Car Won't Start? What to Do Now

Safe checks before anything else

These take a minute and don't involve touching anything under the bonnet.

• Switch off anything left on, such as headlights, interior lights or a charger in the socket.
• Check the gear selector and pedals. An automatic may need to be fully in park with your foot on the brake. A manual may need the clutch pressed. Your handbook shows what your car needs.
• If the key won't turn, the steering lock may be holding it. Move the steering wheel gently from side to side as you turn the key.
• Try the spare keyif a security light flashes or the car says it can't detect the key.
• Pause between attempts. Repeated attempts can drain a weak battery further. Try once or twice, then use the table above.

Jump start or recovery: which job to ask for

A jump start may restart a car with a discharged battery. Starting after a jump doesn't prove the battery or the charging system is sound, so if the car goes flat again, a garage needs to check it. See the jump start service for how that job works.

Recovery to a garage fits when the battery doesn't seem to be the cause: the lights stay bright but the engine won't turn, the engine turns over but won't start, the battery light was on before the car stopped, or the spare key doesn't help.

If the jump start doesn't get the car going, the operator may charge for the attempt, and a tow is quoted as a separate job.

If the car is safely parked at home, there's no need to rush. You can request a quote for a planned move to your garage: in the quote form, choose "On or by a specific date" and pick a day it can take the car, or say you're flexible. Check the garage's opening hours before booking. See car recovery and towing.

Electric and hybrid cars

Electric and hybrid cars have a 12V battery as well as the main drive battery, and a flat 12V battery can stop the car switching on. Your handbook says whether and how it can be jump started. A jump start doesn't recharge the main drive battery. Many electric and hybrid cars should be moved with their wheels off the ground, such as on a flatbed, so say what the car is in your request.

How your quote works

Tell us where the car is, where it needs to go and what it does when you try to start it. Snap assesses the job, checks prices and availability with suitable independent operators covering the area, and sends you one quote: the total for the job, with the booking fee and the operator's charge shown separately. Nothing is booked until you accept.

Your quote depends on the pickup and drop-off, the car's condition, access and operator availability. You see the total for your job before you accept. As indicative ranges, a jump start is typically £50 to £100 and a local tow up to 10 miles is typically £50 to £150, including the booking fee. Longer-distance recovery is quoted for the route and the vehicle. The car recovery cost guide explains what changes a quote.

The quote is built on what you describe. If the car turns out different, for example it won't roll or the truck can't reach it, the price may change.

What to tell us

• Where the car is: a postcode, a what3words address, or a street and a landmark. In a car park, the level and any height limit.
• Your reg.
• What happens when you try to start it: a slow turn, fast clicking, one click, silence, or it turns over but won't start.
• Whether the dashboard lights come on, and any warning light.
• Whether it rolls and steers, and if it's an automatic, electric or hybrid.
• Where it should go if it needs a garage, and when the garage can take it.

Paying for the job

• Your quote shows Snap's booking fee and the operator's charge separately.
• Once you accept, you pay the booking fee to Snap by bank transfer, using the details on your tracking page. You get a receipt for your booking fee.
• You pay the operator's charge to the operator when the job is done.
• We don't take card payments on this website or ask for your card details.
• Cancel within 15 minutes of confirming, or before an operator is assigned (whichever comes first), and the booking fee is refunded in full. See how paying works, and cancelling and refunds.

Car not starting: your questions

Why won't my car start when the lights come on?

Bright dashboard lights show the battery has some power, but the engine still needs enough to turn over. Possible causes include a starter, battery or electrical fault, an automatic not fully in park, or the immobiliser. Check park and try the spare key. If it still won't turn, recovery to a garage is the next step.

Why is my car clicking but not starting?

Fast clicking can mean the battery is too flat to turn the engine, and a jump start may help. A single click with bright lights points to a possible starter, battery or electrical fault that a jump start may not solve. Describe the sound in your request.

Should I keep trying to start it?

Try once or twice with a pause, then stop. Repeated attempts can drain a weak battery further. Use the symptom table to decide whether to ask for a jump start or recovery.

Can a car that won't start be taken to my own garage?

Yes. Tell us the garage's name or postcode as the drop-off, and check it can take the car. If the car is safe where it is, you can request a quote for a planned move and choose a date that suits the garage in the quote form.

What if I ask for a jump start and it doesn't work?

If the jump start doesn't get the car going, the operator may charge for the attempt, and a tow is quoted as a separate job. You see that quote before anything goes ahead.

Related help

• Jump start, for a car with a discharged battery.
• Flat battery, and the battery warning light while driving.
• Wrong fuel in the car, and what to do first.
• What car recovery costs, and what changes a quote.
• Car breakdown help and recovery guides.