Car Clicks When I Turn the Key in Hillsboro, KS
The short answer
Rapid clicking when you turn the key usually means a battery too weak to spin the starter, while one loud click usually points at the starter or a bad connection.
You hear it in the church parking lot on a Sunday in January, the whole row of cars warming up while yours goes click-click-click like a playing card in bicycle spokes. Count the clicks, notice the dash lights, and bring it in, or we will come and get it.
Call or text (620) 416-0008. Describe the noise. We'll do the rest.
We answer texts the same day we get them.
Starting clicks, decoded
Tap the ones that sound like yours.
You ticked 0. That is worth a look.
Text us which onesHow we fix a car that clicks but won't start
We figure out which click you have. The fix for a weak battery and the fix for a failing starter are very different bills, and we want you paying for the right one.
We clean and tighten before we replace. Corroded or loose connections cause plenty of clicks, and sometimes a proper cleaning is the whole repair.
We check the charging system too. If the battery was the culprit, we find out why it ran down so the new one does not go the same way.
You approve everything first. We tell you what it needs, what it costs and what can wait.
Why Hillsboro brings a clicking start to Moxie
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We come and get it
A car stuck clicking in the driveway gets picked up for free within 40 miles of our Hillsboro shop.
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Tested, not guessed
We measure the battery, the cables and the starter, so you only replace what failed.
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An ASE-certified technician
Our technician is ASE certified in engine repair, automatic transmissions and drivetrains, and Moxie pays for ASE testing for the whole team.
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Warranty in writing
Starter, alternator, charging and electrical repairs carry the NAPA 24/24 nationwide warranty for 24 months or 24,000 miles, and new batteries carry their manufacturer's warranty.
Call or text (620) 416-0008. Describe the noise. We'll do the rest.
Clicking myths we hear at the counter
Hover or tap a card to flip it.
Sounds like yours? Tell us what it is doing and we will tell you straight.
Can I keep driving?
If a jump or another try gets it going, drive it straight to us and nowhere else.
A clicking start does not make the car unsafe to drive once it is running, but it is very likely not to restart after you switch it off. Plan the trip so the next time you shut it down is in our lot. If it will not start at all, call or text and we will come and get it.
Stop driving and call us if
- You smell burning or see smoke near the starter or battery
- The battery case looks swollen, cracked or wet
- A battery cable is hot to the touch after trying to start
- The starter keeps grinding or whirring after the engine has started
Want the details?
Tap any of these to open it.
What makes a car click instead of start around here
- A battery weakened by summer heat, which shows up on the first cold morning
- Corroded terminals, common on vehicles that sit outside through a wet spring
- Loose battery cable clamps shaken loose on washboard gravel roads
- A worn starter motor or its solenoid, the switch on top that makes the click
- A damaged ground cable between the engine and the body
How we diagnose clicking when you turn the key in Hillsboro
- We listen to the click ourselves, because rapid clicking and one click send us in different directions.
- We load-test the battery and clean and check the terminals and cables.
- We measure how much voltage reaches the starter while you turn the key.
- We check the ground cables, since a bad ground looks exactly like a bad starter.
- We tell you what we found and what it costs before anything gets replaced.
Clicking when you turn the key across five Kansas counties
We look after drivers across Marion County, Harvey County, McPherson County, Chase County and Lyon County, with free pickup and delivery within 40 road miles of 611 Orchard Dr, Hillsboro.
Questions about clicking when you turn the key
Will a jump start fix a clicking car?
A jump often works when the clicking is rapid, because the problem is a weak battery. It usually will not help with one loud click, since that is typically the starter. If a jump gets you going, come straight to us so we can find out why the battery went flat.
Is clicking the battery or the starter?
Rapid clicking with dimming lights is usually the battery or its connections. One click with bright lights is usually the starter or its cable. We test both, because a tired battery can make a good starter sound bad.
Can dirty battery terminals really cause clicking?
Yes, and more often than people expect. Corrosion adds resistance, so a healthy battery cannot deliver the big burst of current the starter needs. Cleaning them is sometimes the whole fix, and we will tell you if it is.