This morning I got into my 2005 Altima and attempted to start the car. When I turned the key in the ignition, the AC and radio turned on, but the car only made a clicking noise instead of turning over or starting (sorry - these are my novice descriptions here!).
Any thoughts as to the source of the problem? My dashboard lights were lit up with a red oil light and a service engine message.
Could be a bad battery post connection.
The primary candidate is the battery. It appears it might by 4 years old. Secondarily it could be a corroded battery connection as Gary123 noted. Have a mechanic use a volt meter to measure the battery voltage when you try to crank. Also, measure the voltage drop across the post to cable connection of the positive and negative terminals.
Before the battery is replaced see if it will take a charge in which case there might be a problem with the charging circuit of the Altima.
Hope this helps.
Time to check the battery. Some last longer than others, but yours may be dying. Sometimes the battery is OK but there is corrosion on the terminals and battery cables so cleaning them restores current flow and solves the startting problem. Turning over the starting motor takes like 100’s of times more current than operating your dash lights and radio. So they can work, but you won’t have enough “juice” flowing to start the motor.