# Car won't start

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-wont-start/54918>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Tags:** starters, buick, century\
**Created:** [September 10, 2010, 4:04pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-wont-start/54918 "2010-09-10T16:04:14Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Ellie1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bbce88/32.png) [@Ellie1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Ellie1)\
**Post date:** [September 10, 2010, 4:04pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-wont-start/54918/1 "2010-09-10T16:04:14Z")

</div>

My car won’t start at times. Lights on dashboard come on but the engine doesn’t start.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![knfenimore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9fc348/32.png) [@knfenimore](https://community.cartalk.com/u/knfenimore)\
**Post date:** [September 10, 2010, 5:56pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-wont-start/54918/2 "2010-09-10T17:56:04Z")

</div>

Could still be battery. Advance or AutoZone can test it. Does the starter turn over the engine or does it just go click?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/joseph_e_meehan/32/21_2.png) [@Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Joseph_E_Meehan)\
**Post date:** [September 10, 2010, 5:56pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-wont-start/54918/3 "2010-09-10T17:56:05Z")

</div>

What year Century? How many miles? Any prior problems? Does it do anything when you turn the key otters than the lights turning on? Any connections with what times it has problems, like maybe the day after a rain?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![edb1961](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/edb1961/32/122_2.png) [@edb1961](https://community.cartalk.com/u/edb1961)\
**Post date:** [September 10, 2010, 6:12pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-wont-start/54918/4 "2010-09-10T18:12:30Z")

</div>

Not much to go on here. Assuming the battery is good the next time this happens, try starting in Neutral instead of Park. The Neutral Safety Switch may be out of adjustment or bad. See below for more info.

[http://www.familycar.com/classroom/starting.htm](http://www.familycar.com/classroom/starting.htm)

I had this problem on a 95 Dodge Dakota.

Ed B.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Ellie1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bbce88/32.png) [@Ellie1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Ellie1)\
**Post date:** [September 10, 2010, 7:04pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-wont-start/54918/5 "2010-09-10T19:04:45Z")

</div>

its a 1999 with about 115,000 miles. No problems. It does absolutely nothing when I turn the key–no noise of any kind. No rain connections…
