# New Battery - Won't Start, Will Start **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** ion, saturn\ **Created:** [December 4, 2010, 11:52pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/new-battery-wont-start-will-start/58304 "2010-12-04T23:52:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![herbhand](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/f14d63/32.png) [@herbhand](https://community.cartalk.com/u/herbhand)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2010, 11:52pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/new-battery-wont-start-will-start/58304/1 "2010-12-04T23:52:57Z")
My car wouldn’t start, so I got a new battery at a GM dealer. It still wouldn’t start. The starter would not engage at all. I jumped it off, and amazingly it started. It has started three times now with no problems. Was the battery not fully charged when I bought it or is the starter going bad, or something else? ---
**Author:** ![mcparadise](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mcparadise/32/32_2.png) [@mcparadise](https://community.cartalk.com/u/mcparadise)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2010, 12:13am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/new-battery-wont-start-will-start/58304/2 "2010-12-05T00:13:34Z")
When you got a new battery from a GM dealer and your Saturn still wouldn’t start, you should have gone back to the dealer. As long as the starter is spinning the engine, the starter is working. Does your Saturn start now? ---
**Author:** ![ok4450](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ok4450](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ok4450)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2010, 12:32am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/new-battery-wont-start-will-start/58304/3 "2010-12-05T00:32:40Z")
Any starter solenoid click sound when the car fails to start? If not, then the possibility of a faulty ignition switch or neutral safety switch (if auto transmission) should be considered. It’s generally the latter. Next time it acts up shift into neutral and see if it starts or shift into neutral and back to park before attempting the start. If it works after doing this then it’s the neutral switch more than likely. ---
**Author:** ![waterboy](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/waterboy/32/764_2.png) [@waterboy](https://community.cartalk.com/u/waterboy)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2010, 12:53am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/new-battery-wont-start-will-start/58304/4 "2010-12-05T00:53:43Z")
The simplest explanation is the battery connection. A bad terminal connection explains perfectly your problem, so you need to start there. ---
**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:** [December 5, 2010, 1:19am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/new-battery-wont-start-will-start/58304/5 "2010-12-05T01:19:31Z")
How old is your Ion and how old is the battery? ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/1/d/1d47c66a543aa6c5a7873bb2320858f978ff52ed.png) [@system](https://community.cartalk.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2010, 3:53am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/new-battery-wont-start-will-start/58304/6 "2010-12-05T03:53:21Z")
make sure them cables are tight. 8 ft. lbs. no more. ---
**Author:** ![\_Deleted\_User1111116](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/_/ac91a4/32.png) [@\_Deleted\_User1111116](https://community.cartalk.com/u/_Deleted_User1111116)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2010, 3:56am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/new-battery-wont-start-will-start/58304/7 "2010-12-05T03:56:11Z")
Why did you go to the dealer for a battery ---
**Author:** ![herbhand](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/f14d63/32.png) [@herbhand](https://community.cartalk.com/u/herbhand)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2010, 8:02pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/new-battery-wont-start-will-start/58304/8 "2010-12-05T20:02:35Z")
Amazingly, it was $35 cheaper. ---
**Author:** ![herbhand](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/f14d63/32.png) [@herbhand](https://community.cartalk.com/u/herbhand)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2010, 8:51pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/new-battery-wont-start-will-start/58304/9 "2010-12-05T20:51:40Z")
2006 Ion Battery: 5 years ±