car will turn on but there is no cranking?

2009 CHEVROLET HHR
216,000 MILES • 4 CYL • AUTOMATIC
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ERIKAWYMER
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Last night I was trying to fix my running taillights. I got them working for about 5 minutes then they stopped. I started working on them again. I forgot to take the keys out of the ignition and the parking lamp fuse I put in had a spark from it. Now my car won't start. The car will turn on but there is no crank. Did i ruin my car?
Jul 16, 2025 at 1:31 PM
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STEVE W.
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Probably not. From the description the lights were out, you put in a fuse, and it sparked and the electrical system shut down. That sounds more like there is a short in the running lamp circuit and when you put in the fuse it damaged something else. A couple tests to see where the problem is, Do the windows and the horn work? They are powered from the same circuit if they work then we need to look deeper. You say it turns on, what comes on and what doesn't? There are a number of items fed off the circuits and seeing what does work may help. You will also want to take a cheap test light and go over the fuses. Even a good looking one might be bad. Go through the under hood as well as the interior box under the dash. Then post back with what you found.

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-to-check-a-car-fuse
https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-to-use-a-test-light-circuit-tester
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Jul 17, 2025 at 3:29 AM