you said when you would try to start the car all you heard was a click, which tells me your not getting any combustion in the engine because it would turn over if you were.
since you didnt provide much info on the car, i would say its possible that your fuel pump went out on you. sudden loss of fuel would cause the car to shake before it shut off. or your ignition coil/cables could have crapped out on you which would also shut the car off immediately.
this would be the first things your mechanic will look for.
Wat's the year make and model of the car? We need to know that before making judgements about the fuel and ignition system.
#1. Change the fuel filter first.
#2. Ask the dealer of the car to test the fuel pressure on the fuel rail pressure fitting. This is a very inexpensive test BUT the fuel filter must be clean to get an accurate fuel pressure reading.
#3. If there is no spark the crankshaft position sensor needs to be changed.
If it just stopped running and would not turn over, it is probably the alternator. A car will run for a while on just the battery. However, there are a number of things that could cause your problems.
Sounds like a fuel delivery issue.
Depending on the year of the car, it could also be the crank angle sensor.
Flooded
Today I was sitting at a red light and my car started shaking and died. I tried to restart it and it tried to turn over and all the lights, radio, AC, and dashboard lights would come on but it was not able to start. A few times when I tried to start it it would just make a fast clicking sound and nothing else would happen. Two different people tried to help me jump it because they thought it was the battery but that did nothing to help it start. I had it towed to a repair shop but I am broke right now so I want an idea of what I am looking at so I can start to try to figure out what to do. Also no I did not run out of gas. I put a full tank in yesterday.
