# Hit a curb, now the car won't start

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/hit-a-curb-now-the-car-wont-start/86079>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Tags:** starting, electrical-wiring\
**Created:** [July 18, 2014, 7:14pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/hit-a-curb-now-the-car-wont-start/86079 "2014-07-18T19:14:41Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![dprude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b4bc9f/32.png) [@dprude](https://community.cartalk.com/u/dprude)\
**Post date:** [July 18, 2014, 7:14pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/hit-a-curb-now-the-car-wont-start/86079/1 "2014-07-18T19:14:41Z")

</div>

I have a 2006 Nissan XTerra. I hit a curb this morning and everything seemed fine. Now the car wont start. No interior lights no nothing!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ken\_green](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/ken_green/32/816_2.png) [@ken\_green](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ken_green)\
**Post date:** [July 18, 2014, 7:16pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/hit-a-curb-now-the-car-wont-start/86079/2 "2014-07-18T19:16:37Z")

</div>

inertia switch ?  
The fuel cutoff switch is triggered by a jolt. But no lights, no nuthin is confusing.  
Check the batter mounting and cables ?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Yosemite](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/yosemite/32/643_2.png) [@Yosemite](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Yosemite)\
**Post date:** [July 19, 2014, 6:27am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/hit-a-curb-now-the-car-wont-start/86079/3 "2014-07-19T06:27:29Z")

</div>

@Ken green; is right about the inertia switch!!!  
I presume this might be one of those cars that, someone was lazy one day and just didn’t have the ambition to reinstall the battery hold down, when replacing the battery.  
Then hitting the curb, yanked one of the battery cables off…or the battery slammed into some other part and ruptured it.

Yosemite

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![CapriRacer](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/capriracer/32/22_2.png) [@CapriRacer](https://community.cartalk.com/u/CapriRacer)\
**Post date:** [July 19, 2014, 5:04pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/hit-a-curb-now-the-car-wont-start/86079/4 "2014-07-19T17:04:20Z")

</div>

But I thought the inertia switch only turned off the fuel pump.

But it’s possible that the battery has been drained trying to start it.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![PvtPublic](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/pvtpublic/32/13089_2.png) [@PvtPublic](https://community.cartalk.com/u/PvtPublic)\
**Post date:** [July 19, 2014, 7:00pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/hit-a-curb-now-the-car-wont-start/86079/5 "2014-07-19T19:00:37Z")

</div>

> I hit a curb this morning and everything seemed fine.

I am dis-inclined to agree with the inertia switch, be the OP said "everything seemed fine’. To me this says the vehicle was still running (I could be wrong). Which would eliminate the switch. But sorry I have no real ideas.