Q: Car lost acceleration, now it will not start.
Two night ago I was driving and my car began to lose power. It was still running but when I pressed on the gas the car would not accelerate. The check engine and parking break lights would flash when I pressed on the gas and when I turned on my 4 way hazard lights. I turned the car off and tried to restart it, nothing happened. The key would turn, and lights would come on but nothing else. I parked the car and bought a new battery. Installed the battery and my car drove fine. Drove about 20 miles that night and then again the following morning. Yesterday afternoon I left my house and was about 5 miles down the road when I heard a grinding sound and my car began to lose power again, the same way it had the night before. I was able to jump start it and get it home where it's now parked until I understand what is wrong. The key will turn and lights come on but all I hear is one solid click. Alternator was replaced in May, battery 2 days ago, AC compressor and belts in August.
My car has 120000 miles.
My car has an automatic transmission.
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Hello. When dealing with an issue like this, there are so many components that can effect stalling and starting that we need to start with the basics. Once of which is to simply make sure the battery is charged. If its not then the alternator is not working and your attention needs to lie there. If the battery has 10 volts or more, then you need to take a look at the wiring between the battery and the starter. Make sure all of these connections are clean, dry, and tight. If the starting system and battery were working correctly, you would at least have the vehicle attempt to crank over. The click you hear is an indication that the starter is not receiving or using the power supply it needs to crank the engine. Double check the starter, battery, grounds, all wiring related, and the connections. If the issue is not resolved after that you will want to turn your attention to the engine.
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