# Vehicle failed to start **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** mercury, mountaineer\ **Created:** [July 27, 2010, 11:59pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/vehicle-failed-to-start/52589 "2010-07-27T23:59:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![masterhands](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ed655f/32.png) [@masterhands](https://community.cartalk.com/u/masterhands)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2010, 11:59pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/vehicle-failed-to-start/52589/1 "2010-07-27T23:59:33Z")
I let my vehicle sit up this winter without starting it everyday,Now it willnot start at all and the battery was dead.So I recharged the battery and it won"t turn over. ---
**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:** [July 28, 2010, 12:05am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/vehicle-failed-to-start/52589/2 "2010-07-28T00:05:42Z")
Check cables and connections is step 1 ---
**Author:** ![kizwiki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7cd45c/32.png) [@kizwiki](https://community.cartalk.com/u/kizwiki)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2010, 12:28am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/vehicle-failed-to-start/52589/3 "2010-07-28T00:28:53Z")
I would check connections first also, but you can expect that the battery is shot. Even if you have a “start” function on your battery charger, it won’t overcome a perhaps already weak battery left uncharged for a winter. Change the battery out. ---
**Author:** ![mark9207](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71c47a/32.png) [@mark9207](https://community.cartalk.com/u/mark9207)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2010, 12:41am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/vehicle-failed-to-start/52589/4 "2010-07-28T00:41:08Z")
Charge the battery slowly and steadily (no more than 10A for an hour or so), let it sit for an hour or so, not hooked up to anything, then load test it. If it passes, look elsewhere for the no start condition. If you take it off the charger and immediately load test it, it could pass even if it’s bad. I suspect your battery is shot. ---
**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:** [July 28, 2010, 1:00pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/vehicle-failed-to-start/52589/5 "2010-07-28T13:00:10Z")
What was the voltage on the battery after the charge? 12.6V - 100% charged, 11.9V - 0% charged. Less than 11V, the battery probably has a dead cell and has to be replaced. Ed B. ---
**Author:** ![UncleTurbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e9a140/32.png) [@UncleTurbo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/UncleTurbo)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2010, 3:32pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/vehicle-failed-to-start/52589/6 "2010-07-28T15:32:54Z")
You don’t say the age of the SUV or the age of the battery. A fully discharged battery will deteriorate very rapid if it sits in a discharged state. The plates inside the battery flake and break down and the battery shorts out. Putting a charger on a truly dead battery won’t do anything, the battery can’t take and hold the charge. Your cheapest option is to take out the old battery and go to Walmart for a new one. The new battery is “charged” when you buy it. Install the new battery and see what happens then. ---
**Author:** ![JayWB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e480ec/32.png) [@JayWB](https://community.cartalk.com/u/JayWB)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2010, 3:56pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/vehicle-failed-to-start/52589/7 "2010-07-28T15:56:24Z")
Rather than throwing parts at the problem you should do some basic troubleshooting. You say the battery is now charged. Turn the headlights on. Do they work? If not, the battery is still dead or the connections are bad. Use a voltmeter to check the battery voltage directly at the battery terminal, not at the cable clamp. If the lights work leave them on and try to start the engine. If the starter won’t turn over do the headlights dim? If they do this still indicates a bad battery or bad connections.