I30CeFiRo

My car failed to start 3 times in the last two days. I know it's not the battery because my lights and radio work full blast. Also I tried to jump my car. The only way that the car started was when it was push started. My car has around 36k miles on it. I was wondering if anyone had this problem with their starter so soon. How much would it be to fix or replace the starter? Thanx

Daniel B. Martin

You are reporting a no-crank problem.

Always do the easy check first. If your vehicle is a 5-speed, make sure the clutch pedal is all the way down when you twist the key to START. If automatic, jiggle the shifter while attempting to crank. Try cranking in both Park and Neutral. If those steps are unsuccessful, consider ...

- discharged battery (dim headlights with engine off)
- weak battery (check voltage at terminals while cranking)
- loose or dirty battery terminal connections at the battery
- loose or dirty battery-to-body ground connection
- loose or dirty battery-to-engine block connection
- bad ignition switch
- bad clutch safety switch (5-speed)
- bad neutral safety switch (automatic)
- bad inhibitor relay
- bad solenoid
- bad starter

The starter is an expensive item so I would check the other items before
spending the money on a replacement.

There is no crisp answer regarding the cost of replacing the starter. Remanufactured units are available for $140 (Brand X) up to $360 (Bosch). The labor charge ought to be one hour. This is a job which can be done by the home mechanic. No need to jack the car, the starter motor is accessed from above.

Wizeguy

So what does the car do? Just click? Turn very slowly?

95-96 have bad starters but could be any number of things. See Daniel's post above. Use the search feature and search for starter too.

Regards Wizeguy