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My car won’t jump start but the lights come on. What’s going on?
I apparently forgot to turn my headlights off or something last night, because this morning my car was dead. My neighbor offered me a jump, and the lights came on, but the car still isn’t turning over. What do I do if the car won’t jump start, but the lights come on?
Matt Terzi · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
Ouch, we’re sorry to hear this is happening. And unfortunately, the prognosis isn’t great—more often than not, if a car won’t jump start but lights come on, it means there’s a bigger underlying problem at play that may require a mechanic to diagnose.
Let’s go through a few quick checks to see if we can find a culprit:
- Check your fuel level. It goes without saying that a car without fuel isn’t going to start up.
- Turn the key and listen for a loud click. If you hear an abnormal clicking noise, you might have a starter issue.
- Check the oil by taking a look at the dipstick. If the oil is low or grungy-looking, the engine may have seized up.
- Check the fuses. Refer to your car’s manual to find the fuse box, then take a look and see if any of them look burned out (the little metal bar inside might look scorched, damaged, or broken). Check the fuses one by one so you don’t mix up where they go.
- Try jumping for a longer time. The starter draws a lot of power when the car is firing up. It’s possible the lights and radio can come on, but the battery doesn’t have enough juice to start the engine. Keep the other car running for a longer stretch of time and see if that helps.
If none of these strategies work, you likely have a more serious problem, and you’ll want a certified, professional mechanic to test and diagnose the issue properly.
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