I accidentally left my lights on last night. When I went to take my kids to school this morning, the car wouldn't start. When trying to jump start it, all I got was a grinding/screeching type noise. I assumed it was the battery. Now even after putting in a brand new battery, it is making the exact same noise and not turning over. Who knew leaving your lights on could do so much damage?

Any ideas on what is probably wrong and if it will be a costly repair?

 

Does it crank?

 

So it isn't the starter -- so far, it looks like I fried the entire computer system somehow by leaving the lights on --- oh lovely, there goes Christmas

 

The grinding/screeching has my attention. So you turn the ignition key and it starts the noise, correct?

If this is correct, I'm looking at the starter, may be a coincidence but did it also get colder where you are?

Could use a little more info on what happened, was it jumped before replacing the battery?

 

I'm guessing you hooked up the battery cables backwards when you jumpstarted the car.

 

Are you saying that it was the battery but then the jump was hooked wrong and that's what fried the computer? I wasn't the one who jumped it so I don't know what occurred then but that makes more sense than it just being over my lights being left on. It's been towed to the mechanics so at this point, I'm just praying the damage $$$ wise is small.

Thanks for your suggestions!

 

Just like you, my 1994 montero is similar but there was no battery run-down. it just gradually gets harder and harder to start. Turn on key: often no response, sometimes the grinding noise, eventually it fires. In past replaced ignition switch for instant fix. This lasts less than a year. Keep replacing switch? Mechanic says he's worked on this problem before, replaced darn near everything but the switch and couldn't solve the problem. He didn't believe that the new switch solves the problem but it does. why is this chronic? what to do next?

 

My issue ended up being the ignition control module. I don't know if that is any help to you but that's what mine was