It’s bright and early, and you hop in the car. You try to start it, but nothing happens. Maybe there’s a faint click, perhaps no sound at all. Immediately, the battery comes to mind. A trip to the auto parts store, and a few minutes later, you get the battery installed.
You think everything is ready to go as you slide back behind the wheel, but another disappointing silence greets you. Many problems will make a car not start after replacing the battery.
In this article, we’ll explore common causes and what to do if your car won’t start after a new battery is installed.
Car Won’t Start After Replacing Battery – Causes
A car that won’t start after replacing the battery is a stressful scenario. Yet, it could signify that something else is going on with your vehicle.
It’s easy to think that it’s only a battery problem, but a complex network of parts is needed to get you up and running—a complex web of parts that can break down, too.
Corrosion on the Connectors
Corrosion is a normal part of a battery. Often it’s a result of battery acid leaking onto the connectors. It will show up as a white or green chalky substance.
In some extreme cases, the build-up of corrosion on the connectors will prevent the car from drawing electricity from the battery.
Corrosion on the connectors isn’t a big deal. Usually, a simple cleaning will be all it takes to have everything back to normal.
Mechanics recommended that you don’t use Coke, though, as the sugars can cause more damage than the cleaning aspect Coke claims to provide.
Battery Incorrectly Installed
Correctly installing the battery is essential to ensure your vehicle will start. It’s a pretty straightforward process; however, installing the battery backwards will leave the wrong terminals facing the wrong connectors!
Failing to do this critical step will leave you stranded.
Usually, installing a battery backwards will blow a fuse. Should the fuse fail, the result could be devastating to electrical components like the ECU. You will need to replace this fuse before you’re on the go again, but it’s a simple fix.
Defective Starter
An excellent way to tell if the starter is potentially going out is a clicking noise as you attempt to turn the car over. Although it’s a good indicator, starters can fail with a whirling noise, a grinding noise, or even no noise at all. Don’t rule out the starter if you don’t hear anything.
Attempting to start your car repeatedly can result in some dramatic results. If a starter is bad, the extra strain may cause it to overheat and begin to smoke. More smoke will pour from your starter if oil has dripped on it.
A defective starter may even fool you, especially if you’ve got lights and radio, but the engine won’t start.
Worn-Out Alternator
The alternator uses physical energy to move a belt to charge the battery. It also converts this energy into electricity that powers all the electronics in the vehicle.
If the alternator is worn-out or malfunctioning, your devices will rely on the battery. Without being recharged, the battery will only last so long; then, it’s bye-bye to another battery.
A decent way to tell if the alternator is going out is if your car shuts off while driving. It may seem like a simple jump-start is all you need, but you’ll be stalling out again a few miles down the road. If you frequently come out to a dead battery, it could be your alternator.
Seized Engine
Worse than a bad battery, starter, or alternator, a seized engine won’t turn over and will require extensive repairs—a seized engine results from when a significant component won’t move. As a result, the engine fails to function correctly and leads to heavy fumes, smoke, and even fires.
In the best-case scenario for a worst-case failure, the engine won’t do anything no matter how hard you try.
Should an engine seize up, a rebuild or a replacement engine is the only fix, and that’s an expensive repair.
ECM Parameter Failure
In rare instances, a total ECM failure will completely lose stored parameters. In this instance, your car will “forget” how to start.
The brains of the vehicle will be unable to tell the components how to operate together, resulting in a car that won’t start.
What to Do if Your Car Won’t Start After Replacing Battery
Changing a battery is an excellent place to start, especially if it’s more than three years old. Many climates reduce the length of a battery, but it’s not the only reason a car might fail to start.
Don’t panic! There are plenty of simple steps you can take to solve the problem yourself. Many are even quick fixes that will get you back on the road in no time.
Inspect the Battery and Terminals
The first step is to inspect the terminals and battery under the hood. It should be evident if there is corrosion, white or green built up, which is chalky. You’ll need baking soda, hot water, and a toothbrush to remove this build-up. Simply clean the affected areas and connect the terminals.
Additionally, check if the terminals connect to the proper nodes. You should install the red positive terminal with red terminal connectors. You’ll want to ensure the connectors are tight around the terminals for proper connections.
Finally, check to ensure you have the correct battery installed. If you have a battery that’s the wrong model for your vehicle, it may be impossible for your car to draw power from it. Contact a dealer to ensure the proper model of battery for your car.
Test Your Alternator and Starter
A faulty starter or alternator will also leave you stranded.
A voltmeter is the safest method, and you won’t risk damaging any other parts using an old wives-tale method.
These components are usually easy to find attached to the engine. The alternator looks like a metal cylinder with cuts in the side exposing copper wiring. A starter is also a cylinder, but solid, exposing no parts, and typically two-toned.
Taking a starter or alternator to a local shop is another excellent method. Usually, these tests are free and will give you a definitive answer within minutes. Plus, many shops will have parts on hand to help you get back on the road in no time.
Wrapping Up: Time to Bring it to the Shop
A trip to the mechanic is something many actively try to avoid. After following the basic troubleshooting steps, a visit to the local grease monkey is all that’s left if your car still won’t start after replacing the battery.
The cost is likely to be in the thousands for more extensive jobs like a seized engine or total electrical failure. For example, the average engine rebuild cost is between $2,500 and $4,000!
Hopefully, it’s just an ECM issue which would mean a simple reflash of the parameters. In this case, the bill is more reasonable and a few hundred at most. Plus, many vehicles have aftermarket tuning computers that can provide a custom mapping to unlock more of the capabilities of your engine.
