Car Won't Start, looking for ideas

[Cincinnati Scott]

I have been having some trouble with my car starting lately, and I'm looking for some ideas. If I try to start the car, the ignition clicks, and all of the lights go out. Afterwards, there's no battery at all. The lights don't work, zippo. So, I pop open the hood, take the negative battery cable loose and reconnect it. The lights come back on in the car, and it used to be that the car would start, but now not even that.

Any ideas? Bad battery, bad fuse or something else? I'm leaning toward just replacing the battery and see what happens, but I don't want to waste money if that's not it.

Thanks,
Scott

 

[Briank]

At first glance I would say you have a bad battery terminal connection but it could be your battery has a broken connection inside. I volt meter check at the battery posts would be very helpfull.

 

[Cincinnati Scott]

Brian, I just took a voltmeter to the battery and it read 12.38 Volts. Which, I think is right where it should be, right?

Thanks,
Scott

 

[clarknm]

Autozone or checker/advance/whatever in your area will check the battery for free, I'd take it in to get checked. But it does sound like a fuse popped for some reason.

 

[Briank]

Brian, I just took a voltmeter to the battery and it read 12.38 Volts. Which, I think is right where it should be, right?

Thanks,
Scott

12.38 a little low but OK, what is it after you crank it and everything goes dark.

 

[jond]

Battery teminals clean?
The lights going out is weird. Sounds like a short. All fuses okay?

 

[rk-nsx]

simply clean your terminals and the problem will disappear. this is a common problem.

 

[nsxboy7]

Mine just did the same thing. Got a bit of a click and then all the lights went out and no juice. I just replaced the battery 1 week ago. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks