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Batteries

Make sure the battery cables are clean (https://www.yourmechanic.com/article/how-to-clean-battery-terminal-connections-on-a-car) and tight. You need to make sure you check ALL fuses (https://www.yourmechanic.com/article/how-to-check-fuses-by-rocco-lovetere) to see if there are any that are draining the battery. Crank your car for 15 seconds. Do this 3...

You need to look on the dash to see if your theft light is active. The system will let you crank it a few times until it locks out the crank signal. You may need to try another key if...

It sounds like you may have a fuel level sensor failure. Verify there is fuel in the tank, if possible, to eliminate the low fuel as an issue. Electrical testing (https://www.yourmechanic.com/services/electric-problems-inspection) can be done to determine if the sensor is...

Vehicle electronics are very sensitive to voltage fluctuation. Crossing battery terminals/jumper cables can do a lot of harm when mistakes like this are made. Your symptoms sound like a shorted PCM (Power Control Module). Since you can't get the vehicle...

The trunk on your 2011 BMW 328i most likely has a power open button. If the battery is not in the vehicle, the vehicle has no power and therefore electrical components will not work. The best recommendation I have for...

One of the hardest problems to diagnose are electrical gremlins. Without being there to physically inspect your 97 Dodge Ram pickup, it's hard to give you a perfect diagnosis. However, when the battery and alternator are good, I tend to...

Engine stalls are often caused by a malfunctioning sensor if not lack of fueling or ignition system maintenance. A trained technician will take them all into consideration. Worn spark plugs may cause a stall on their last leg and prove...

Your are correct in beginning with the battery, but unfortunately in this case it didn't fix your problem. In the future I recommend having the battery thoroughly tested (https://www.yourmechanic.com/article/how-to-check-a-car-battery) before replacing it. At least now you know you have a...

There are many problems that will prevent a vehicle from starting intermittently. If the engine doesn't crank at all, you have a problem with the starting/charging system or the engine is seized. If the engine cranks normally but doesn't start,...

I would look inside the car for an interior light that is coming on first. Usually a glove box light or a trunk light that is staying on when the car is off. If it's not a light then a...

Hello and thank you for your question. It seems to be the transmission that is causing the engine to stall out when you are putting the vehicle into drive. The transmission could have a converter clutch lock up issue causing...

There are many reasons why your car may not start. Some common causes include a dead battery (https://www.yourmechanic.com/services/battery-replacement), faulty starter (https://www.yourmechanic.com/services/starter-replacement) or starter relay (https://www.yourmechanic.com/services/starter-relay-replacement), fuel pump issues (https://www.yourmechanic.com/services/fuel-pump-replacement), clogged fuel filter (https://www.yourmechanic.com/services/fuel-filter-replacement), and computer or sensor issues depending on...

Hello. This is not a problem with the alternator or the starter. I have yet to see a bad starter on this vehicle. It is almost always the battery. The battery will need to be load tested to verify this....

Hello there, When vehicles sit for long periods of time like this a few things can happen. The battery can drain (https://www.yourmechanic.com/article/symptoms-of-a-bad-or-failing-battery), the fuel can lose its octane rating, and oil can pool in the cylinders. If the vehicle is...

The battery should be load tested by a professional. Load testing can only be reliably performed on a fully charged battery. If the battery passes a load test be sure it is NOT a marginal pass in which case you...

Hello. If this happened right after replacing the battery terminal, then you may have a security system issue or a problem with the crank position sensor. Most of the time when you have a loss of voltage, the security system...

Hi. I would recommend to have a technician check for any loose power or ground wiring. There also could be some corrosion present that is blocking the electrical current flow. I also recommend that the technician use a test light to...

I would first verify that the vehicle has a drain above 200 milliamps by disconnecting the battery's negative cable and putting an amp tester between the post and clamp. The test should be done correctly by having the tester attached...

Hello, thank you for writing in. Starting the car relies on the battery alone. If the battery is not producing the voltage and amperage needed to start the car, then the battery and the cables need to be inspected. First,...

Even though you did disconnect the battery, thus preventing any "external" current flow overnight, you still should check for parasitic current draw from the vehicle's electrical system, that is a current flow of (roughly) 50 or more milliamps when the...