My van is completely dead and will not turn over
Do not drive it
No crank at all almost always means the battery, the connections to it, or the starter. Work in that order, because that is also cheapest to most expensive. Dim or dead dash lights point at the battery or a connection. Bright dash lights with a single loud click point at the starter. Bright dash lights and complete silence often means an earth strap, a main fuse, or the immobiliser.
Most likely causes, and what they cost
UK prices at an independent garage for a van up to 3.5 tonnes. Ranges, because anyone quoting a single figure before looking at your van is guessing.
| Cause | How you can tell | Typical cost |
|---|---|---|
| Flat or failed battery | Dash lights dim or absent, central locking sluggish, or it was slow to start for days beforehand. | A commercial van battery is commonly £90 to £200 fitted. A jump start alone is often £50 to £80. |
| Corroded or loose terminals | White or green crust on the posts, or a terminal you can rock by hand. | Often nothing to free than a clean and a tighten, which is why this is worth checking first. |
| Failed starter motor or solenoid | One loud click and nothing else, or an occasional start that works if you try repeatedly. | Typically £200 to £500 fitted, and more on vans where the starter is awkward to reach. |
| Bad earth strap | Odd electrical behaviour alongside it, lights flickering, or it started fine yesterday with no warning. | Often £60 to £150, as the part is cheap and most of the bill is finding it. |
| Alternator that has been failing | A battery warning light before this happened, or you have replaced the battery recently and it has gone flat again. | Commonly £250 to £550 fitted. Replacing the battery without fixing this wastes the battery. |
Check these first, they are free
- Turn the headlights on. Bright means you probably have battery voltage, dim or dead means you probably do not.
- Open the bonnet and wobble both battery terminals by hand. A loose terminal is a free fix.
- Try the spare key, in case it is the immobiliser rather than the electrics.
- Check whether anything was left on overnight: interior light, tail lift, tracker, a phone charger in a live socket.
- If the van does short runs with a tail lift or a fridge, assume the battery is a prime suspect. That duty cycle kills them early.
What kind of help you need
Mobile mechanic
The van is somewhere safe and legal to work on, and the fault has a fair chance of being fixed at the kerb: battery, alternator, starter, glow plugs, sensors, fuel filter, a hose, a belt, a simple electrical fault.
Cost: A mobile call-out is commonly £50 to £90 before any parts or labour, with roadside labour often £50 to £90 an hour. Expect more for evenings, weekends and anything on a motorway, and many will not attend a live motorway lane at all, which is correct and not them being awkward.
Recovery and towing
The van cannot be driven safely, or you are somewhere you must not stay: a live lane, a blind bend, a slip road, or a motorway with no hard shoulder.
Cost: If you have breakdown cover with recovery, this is usually included. Without cover, a local pay-on-the-day recovery is commonly £90 to £200 for a short tow, and motorway or out-of-hours jobs cost more. Long-distance recovery is normally charged per mile on top.
Van-capable garage
The van is drivable, or it is being recovered and you need to name a destination. Every garage we list holds a DVSA Class 7 MOT authorisation, which is the class for vehicles from 3,000kg to 3,500kg, so the ramp and the bay physically take a full-size van. That sounds like a technicality until you have been turned away by a car-only garage.
Cost: Independent van labour rates commonly run £50 to £95 an hour outside London and higher inside the M25, against £120 or more at a franchised dealer. A diagnostic check is typically £50 to £120 and good garages credit it against the repair.
Questions people ask
Can I jump start a van from a car?
Usually yes for a diesel van up to 3.5 tonnes, but it takes longer than a car to car jump and the donor needs to be running and left connected for several minutes first. Follow the correct order, connect positive first and remove the negative from the donor last, and never let the clamps touch.
If a jump start works, do I still need a new battery?
Probably. A battery that went flat without an obvious cause, or that needed a jump on a mild day, is usually on the way out. Have it and the charging system tested rather than hoping. A free test at a parts shop takes minutes.
Is it worth replacing the battery myself?
On many vans yes, but check first whether yours needs the new battery registering to the electronics, which some newer vans with stop-start do. If it does, fitting one without coding it can shorten its life considerably.
Where are you?
Put your postcode into the console on the home page and we will give you the safety steps for where you are standing, verified van-capable garages near you, and the rest of the options.
This page is general guidance for working vans, not a diagnosis of your vehicle. Costs are typical UK ranges and will vary by van, area and garage. If anyone is in danger, ring 999.