Vehicle will not start

Tiny
GEORGE PIKA
  • MEMBER
  • 2012 KIA SEDONA
  • 76,000 MILES
I left a cell phone charger in the cigarette port of my vehicle. Now, when I try to start the ignition, the engine is silent and wont start, no clicking or turnover noise. The engine ran perfectly before this happened.
Wednesday, April 28th, 2021 AT 7:00 AM

6 Replies

Tiny
JACOBANDNICKOLAS
  • MECHANIC
  • 108,117 POSTS
Hi,

The power outlet won't cause this. Does anything electrical work? It may had drained the battery.

Do me a favor. Here is a link that shows how to load test a battery at home. It is very easy to do.

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/car-battery-load-test

If you find the battery is dead or weak, you will need to recharge it. Here is a link that shows how it is done:

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-to-charge-your-car-battery

Let me know what you find or if you have other questions.

Take care,

Joe

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Wednesday, April 28th, 2021 AT 7:44 PM
Tiny
GEORGE PIKA
  • MEMBER
  • 4 POSTS
Thank you for the information. My first guess was that the battery was completely dead, as opposed to just being close to fully drained. I am thinking it could also be a bad starter relay within the engine fuse compartment. It sounds like the alternator and everything related is making noise when the key is turned in the ignition starter, so hopefully nothing serious. I am trying the battery test right now, and if that is successful, hopefully the problem can be narrowed-down to just a battery charge, or a starter relay replacement. Let me know your thoughts, otherwise, have a good one and thanks again.
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Wednesday, April 28th, 2021 AT 10:39 PM
Tiny
GEORGE PIKA
  • MEMBER
  • 4 POSTS
*Update: After testing the battery, the headlights did in fact dim completely. So, am I correct assuming that a battery replacement is my only option at this point? Would you or anyone else recommend this as a diy project, or is it better to just take the vehicle to a mechanic at this point?
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Wednesday, April 28th, 2021 AT 10:51 PM
Tiny
JACOBANDNICKOLAS
  • MECHANIC
  • 108,117 POSTS
Hi,

Honestly, it likely just needs to be recharged and that is something you can do. We have three ways of doing it. First, if you have a battery charger at home, you can do it there. Here is a link showing how it's done:

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-to-charge-your-car-battery

If you don't have a charger, simply remove the battery, take it to a parts store, and ask that they charge and load test it. They will likely do it for free and it will get the battery charged and checked at the same time. Here is a link that shows how to replace a battery (remove and replace the old one):

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-to-replace-a-car-battery

And last, if you have someone that could jump-start the vehicle, the alternator should recharge it for you. However, you will need to allow it to run for a bit so it has the chance to charge. Here is a link that shows how to jump-start a vehicle:

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-to-jump-start-car-battery-using-jumper-cables

Let me know if I can help you in any way. And honestly, you can do it yourself. You shouldn't have to pay anyone. I'm here to answer questions if you need help.

Take care of yourself and if you have a chance, let me know how things turn out for you.

Joe

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Thursday, April 29th, 2021 AT 8:27 PM
Tiny
GEORGE PIKA
  • MEMBER
  • 4 POSTS
Apparently the only problem was a bad starter, it just needed to be replaced.
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Tuesday, May 11th, 2021 AT 12:31 AM
Tiny
JACOBANDNICKOLAS
  • MECHANIC
  • 108,117 POSTS
Jason,

Thanks for the update. I know your post will help others.

Take care of yourself and feel free to come back anytime in the future.

Joe
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Tuesday, May 11th, 2021 AT 7:17 PM

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