your ignition switch and the solenoid. The owner manual should show if you have one for this circuit.

If, when you try to start the car, is there a clicking sound?
That would indicate a solenoid problem, but not necessarily.a failure as it often occurs when a cable connection is loose, and unable to carry the high current load that the starter demands.Low voltage from the battery also causes this clicking, but you said if you jump the connection it starts, so this seems unlikely.

Look for the most common problem, which is loose cable connections.

The solenoid acts as a relay between the battery and the starter. It is the solenoid/relay that is triggered when you turn the key to “start. A bit of current flows from the ignition switch to the solenoid and it acts as a switch, closing the circuit that allows current to flow through the solenoid to the starter.

First, check the cable connections between the solenoid and the starter, and then between the solenoid and the battery. The cables will be considerably larger in diameter than the wire that actually triggers the solenoid, and you must check all three connections to be sure they are tight. If anything is found loose, then remove the nut holding it in place and clean both parts before reassembling as dirt is very likely in there.

You will need to have someone else turn the key while you check this next part.

If all connections are OK, get a twelve volt test lamp or a voltmeter and check for current at the small diameter wire leading to the solenoid. This is the wire that triggers the solenoid.
If there is voltage there, and the connection of the wire to the solenoid is good, then the problem is the solenoid itself .and it needs to be replaced.

If there is no voltage when the key is turned, then you look backwards to the ignition switch and then the harness connections.

EDIT

Sorry, I forgot one thing..

The other checks should be done first, as those are the most common source of problems, however
there is another possibility.

Cars with automatic transmission usually have a neutral – safety switch that is meant to allow the car to start only if the gear selector is in Park or Neutral. You may need a manual to determine the location of this switch on your car, but the information is very likely available on-line.
Cars with manual transmissions may have a switch that closes when the clutch pedal is depressed.

There were some mid-1980s cars with manual transmission that had a switch that would permit key removal only when the gear selector was in Reverse, and also allow starting in Neutral.

These switches are are intended as safety devices, to prevent accidental engagement of the starter, but they do sometimes fail..