Car won't start or shift gears after dead battery
A dead battery can reset the vehicle's electronic control modules and disrupt the transmission computer, causing the car to fail to start even after a jump or experience severe shifting issues while driving. These computer resets prevent the engine from properly engaging and stop the transmission from switching gears, leaving drivers stranded with electrical components working but the vehicle unable to move.
What the numbers show
Counted from the threads quoted below. How we count
- Most of it landed at once — the busiest month was September 2026, with 14 people.
- This comes up 9.0× more often in r/AskMechanics than across the site as a whole.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
- 1Jump-starting the car3 people mentionedDid this help you?
- 2getting a new battery soonDid this help you?
- 3getting the battery tested at a parts storeDid this help you?
- 4Trying to jump-start the vehicleDid this help you?
- 5Tapping the starter motor with a hammer, block of wood, or mallet while someone turns the keyDid this help you?
- 6Jumping the starter directly with a screwdriverDid this help you?
- 7Disconnecting and testing the battery levelDid this help you?
- 8Having the spark plug hole rethreaded as a cheaper repair optionDid this help you?
- 9Taking the car to the dealership for diagnosisDid this help you?
- 10Cleaning battery cable ends and postsDid this help you?
- 11Waiting for roadside assistance (CAA) for a boostDid this help you?
- 12Jumping the car using jumper cablesDid this help you?
- 13Using starting fluidDid this help you?
- 14Clearing check engine codesDid this help you?
- 15Checking battery and alternator at an auto parts storeDid this help you?
- 16Inspecting and tightening loose or corroded battery cablesDid this help you?
- 17Bang on the starterDid this help you?
- 18Verify voltage to the starterDid this help you?
- 19locking the car, waiting 1 to 5 minutes for the power latch to go down, and opening it with the FOBDid this help you?
- 20disconnecting the positive and negative battery terminals and touching them together for 30 to 60 secondsDid this help you?
- 21Using a portable jumpstart batteryDid this help you?
- 22Driving the car for extended periodsDid this help you?
- 23Using a 4amp pulse battery chargerDid this help you?
- 24Having the alternator or battery tested at a parts storeDid this help you?
- 25Consulting an auto electricianDid this help you?
- 26jumping across the starter solenoid to see if it has failedDid this help you?
- 27priming the car before trying to start itDid this help you?
- 28replacing the fuel pumpDid this help you?
- 29Buying preowned or recycled batteries to save on continuous replacement costsDid this help you?
- 30Removing a kill switch to try and bypass the issueDid this help you?
- 31Paying for a specialized dealership mechanicDid this help you?
- 32Jumping the car to get it startedDid this help you?
- 33Disconnecting the battery before the car sits for a few days to test for parasitic drawDid this help you?
- 34Having a mechanic check the power draw with an amp meterDid this help you?
- 35checking for loose connectionsDid this help you?
- 36tightening down the battery terminalsDid this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“Today my truck wouldn't turn on. I tried jumping it but it wouldn't work.”source ↗
“It seems that it is not the battery because the lights turn on and even jumping it nothing works.”source ↗
“I’m not sure what the problem is. Maybe spark plugs ?”source ↗
“The car now will not start unless jumped.”source ↗
“After getting it jumped, my car had trouble switching gears when driving home; I have never had that issue before.”source ↗
“2007 Accord V6, recently had a misfire on cylinder and found that the spark plug flew out and ripped the threads and destroying the coil at the same time, had someone rethread as cheapest option and now the car won’t start? I fear it may be low compression or timing related.”source ↗
“Since the battery was disconnected and reconnected, it won't start at all—we're back to square one.”source ↗
“I jumped the battery and took the car to autozone. Allegedly the battery isn’t the problem. Since I jumped it the car has come on everytime I turned it off. I’m more confused then when I started ngl.”source ↗
“Brand new battery acquired and installed. Now when trying to turn on, does not crank at all. Dashboard lights do come on.”source ↗
“previous owner had added this push button thing under the steering column to press when you crank to start.”source ↗
“Well, my car wouldn't start again after.”source ↗
“It wouldn't start again after :(”source ↗
“Did a ambient lightning job on my 2019 Acura rdx and didn’t think of anything when pulling out acc fuse underneath the dash to power it using a fuse tap and after that was done the car wouldn’t start or change gear after.”source ↗
“Recently I changed the battery but it isn't starting now. My car is idle for just one week. But when I try to jump start, it works.”source ↗
“I have a 2009 ford sports track truck & last week I ran out of gas and after I put gas in it it still didn’t turn on it makes a noise like it wants to turn on but it doesn’t”source ↗
“I had a local mobile mechanic come and he put a new fuel pump in and it still didnt work”source ↗
“I told him what the problem was I honestly think he scammed me he looked it at it replaced the fuel pump then told me the fuel pump had to be changed but that wasn’t the problem suggested that I take it a shop”source ↗
“I can’t seem to keep alive even after buying a preowned battery from interstate batteries which are essentially recycled batteries, it’s more cost effective that way but it has since begun to die again and I’m starting to believe there’s a larger problem than the battery”source ↗
“I’m very frustrated and confused about all this and I’ve begun to get desperate because everyone I’ve asked either doesn’t have true knowledge about how the car battery and this type of car functionality works”source ↗
“I’m willing to try to fix it my damn self if I have to I’m not afraid to get dirty..”source ↗
“If you listen close, you can hear the car try to crank but it just dies.”source ↗
“At first they said there was a loose battery connector, which they fixed. But it still has trouble starting.”source ↗
“The second time I went they literally couldn’t even replicate the issue (just my luck) and couldn’t find anything.”source ↗
“This came up on my 2018 Honda Civic EX. My car won’t start up at all and is showing this error.”source ↗
“I’m currently waiting for CAA to give me a boost, I left all of my jumper cables in the garage :(”source ↗
“2018 ford transit connect, changed the battery and like an idiot disconnected the fuse box. It now won't let me start the engine and is telling me engine failure/ service.”source ↗
“Battery was checked and is healthy so isn’t my battery can anyone help diagnose ?”source ↗
“I didn’t hear any cranking at all.”source ↗
“I don’t usually drive my car in the weekends but this morning, I had to jump my car to get to work.”source ↗
“This battery is less than a year or two years old. The battery was not completely dead but not enough to start the car.”source ↗
“Cleaned battery terminals, now I can hear a relay firing and car won't start.”source ↗
“I disconnected the terminals and cleaned them. Put the terminals back on and called it good. This morning I went to start the car and from the cab it seems like it's completely dead. I open the hood and I can hear a relay firing in the fuse box.”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 168Vehicle cranks after fuel pump replacement but won't start
- 18Car won't start after replacing ECU and electronics failed
- 3Why does my car die right after a jump start?
- 14Why does my car lose power for a second when starting?
- 4Why is my car hard to start after getting gas?
- 7New car battery installed but vehicle still has zero power