One of the easiest and quickest ways to derail your day and get frustrated is your car not starting, especially when it was working just fine a day or some hours before. You get behind the wheel, turn the key and nothing. I am sure your first impulse would be to call for a tow or your mechanic. But before you do that, you should try troubleshooting.

There are three things you can test that will possibly tell you what is wrong, and you might have saved yourself some money. The most likely problem is a dead or drained battery. But if that isn't the case, then your battery cables might be dirty or your starter may be going bad. Make sure to rule these out first before you spend time troubleshooting other possibilities.

1. Flat or dead battery. Half the time your car refuses to come alive, the battery is usually the culprit. A flat or dead battery could be caused by:

• A fault with one of the battery components.

• You haven't driven your car for a long time.

• Something electrical was left on in the car, like the lights, which can run down the battery.

If you own a battery tester, test your battery to see if it is weak. If it is weak, you will have to replace it. But if you find yourself in a situation where you have no tester, you can still see if your battery is good by jump-starting the car.

Battery problems are likely to happen in cold weather, when the battery gets too cold and struggles to hold charge.

2. Dirty cables. Another thing that can stop your car from turning over is a dirty cable. This is the thickest cable in your car's electrical system and carries the most current, which makes it susceptible to corrosion. If your starter cable becomes corroded, it can be cleaned rather easily. Remove each end of the cables and clean with a wire brush.

3. Faulty starter. A symptom of a faulty starter might be a loud click when you try the key in the ignition. A starter can go bad slowly over time. You may notice that it seems like the engine starts slower than normal in the morning. You may also find that one day it doesn't start and the next day it does. This is a sign that your starter is faulty, and it will need a mechanic as soon as possible, if not immediately.

In situations where you have tried these three and your car still doesn't come alive, then you need to reach out to a professional, in this case your mechanic.