Technical starting issues

[violethelp]

hi so today without warning my car just didn't start, it did crank and there was just clinking noises once i turned the key the issue is i was using the car maybe an hour prior with no problems, nothing on the dash, no problem with the battery, and then all the sudden it just wouldn't turn over. now i get all kinds of warnings including, no hill start, airbag, and at first it said something about coolant temp being too high (which was checked and looked normal) after called AAA to try and jump the battery they said the battery and my alternator were bad. before replacing would love a second opinion or anything to try (i also know nothing about cars so if i could get the dumbest version possible that would be great! lol)

 

[Greasytrucker]

If it was starting fine prior to this then i find it hard to believe that your battery and alternator have both failed together. Did you say it wouldn’t stay running when a jump start was attempted?

 

[varesecrazy]

hi so today without warning my car just didn't start, it did crank and there was just clinking noises once i turned the key the issue is i was using the car maybe an hour prior with no problems, nothing on the dash, no problem with the battery, and then all the sudden it just wouldn't turn over. now i get all kinds of warnings including, no hill start, airbag, and at first it said something about coolant temp being too high (which was checked and looked normal) after called AAA to try and jump the battery they said the battery and my alternator were bad. before replacing would love a second opinion or anything to try (i also know nothing about cars so if i could get the dumbest version possible that would be great! lol)

Hi,

The one Inexpensive thing that could be at fault,

In European FIATS we get issues of a cable corroding to a point it messes with starting, and also general power distribution


This cable runs from the battery Negative ( - symbol).
And is the connection between the Battery, Motor and Body

It is Black In color and around 2 feet in length,

It's well worth getting this replaced

 

[ZaphodB]

Hi,

The one Inexpensive thing that could be at fault,

In European FIATS we get issues of a cable corroding to a point it messes with starting, and also general power distribution


This cable runs from the battery Negative ( - symbol).
And is the connection between the Battery, Motor and Body

It is Black In color and around 2 feet in length,

It's well worth getting this replaced

Here's a prime example (from a recent post here on fiat forum) of a reeeeeaalllly bad earth cable and connection:

 

[violethelp]

If it was starting fine prior to this then i find it hard to believe that your battery and alternator have both failed together. Did you say it wouldn’t stay running when a jump start was attempted?

after jumped everything was fine there was no lights on dash and had no warnings like i had prior to the jump but as soon as the car turns off it all happens again

 

[violethelp]

Hi,

The one Inexpensive thing that could be at fault,

In European FIATS we get issues of a cable corroding to a point it messes with starting, and also general power distribution


This cable runs from the battery Negative ( - symbol).
And is the connection between the Battery, Motor and Body

It is Black In color and around 2 feet in length,

It's well worth getting this replaced

in all of the research I tried doing (very little) this is what i was gonna try as I found a simple youtube video and the wire was only 5$ at my local store but wanted to ask if it's true that i dont have to take away the first ground wire i can just add another and if the primary fails then it should use the second? if i'm completely wrong please let me know! I appreciate this so much!

 

[violethelp]

Here's a prime example (from a recent post here on fiat forum) of a reeeeeaalllly bad earth cable and connection:

Thank you! i'm going to have to take a closer look but appreciate the visual!

 

[varesecrazy]

Adding a 2nd wire is fine

 

[Greasytrucker]

after jumped everything was fine there was no lights on dash and had no warnings like i had prior to the jump but as soon as the car turns off it all happens again

Batteries do just die with no warning sometimes. You could be lucky and the battery might just have come to the end of it’s life. If the alternator was faulty it wouldn’t keep running with a completely flat battery