Yesterday I hit a mailbox and put my car in park.When I went to go start it it doesn’t cranknor click tried to jump no luck

ANSWER : Hello there. Sorry to hear about your accident. When situations like this occur, it is common for on board sensors to disable the ignition and fuel system when an impact occurs. This is designed to protect the vehicle occupants in case the driver is unconscious or injured in the accident. It is also possible that the impact with the mailbox post may have loosened an electrical connection or damaged some components on the vehicle. Honestly, the only real way to resolve this issue is to have a professional mobile mechanic come to your location and complete a car is hard to start inspection first. This should allow them to isolate the problem and recommend the right repairs.

ANSWER : The issue you are having is probably due to an intermittent fault in the starter motor itself or a deficiency in the starter electrical circuit, for example a large voltage drop due to a poor ground or a high resistance connection. These issues can be readily diagnosed and resolved on a mobile basis if you request a hard starting diagnostic. If you request that diagnostic, the responding certified mechanic will get this resolved for you promptly. Based on Toyota’s Factory Service Manual, the battery should not be disconnected if the vehicle engine is running. The battery acts as a large resistive voltage sink and consequently taking the battery out of the circuit, while the alternator is still running, can create a voltage spike on the car’s electrical system which is not good for voltage sensitive components such as the engine computer. If you have further questions or concerns, do not hesitate to re-contact YourMechanic as we are always here to help you.

ANSWER : If the battery is weak and the voltage is dropping to below 9 volts you will get the clicking without the starter turning the motor. Have the battery voltage checked and if battery cannot hold a load then replace it and clean the battery terminals and recheck system to see if it starts.

ANSWER : Hello. Thank you for writing in. There are several reasons your vehicle may only start when jump starting. The first and most common is a build up of resistance that is causing you to need a boost of voltage to get the engine started. This may be due to poor battery cables, a bad ground connection, a poor starter solenoid, and a couple of other issues. The first thing you want to do is perform a visual inspection of the starting system. Make sure there is no corrosion build up in the battery cables. You can also check the resistance across these wires and make sure you have a solid connection between components. You then want to make sure the starter solenoid is doing its job. It is responsible for taking the small amount of electricity sent by the ignition and turning it into a huge electrical charge that is strong enough to push over the engine with the help of some gear ratios in its favor. Do some more testing, and stick to the basics before assuming its something seriously complicated.

ANSWER : Hi there:

If you recently replaced your battery, the issue may be caused by a malfunctioning alternator or other electrical component that comprises the charging system on your Nissan Sentra. The best way to find out which item specifically is faulty, is to have a professional mobile mechanic complete a car is hard to start inspection. This will allow the mechanic to determine the precise source of what’s going on with your Sentra and recommend or complete the right repairs.

ANSWER : Hi there:

The symptoms you’re describing are often an indicator that a problem exists with the alternator or charging system such as an electrical relay. Before you spend another penny trying to chase the symptoms by purchasing more parts, it’s best to have a professional mobile mechanic complete a battery does not hold a charge inspection. This service will allow them to correctly diagnose your Honda Accords issues.

ANSWER : Of course, don’t switch gears without being fully stopped, unless your Owner’s Manual or the manufacturer has alternative advice. However, the gear shift issue has no relation to the no-start problem you are describing. Inasmuch as you only have 6,000 miles on the car, the "constant on and off" that you believe has occurred is meaningless in comparison to the expected total vehicle service life. That is, assume what you perceive as "constant on and off", during merely 6,000 miles, might be equivalent to using the car "normally" for three years. A new car should be trouble free for at least 5 years, unless there is a defect, so your "constant on and off" is not a causal factor for any fault on the vehicle. What you might have is a defect in the ignition switch, or perhaps the immobilizer system, but if the problem is not in the switch itself, clearly there is an electrical problem.

If your vehicle is under warranty, by law the dealer MUST repair the issue you are describing within a prescribed time frame and number of "attempts", otherwise the dealer will run afoul of Federal and state Lemon Laws that give you very specific rights, and recourse (contact an Attorney; we are Mechanics, NOT attorneys). Consequently, if the vehicle is still under warranty, to save yourself money do be sure to seek a resolution from the dealer. If the vehicle is not under warranty, obviously a certified Mechanic from YourMechanic could identify the electrical fault and resolve this for you. If you want to go that route, please simply request a no start diagnostic -electrical system and the responding certified mechanic will get this taken care of for you. If you have further questions or concerns, do not hesitate to re-contact YourMechanic as we are always here to help you.

ANSWER : It sounds like your starter has failed. There is also a slight possibility that the alternator is bad but I would say starter first.

I would start with a charging system test and figure out what is causing your vehicle to not start. When the starter fails, it completely fails and just doesn’t work anymore, when an alternator fails, the vehicle will still start with a jump start and turn off when you remove the jumper cables. If the battery has failed the vehicle will usually click or at least try to start with a very slow crank.

However, like I said before, this sounds like a starter issue. The starter has a switch incorporated in it that may have failed causing the circuit to be open all the time. To avoid any unnecessary repairs, consider YourMechanic, as one of our mobile technicians can come to your location to diagnose the starting issue and make the needed repairs.