My 99 Saturn SL2 wont start at all, unless I push or jump start it. I've changed all the main wiring (Alternator to Starter, Starter to Battery, Battery Ground, Engine to Battery Negative Post) They were corroded. I got the battery tested and hooked it up to a charger to make sure it was good and 100%, it was. Alternator is charging the battery. I think its the starter/solenoid, but how can a car start if that went bad (it did start after a boost or if i push started it, once you take it off tho it wont start again unless i boost or push start it again)

Really confusing ;(

 

Starter motors are just exactly that and when they wear out they can act that way. If you have taken care of the wiring and the connections and are sure the battery itself is in excellent condition, the motor is pretty much the only thing left and highly probable as being worn out.
Having a boost battery connected gives just enough more electicity availabe to run the motor that it may temporarily allow it to work.
However if you were using a meter and measured the battery voltage as you went to start the car and that voltage dropped from about 12VDC to something under 8VDC it is indicative of a bad battery. This should have been checked when you had the battery tested though.

 

Thanks for the quick response uncljohn, I was unsure if it was the starter for the reason of it starting after a boost or push start, ill be getting the new starter tommorow and post the outcome.

Thanks again =)

 

I think UnclJohn has the right answer here, but I am going to be waiting patiently for the follow-up on this one ....

 

Well, I looked around for a decent price starter, went to PartSource and just to make sure, because they test your battery and starter and alternator for free, i tested my starter and battery (second time to make sure) seems the original starter was shot, the donor starter from my parts car was also shot, problem was that it was sucking way to much current for it to turn over the car, it actually set the breaker for the testing machine during the test, on both starters.

So if your car has good connections, battery and alternator, and has a clicking sound, and wont start unless it you boost or push start it, its going to be the starter. (Saturn Starter has the Solenoid with it as one unit).

Thanks UnclJohn and OceanArcher for your help

PS: Car Started Right Up, forgot to mention that =)

Update:

Car stopped again, same clicking sound, luckily I was near a slope, went down and popped the clutch, headed to my mechanics (now I just wanted it to get fixed, school starting next week) The problem besides the starter, was the battery, which had a bad cell. Moral : Canadian Tire and PartSource Battery Testing are not reliable at all =(...

Problem Seems To be Fixed With new Battery, If i encounter anymore problems Ill Repost.

 

Ryan --

Glad you have a reliable ride again. Thanks for the follow-up

 

Well Canadian Tire has a good reputation world wide and I hear of it down here in Arizona. Of course my lady is from Canada and is trying to convert all to metrics.
But they are still staffed by in large by people who can barely read the computor screen because they are cheaper to pay than some one who knows what they are doing. The same as many stores are!
Although they do exist, just rare.
Harbor Freight, an american company with an on line presence has a digital voltmeter that can be had on sale here for $2.00 american or under $10.00 any day of the week and with a little practice you can diagnose these problems yourself if you have one.
How good are thee meters? Depends who you talk to, but I own a $450.00 digital voltmeter that can do only 1 thing that is useful to me that the Harbor Freight Digital Voltmeter can't do
and I don't need to make that measurement anymore so it isn't any better at all.
Good for you on being successfull.

 

capacitance?

 

I was at the screen and both times I tested the battery, It said " Battery Good Condition", I went To My Mechanic and the battery Was Tested Manually and it was in bad condition, a bad cell, I'm guessing the battery became bad after the bad starters drained to much power from them, still doesn't explain how PartSource Tested it good and 1 hour later its bad. Oh Well, Car is running better Than Ever =)