I have a 1.6 petrol Nissan Note.
I haven't driven it since Monday and today it won't start.
When I turn the key there is a loud clicking noise coming from the engine compartment, but the engine doesn't turn over.
The car is a 55 plate and still has the original battery so i am wondering if it could be the battery that needs replacing?
Clicking sounds like low battery ie not enough power to engage starter. Do you have home start cover on your breakdown insurance? if so get them to come & give you a jump start, it might be a better idea than getting a friend to come & start you if you don't know what you are doing with jump leads.
If it is a flat battery & it has died for no apparent reason just drive straight to somewhere & get new battery fitted, its not worth messing around with a battery that keeps going flat.
If it starts ok with a jump start then it should be battery, alternators don't usually fail on modern cars, if you have home start breakdown insurance, operative can check voltage once engine is running & if voltage is ok then it will be dead battery.
I posted cos son had same issue and some people were good enough to help. Clicking when trying to start, would jumpstart though.
He got stuck outside our house and called RAC, they checked it and as he had been having issues with the key suggested a new one. It seems that when the key gets too worn it doesnt work properly and was not disengaging the immobiliser.
as i have tended to go for older ,pre-loved cars , i have had this problem a few time's, normally a simple fix, replace old battery with a new one ( would be my guess in this case too given yours is 8yrs old, most are only gauranteed for 5 yrs from new)
another ,potentially more expensive, cause of 'clicking' and car not starting ,is a defective starter motor, a not so easy fix on most modern cars.
if i was a betting man i'd be going with the battery,given the excellent reliabilty of Nissan's
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totally agree with realbusdriver - the AA / RAC have a device that can check your battery.
on my last car i had same situation, came to use it after it had been parked a week and it only clicked. the lights on the dashboard were also very dim.
the aa man started it with a booster pack thing and then he measured the battery with a device and he said the battery is drawing in 30 amps - in other words its almost comletely flat and is sucking in a huge amount of current - way more than a good battery would be doing.
i had a new battery fitted and that was it - fine after that and no other problems.
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Topic: Car Won`t Start!
