Hoping some of you guys can help me out here. I just changed my oil last night. Had no problems with it. Started it up afterwards, verified pressure then rechecked oil level. No issues.

I go out to start the car today and it won't start. All I hear is a loud ticking noise. It does not turn over at all, I just get this noise whenever I try to start it.

Car appears to be getting power. I can still turn on the headlights.

I don't really get it at all. Nothing was changed or modifyed except the oil and oil filter, and like I said it started up fine after that was all finished.

Any ideas?

 

Could be the battery, or a loose cable.

 

Starter

 

How could it be the battery if the headlights still work?

 

Your starter draws much more power than your headlights. Go out and try to jump-start it.

 

Turn your headlights on and try to start it. If the lights go out or dim badly its the bat,if not its the starter.
Like was said jump it and see.

 

Ok yeah that makes sense. I will try that.

 

Either your battery or starter solenoid.

 

I tried that and the lights didn't go out but they did dim a little bit at the same time as the ticking sounds.

I'm the only one at the house right now so I will have to wait a few hours till someone else gets back before I can try and jump it.

 

Also, I have a voltmeter/ammeter. Could I use that to test the battery somehow?

 

I had a problem earlier in the summer with not starting.....it didn't even tick. I got absolutely nothing, though my headlights still worked. They dimmed when I tried to turn the engine over. I checked my battery connection and it was loose just a tiny little bit. I also think it had something to do with the crap battery that was in the car when I bought it.

It sounds like it may be a problem with your battery and/or the connection.

 

Smack the starter with a hammer and see if ya can get it to start,maybe more than once,smack it and try it, smack.....brushes may be stuck and ya can jar them loose to make contact.NOT a permanent fix

 

Thanks for all your help guys. I'm definitely starting to think it's just the battery. The last few times I turned on the lights they came on but stayed down (motor did not activate). Then they finally came up but did slowly.

Also I just checked the battery terminals with a voltmeter and it varied a little but the max I got was 8.3 volts. Isn't that way too low?

 

The voltage is way low.