Services · Roadside & No-Start
It won't start. I come to where it's sitting.
Dead in the driveway at seven in the morning, quit on the shoulder of 71, or clicking in the feed store parking lot. You don't need a tow to a shop that can't look at it until Thursday. Call, tell me where it is and what it does when you turn the key, and I'll come out.
Usually within an hour, same day at the latest. Most no-starts are one of about six things, and most of those I can fix on the spot.
- No fix, no fee diagnostics
- Quoted price is the final price
- 12 mo / 12,000 mi parts & labor
- I come to you
What it's doing, and what it usually is
The most common cause first. It's a guide, not a diagnosis. That's what the visit is for.
- Turn the key, nothing at all. No lights, no click.
- Dead battery, a loose or corroded terminal, or a main fuse. Usually the cheapest outcome on this page.
- Rapid clicking
- The battery has enough to work the starter relay but not enough to turn the engine. A weak battery, or a bad connection at the terminals.
- One loud click, then nothing
- The starter or its solenoid. Sometimes a tap gets you home once. Don't count on twice.
- Cranks fine but won't fire
- It's not the battery. Fuel pump, fuel relay, crank sensor, or the security system deciding it doesn't recognize the key.
- Cranks slowly, like it's tired
- A weak battery, a bad ground, or a starter drawing too much current. Cold mornings make all three worse.
- Started, drove a while, then died
- If the battery warning was on, the alternator quit and you've been running on the battery. Otherwise, fuel delivery.
What I do in your driveway
- Test the battery, starter, and alternator, and clean or replace the terminals and cables. A lot of no-starts end right here.
- Replace the battery, starter, or alternator on most cars and trucks, on the spot. Parts come from the nearest store, and I usually make it one visit.
- Chase fuel and ignition faults: relays, fuses, sensors, and fuel pumps.
- Get you going, or tell you honestly that it needs more than a roadside fix and what that would involve.
- Diesel trucks too. Two batteries and a grid heater make a cold-morning no-start its own thing.
How the money works
- $150
- Flat, to diagnose it. It's separate from the repair. If I can't find what's wrong, you don't pay it.
- Quote
- Before anything comes apart. The price I give you is the price you pay. If I find something else, I stop and ask you first.
- 12 / 12k
- Months and miles, parts and labor. If the repair doesn't hold, I come back and fix it free.
Travel is free within 30 miles of Bastrop. Further out, there's a flat travel fee. The full warranty terms spell out what's covered.
“Thank you, Joe, for coming through, diagnosing the issue and even being able to fix it on the spot. I wouldn't have been able to drive it to a repair shop, so the home service was a lifesaver.”
Questions I get asked
How fast can you get here?
Usually within an hour, same day at the latest. I'll give you a real time on the phone based on where I am and where you are, and I'll stick to it. I won't promise twenty minutes to get the job.
Is roadside more expensive than a normal visit?
No. It's the same flat $150 to find out what's wrong, and the repair is quoted before I start. The only extras are the after-hours callout if it's outside my published hours, and the travel fee if you're more than 30 miles from Bastrop.
Should I keep trying to start it?
No. Every attempt drains the battery further, heats up the starter, and on a gas engine can flood it. Two tries, then stop and call.
Do you carry batteries?
I carry what I need to test and diagnose. Parts, including batteries, come from the nearest parts store once I know what you actually need, so you're not paying for a guess. It's usually still one visit.
I'm on the side of the highway. What do I do while I wait?
Get as far off the road as you safely can, hazards on, and stay in the vehicle or well away from traffic. If it's the shoulder of 71 or 290 at night, tell me and we'll talk about whether a tow to somewhere safer makes more sense.
Often goes with this
All servicesBattery & Charging
Dead every morning, dies again after a jump, or a battery light that won't go out. Usually the battery, sometimes the alternator.
Diagnostics
Warning light on, odd noise, or something that just feels wrong. I find out what it is before anyone spends money on parts.
Electrical
Lights out, fuses blowing, windows or accessories dead. Tracking down a short is what I do instead of guessing.
Based in Bastrop, free travel within 30 miles. Where I go, and what it costs further out.
Let's look at the roadside & no-start
Flat $150 to diagnose it, and you get a price before anything gets taken apart. Mon–Fri 9am – 6pm.
Stranded or an emergency? Call (512) 980-4368 — for anything else, a text gets to me faster.