When your car won't start there are three main causes: bad starter, bad alternator, bad battery.
Your battery is where the power comes from to start the car. The starter draws power from the battery and mechanically spins the motor over to get it started. Your alternator charges your battery while you are driving and powers all of the electronics while the car is running (think of it as the power plant).
But when you car won't start, how can you tell which one is causing the issue?
Luckily there are some simple guidelines for you to follow.
1) Your Battery
If it is your battery the car will start when jumped (sometimes this will take a while - the battery may need to charge). Leave the car running for a while. If when you turn it off again, it won't start, it is most likely a bad battery.
2) Your Alternator
If your alternator dies, your car will start when jumped, but the electricity will slowly die. All of your gauges will go flat, your lights will turn off, and eventually you will lose all power steering and everything else which is run by the car's computer. However, the car should start when you try and turn it over.
3) Your Starter
If you starter is bad the car will not start no matter how long you charge the battery or jump it. Sometimes if you hit the starter with something wooden (back of a hammer is the usual choice) the car will start one or two more times, but then will stop working after that.
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