Car clicking and not starting

ajstan · 31 Jan 2010 at 11:44

So I just went to get my car from a car park (decided to drink at a meal out) and turned the key and it just clicks, flat battery right? But I checked all the switches and I've left nothing on, how has the battery gone flat then?

ci_newman · 31 Jan 2010 at 11:46

Almost certainly a dead battery. The cold weather has a habit of finishing them off. Presumably the car has an alarm? That'd draw current all the time.

4T5 · 31 Jan 2010 at 11:48

When temps drop this low it eats your battery as has been said above. Just run an extension lead out & hook a battery charger up to it for a few hours.

ajstan · 31 Jan 2010 at 11:51

So if car is jump started and then driven around for 30mins it will be fine?

Rotty · 31 Jan 2010 at 11:52

as long as your battery and alternator are ok then yes it will be

Settleddown · 31 Jan 2010 at 12:04

I would have thought you have a problem somewhere along the line if the battery goes flat in just a night?? The cold is not extreme, I left my car in the snow for a week and started first time.

ajstan · 31 Jan 2010 at 12:05

Ok, cheers guys

4T5 · 31 Jan 2010 at 12:08

ajstan said:
So if car is jump started and then driven around for 30mins it will be fine?

For the day yes but I wouldn't want to rely on it starting again tomorrow morning, I would definitely stick a charger on it, I had the same issue a few weeks ago during that Uber cold spell when I left mine for 4 days, A good charge & it's been sound & mine is Derv.

@Settledown.
Mine has a Clifford with quite a draw on it, If the battery is real low Before the cold spell then once it gets to minus Batterys loss of life increases by loads.

ajstan · 31 Jan 2010 at 21:03

Me and a cousin managed to push it fast enough for a jump start, drove it around for 30mins so I very much hope it starts tomorrow for work...

Iceman · 31 Jan 2010 at 21:09

Could also be the starter had many before where the solenoid just clicks. Well more of a single click not sure if yours is a single click or several?

Settleddown · 31 Jan 2010 at 21:10

I doubt it 30 mins is not enough for a flat dead battery, you need it pulling out and set on a slow trickle charge to get some life into it.

Vern1961 · 31 Jan 2010 at 22:29

Corsa did this to me about 18 months ago, towards the end of a week of nights where all I'd used it for was 3 miles into work and 3 miles home again. Just not enough time (7-8 min drive) to get the start effort back in the battery. An eight hour charge did the trick and (touch wood) not had a problem since, though usually on nights I try and drive home the long way round at least a couple of times to boost the battery a bit.

Think I posted on here at the time and the feedback was, with immobilser and CDL engaged there is a constant trickle from the battery. Maybe it's time car designers started to fit two batteries - one purely for the start and the other to feed all the other equipment.