starter turns off car but not on

MATCHBX · 08-21-2005

I just had something like this happen to me last week. I went out at lunch and drove my car to get food. Came back and parked it at work. Got in it at 5, turned the key to on, everything lit up, then cranked and everything shut off.

My connections were fine but the battery was bad. Jumped it and it ran fine. Shut it off and wouldn't start again. Got a new battery and everything is fine now.

Jump it and see if it runs. How old is the battery? They say you should replace your battery every 4-5 years so maybe it's just due.

CarPsyco84 · 08-21-2005

If every thing goes out like a light switch when you hit the starter, its a bad connection on the batt. terminals, my car does this alot, I get a wrench or a hammer and hit the terminals and it starts right up. If they're corroded a bunch thats almost certainly why, You could try using some baking soda and water to clear up the corrosion, and maybe a wire brush to clean em up.