Every now and then, usually every three to four years, you will need to replace your car battery. Your car battery, after all, will not last forever, and getting a replacement in time is a wise move to keep your car functioning optimally. However, a common issue after battery replacement is that the car doesn’t start, and knowing why could save you a lot of time and frustrations.
Your car won’t start with a new battery mainly because of a faulty battery connection, corroded connectors, or battery mismatch. However, the car may also fail to start due to other system faults that compromise the ignition process.
In this article, I will outline the possible reasons why your car will not start after battery replacement and provide guidance on what to do in each of these cases. If you are considering replacing your car battery, then I recommend reading on for more.
Main Reasons Why Your Car Won’t Start With New Engine
If you have replaced your old engine with a new one and suddenly your car won’t start, the following are some of the main reasons why:
Improper Battery Connection
One of the possible explanations is that you have not connected the battery correctly. Some of the key issues could be that the cable clamps are not connected tightly enough. Accordingly, I would suggest taking the following simple steps to make sure that your car battery is connected properly:
- Examine the cable clamps and ensure that they are tight enough.
- Examine the negative cable, paying key attention all the way to the starter to ensure proper connection.
- Make sure that you have connected the terminals in the correct order when replacing the battery.
If you are unsure of the proper connection, refer to the owner’s manual. Here, you should find information on the exact position of the negative and positive terminals.
If you determine that the cable clamps are connected correctly and have the correct shape, check whether you have the correct battery unit, as explained below.
Read: Why Car Won’t Start but Battery Is Good?
The Connectors Are Corroded
Before moving to the next step of troubleshooting, confirm that there is no corrosion on the terminals or the cables, which could be preventing the proper flow of current.
This corrosion is often caused by hydrogen gases released from the battery acid reaction. If it builds up over time, it may compromise the connectors, which may prevent the car from starting.
Read: Why Car Battery Terminals Corrode?
Incorrect Battery Unit
Alternatively, your car may fail to start simply because the new battery unit is incompatible with your vehicle’s system. Accordingly, this battery unit may not be powerful enough to deliver sufficient current to power your car’s engine.
Therefore, the first thing you need to do is to determine whether the new battery system is compatible with your vehicle. The rationale behind this is simple; it will take a lot more current to power a large engine than it will a small engine.
To assess compatibility issues, refer to your vehicle’s manual to find out the specs for the correct engine, including the size and type. You will also find information regarding the cranking amps, which refer to the current or power that a given battery will produce as output.
But one thing that the owner’s manual will not tell you is the condition and output voltage of the new battery unit. So how do you find this out? This is as discussed below:
How To Determine the Power Output of a New Battery Unit?
To determine the actual battery output of the replacement unit, you will need to get your hands on a multimeter. A multimeter is a simple instrument that provides information about the voltage, current, and resistance.
This video provides some useful tips on how you can measure a battery’s output power using a multimeter:
This process will tell you two main things:
- It will let you know if the battery unit is faulty and is not producing sufficient or any current.
- It will let you know the output power of the battery unit.
With this information, you can determine that the battery unit is faulty and have it changed with a functioning one. Secondly, you can compare the battery unit’s output power with the required battery output power in the owner’s manual to determine whether there is a compatibility issue.
Assuming that you have introduced the correct battery unit and have ensured that you have connected the battery properly, then one of the possible explanations could be that some of the key systems in your car may either be disabled or damaged.
If you confirm that the battery unit is in proper condition, the problem might lie in one or more of the vehicle’s key systems.
Read: How Long Can a Car Battery Sit Unused?
Damaged or Disabled Systems
If the problem is not in the wiring, the connection, or the battery unit itself, then you may need to check the vehicle’s systems. There are numerous factors that may cause malfunctioning of the car’s electrical system, the most common of which are:
- A problem with the ignition switch and/or fuses
- Bad starter
- Faulty spark plugs
- Alternator Issues
- Clogged fuel filters
- Defective fuel pump
I will discuss these in detail below:
A Problem With the Ignition Switch and/or Switches
Faulty fuses and ignition switches may also be the reason your car will not start after installing a new battery. To troubleshoot this problem, do the following:
- Refer to your owner’s manual to determine the location of the fuse box.
- Check whether the metal wire or fuse in the fuse box is not damaged or disconnected.
If the fuse is damaged, it may prevent proper power transmission to the starter relay.
On the other hand, some of the common symptoms of a faulty ignition switch include stalling, flickering dashboard lights, and the car not turning on after turning the key.
Read: Does a Car Battery Drain Faster In Cold?
Bad Starter Motor or Starter Solenoid
A starter solenoid is responsible for properly transmitting electrical current from the battery to the starter motor. If the starter solenoid is broken or malfunctions, then the electrical current will not reach the starter motor, and accordingly, the car will not start after your turn the ignition key.
Accordingly, this could be one of the system faults preventing your car from starting after replacing the car battery.
Faulty Spark Plugs
Faulty spark plugs will also cause issues with ignition. Therefore, even with a functioning battery and sufficient fuel, your car may not start if there are issues with the spark plug because there will be no fuel ignition.
Alternator Issues
An alternator is a component in a vehicle’s combustion engine responsible for converting energy to electrical energy. This electrical energy is then used to charge and replenish the installed battery unit and other key electrical components.
Accordingly, it is the alternator that maintains the required charge in your car battery and the transmission of electrical power to key systems. If there is an alternator fault, then your car will not start after installing a new battery.
Some of the key tell tales that there is a fault in your car’s systems include the dashboard battery light coming on and loud noises when your car’s alternator is running.
Clogged Fuel Filters
Fuel filters ensure that only clean fuel gets to the fuel injector. Accordingly, it eliminates contaminants from making their way into the car engine, which may cause clogging. If your fuel filters become clogged, your engine will not start because the engine is not receiving fuel from the fuel tank.
Read: Can You Put a Different Size Battery In Your Car?
Final Thoughts
If you are having issues with your car starting after installing a new car battery, then you are not alone. It is a prevalent issue. However, this article provides some of the key steps that you can take to troubleshoot these problems.
After checking to make sure that your connection is solid and that you have the correct battery installed, it is likely that your car is not starting because of one of many system issues. In this instance, I would recommend contacting a professional or taking your car to the shop for a proper diagnosis.
