I'm having car problems. Engine will turnover but won't start. I jumped it to make sure it'd run, and sure enough it did. So I replaced the battery thinking that'd solve the problem. Immediately after replacing the battery I started the car just fine - didn't drive it though, just started then shut it down. The next day I tried to start it and it'd just turnover.

Sounds like the starter switch is going bad.

if it just turned, its not the battery... are you mechanically inclined at all? what kind of car?

if you can pull the starter, any autozone,kragen,o reilly (not sure waht part of the country you are from) will test the starter for free and let you know if it's in good working condition.

is it turning as in trying to start? or do you hear only one click and nothing? when your turning the key do the interior/headlights go dim? or do they shut off completely?

i can try and Diagnose the problem but need those ?'s answered

off hand if it only clicks once, and the lights that were on then went off completely... its a wiring issue at the battery... my opinion is buy a battery terminal cleaner
and clean up the posts, and terminals... you want to clean it until u see shiny metal... then you know you are getting a good connection... if the wires look corroded throughout, replace... a new ground wire can run $8-15... if your car isn't getting ground, it is not gonna start... any more ?'s let me know.

Great advice right there. Alternatively if you have some sand paper you could use that to clean up the terminals a little.

No...no...no. If you replaced the battery and it started just fine, then the problem is the alternator. It's not charging your battery. One way to check, although it's bad to do this on newer cars, is to start the car and with the car running, disconnect the battery. If it turns off, then your alternator is bad.

Good luck!

no, altenator is not going to drain the battery with the car off...
but yes you are right on the process to check if altenator is bad

at my business i deal with lein sale vehicles on the daily... many cars come in with batteries charged... but in a month when they are for sale... they are dead... not to mention i wrench my own cars on the weekends as a hobby

first things first, u can do bob's advice to check the altenator... then u can clean the terminal/posts and tighten them down, and check if that was it also if you dont want to buy the terminal cleaner(i like using it because it hones the post and terminal, and don't have sandpaper like was described above... u can simply take a screwdriver, preferably a flathead, and use that to scrape until u get shiny metal...

awesome. i'm coming here next time I have car problems.

i've learned to come here for almost all life advice.

Thanks for the replies, guys! I'll try to answer the questions. It's a '98 Volvo V70XC.
First thing's first - when it wouldn't start last week it wouldn't even turnover. It was clear that the battery was at least drained. I jumped it and it started. So I took the battery in and it tested bad, so I bought a new one. I installed the new battery, started the car and then shut it down. The next day the car wouldn't start - it would just turnover. Perhaps the alternator is bad, but that certainly can't be why it didn't start one day after putting a new battery in the car.


Somewhat. I've replaced the alternator on an '86 Audi 4K a couple times, but that's about it.


It turns as if trying to start, the engine just isn't firing. The dash lights come on, when trying to start. Not sure what the dome light is doing - it was daytime when I tried to start it.

Is it possible that the connection between the wires and the battery posts is strong enough to feed the lights/dash, but too weak to fire the engine? That'd be wonderful if a good cleaning of the wires fixed the problem... I'll monkey around with it this weekend.

well if its actually turning over, its not the starter... the starter is doing its job and trying to turn over...

theres 4 things needed for a car to start really( i mean a engine is needed but a proper working car will have these)
1. fuel
2. spark
3. compression
4 proper timing

seems weird that something would fail after just a day...

so lets start with the simple stuff... when u turn the key listen for a whining noise from the back seat... (where the fuel tank is)

if you are hearing whinning, then the pump is priming, so you are getting fuel...

next is spark... simply pull one spark plug wire out of the cylinder and have it hovering over that cylinder (wear leather gloves if you got them)
have a friend try and start the car, if you see spark connections from the plug to the cylinder u know its getting spark, because you obviously are witnessing this...

i doubt you have compression or timing worries if it just started...

another thing if you hear the fuel pump whinning good... then if u can pull off the filter to the intake and spray some starting fluid in there, if you try to start it then, and it starts but then dies... it's still not getting fuel even though the pump is whinning... if this is the case... replace the fuel filter... wish i lived near you... it would take me 15 minutes to do a diagnosis to more or less find the problem.

keep me informed, and if you need any questions answered.

Could be the timing belt, so be careful as repeated attempts to start could bend your valves.

http://volvoforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=18322

Thanks, guys! I'll listen for the fuel pump tonight, and then poke around this weekend. I'll let you know what I find. Really hoping it's not a timing issue. Just perplexed that it started with a jump and immediately after a new batter was put in, but now it won't.
Will an engine turnover if the timing belt is broken? I seem to remember that when the timing belt on my old Audi broke the engine wouldn't even turnover.

it would turn but not start... The starter turns the flywheel/torque convertor which turns the crank... If the timing belt/chain is broke the crank will turn but not the head... If the cam/s have the valves open... This can cause piston slap which can bend the valves

This thread makes less sense to me than 'Got Paranoia' . . . are you sure the elastic band's wound up real tight before releasing?

I'm leaning towards fuel pump. I did not hear it whir to life when I turned the car on last night - just the click of the key and everything was silent.