Car will not start but it's not the battery. could it be the switch?

Battery status, battery terminals and connectors clean and bright? Does starter solenoid click, or nothing. If clicks bad battery, or connectors above. If nothing, battery or starting switch are bad, or starting solenoid is bad. If high mileage it's possible starter brushes are bad. New Starters maybe around $150. if you can change yourself. Starting switch can be jumpered to verify if battery and connections are good, and starting switch or connections are bad.

• Check Your Fuses: Few cars have a fuse associated with the starting system, but before you go monkeying around with everything, check your fuses to be sure it's not that simple.
• Battery Corrosion: Over time your battery connections can become dirty, or corroded. This corrosion breaks the connection your battery has with the rest of the car, and it won't start. Try cleaning your battery posts and try to start the car again.
• Dead Battery: The most common reason your car won't start is a dead battery. If you have a battery tester that can measure cranking amps, test your battery to see if it's weak. If you can't test it yourself, you can test the battery indirectly by jump-starting the car. If it starts right away, your problem is most likely a dead battery. Replace the battery, and clean the battery connections to ensure good contact.
• Bad Igntion Switch: If your battery checks out, but the starter is still silent, it may be a faulty ignition switch. Turn the key to the on position (not all the way to start). If the red warning lights on your dash don't light up (and your battery connections are clean), the ignition switch is bad. If they do light up, turn the key to the start position. The dash warning lights should turn off at this key position (most cars). If you're not sure, turn on the headlights. When you try to start the car, the lights should either dim (a lot) or turn off completely. If they do, your ignition switch should be ok. If not, the switch will need replacement.
• Bad Starter Connection: Corrosion can not only keep your battery from connecting, it can affect any electrical component, especially the ones exposed to the elements like the starter. If you have a helper, you can test the connection by holding a circuit tester lead on the wire that engages the starter. This is the smaller of the two wires connected to the starter. Be sure no part of your body is near the moving parts of the engine - it could still start at any time! Have a friend turn the key and check the current. If you're getting current to the starter but it ain't spinning, it needs replacement.

If your starter spins freely when you turn the key, the problem lies elsewhere. Now you begin to check the other systems that could keep it from firing up.

Tune up,coils,fuel filter.check battery connection.

Someone would need to check the starter for battery voltage and ground. The large battery cable should have voltage and the small wire should have voltage when the key switch is in start position. There may be a clutch switch or neutral safety switch in that circuit depending on the make model and year.

factory security does not have toggle switches as far as I know so it is probably an aftermarket system. Try one of two things, turn the toggle switch the oposite direction with battery disconnected. Reconnect the battery and try again, the horn will beep a few times when you reconnect. try starting. If that doesn't work, disconnect the battery and turn the key to the on position and reconnect the battery and the horn will sound but will go off get in the car and try to start. It should start and run normally. shut car off, then you should be able to return the toggle switch to the previous position If this happens again turn the toggle switch to the opposite position with the batterry disconnected and turn the key switch to the on position and reconnect the battery and start when started go see a service that installs aftermarket systems and they should be able to reset it security system Hope this helps

you need a new fan switch for the engine fan.
with the engine off and the battery cables disconnected from the battery - replace the switch.
if the ( "sparks near the switch") is the fan switch check the wires when you replace the switch.
if these ("sparks near the switch ") are another switch check those wires for frays and tighten or repair.

Hi, this is what you should do when your car won't start. Diagnosing a no-start condition requires a logical approach to figuring out what might be preventing your car from starting. First, if the engine won't even crank over when you turn the ignition to START, your car obviously won't start.
When you turn the ignition key to start your car, voltage from the battery flows through the ignition switch to the Park/Neutral safety switch and/or brake pedal or clutch pedal safety switch (you have to push the pedal down before the circuit will complete) to the starter relay or solenoid. When the relay or solenoid is energized by voltage from the ignition switch circuit, it closes a contact that routes more power from the battery directly to the starter to crank the engine. The starter motor spins, pushes the starter drive gear to engage the flywheel and cranks the engine.

If the engine fails to crank, there is a fault in one of the components in the battery/ignition/starter circuit. Check it out.....

• Low battery (Check battery voltage, recharge if low, or jump start with another vehicle or battery charger).
• Loose or corroded battery cables (Inspect, clean and tighten BOTH ends of BOTH battery cables).
• Bad starter relay wiring connections or ground connection (Inspect, clean, tighten wiring connections).
• Bad starter relay/solenoid (Check for voltage at relay, if relay has voltage but there is no "click" when key is turned to start, replace relay).
• Bad starter (Jump battery voltage direct to starter to see if it spins, or remove starter and have it bench tested at auto parts store).
• Damaged starter drive or teeth on flywheel (Remove starter and inspect drive gear and flywheel teeth, replace damaged parts if necessary).
• Bad ignition switch (Check to see if voltage reaches starter relay/solenoid when turn to start. If not, check for open P/N switch and brake or clutch pedal switch. Replace ignition switch if defective).
• Open P/N safety switch, or open Brake Pedal Safety Switch (automatic transmission) or open Clutch Pedal Switch (manual transmission). Bypass switch with jumper wire to see if engine cranks, or use test light or voltmeter to check for voltage passing through switch when ignition is turned to start.
• Engine seized due to bearing failure or internal damage (Use socket and long handle to see if engine can be turned by hand, if not engine is locked up).
• Engine hydrolocked due to coolant leak from leaky head gasket (Use socket and wrench to see if engine rotates, remove spark plugs and see if coolant comes out or engine can not be cranked with plugs out).

Did you check the alternator? if it is faulty the car will drain all the power from the battery until it goes flat

IF YOU SEE CAR SECURITY LIGHT ON.WHEN YOU TURN KEY TO THE START POSITION.NO STARTER NOISE.TURN THE IGNITION KEY IN SWITCH TO THE RUN POSITION FOR 10 MINUTES.IF SECURITY LIGHT IS OFF.TURN OFF IGNITION SWITCH FOR 5 SECONDS.THEN START ENGINE.IS IT STARTS OR NOT. YOUR SECURITY THEFT SYSTEM IS GOING BAD THE DEALERSHIP HAS TO REPLACE BODY CONTROL MODULE WITH NEW IGNITION KEYS AND LOCK CYLINDER AND SWITCH.THEY HAVE TO PROGRAM IT IN TO PCM SO CAR WILL START.MAKE SURE BATTERY IS GOOD IT HAS 12.5 VOLTS AND BATTERY CABLES CLEAN AND TIGHT.BECAUSE A BAD STARTER OR SOLENOID SWITCH AND WEAK BATTERY WILL CAUSE NO START UP.

Help please....I have Mazda Protege 2002...the car was driving good..and suddenly the car didn't start at all i changed the starter the battery is fine because when i start the car the lights comes on and the radio works. I don't know what is the problem is...when i start the car it makes noise of tik tik. Please help me????