Turn the key: what does the car do?
That one question tells us a lot, so it’s the first thing we’ll ask when we call back about your request. You don’t need to know mechanics. Just describe it:
| What you hear or see | What it often points to | Does it change the pickup? |
|---|---|---|
| Nothing at all, no dash lights | Dead battery or a cut connection | No, we tow it as it sits |
| Clicking, dash lights flicker | Weak battery or a starter problem | No |
| Engine cranks but won’t catch | Fuel, spark or sensor trouble | No |
| Grinding, banging or a locked engine | Serious engine damage | No, but tell us if the wheels turn |
| Key won’t turn, steering locked | Ignition lock or a worn key | Only if the wheels are locked too |
The pattern in that last column is the point: a no-start car is a normal pickup for us. What changes the job is whether the car rolls, and where it’s parked.
Where dead cars sit on the North Side
A car that won’t start usually dies where it was last parked, and up here that’s rarely a wide-open driveway. It’s a permit-zone street in Lincoln Square, a tandem space behind a two-flat in North Center, or a rented spot in a Lincoln Park garage with a low ceiling. Tell us which, plus:
- whether the wheels turn and the parking brake releases
- whether you have keys
- for garages: the level, the entrance and any height limit, and that the building has okayed it
The parking side has its own guide: junk car pickup from condo and apartment parking.
Winter makes a dead car urgent
Cold is hard on batteries. The Department of Energy’s fuel economy site notes that battery performance drops in cold weather, which is why so many cars refuse to start in January. A car that dies on a snow route has a deadline: Chicago’s winter overnight parking ban runs from 3 to 7 a.m. on 107 miles of main streets from December 1 to April 1, and the city tows. Read what to do when a car won’t start after winter for the full picture.
What we buy, running or not
Dead cars are often old cars, so selling an old or high-mileage car may also apply. When the problem is a blown engine or a transmission that quit, our guide to repairing or selling gives you a quote-based test, and if the keys are gone too, read selling a junk car with no keys. And if the car simply needs to go from a tight spot, junk car removal covers how we handle the tow.