Car not starting, inconsistent fix... help me figure out the cause?

[SkiLLz]

Hey guys,

My problem is very similar to the one in this thread:
http://www.cb7tuner.com/vbb/showthre...hlight=starter

only there are a couple differences.

Basically, I was having issues for a while with starting my car. It would sporadically not start. Some of the times when it didn't start, cleaning out my battery terminals would fix the problem and it would start again for a few weeks before the problem came back. A few months ago my alternator went, so I replaced that and had no issues for a month or two, then about a month ago, it wouldn't start sometimes when it was parked for a while in the middle of the day. I thought it was the main relay because it would start at night with no problems. Some of the times fiddling with the battery terminal would fix the problems, other times it wouldn't start no matter what. The heat wave ended, I lubed up the terminals good, and there hadn't been any issues for the last 2 weeks (so I never even fixed the main relay because it was starting fine again).

Then 1-2 days ago, my car sounded like it was struggling just a bit to start. I don't know how to describe this, but it was subtle enough to maybe be a coincidence, but it was obvious enough that I really wasn't surprised when I tried starting my car last night and it didn't start. I get power, AC, lights, etc, but when I turn the key it clicks once and that's it, doesn't turn over, doesn't struggle, doesn't do anything. I tried cleaning the terminals and it still didn't start. Then tried boosting it and still didn't start. Called a tow truck, he came, said it sounded like the starter. After a while, he messed around with the terminals and it started. He had me turn it off (big mistake) and then try again and this time it didn't start and hasn't started since, no matter how much he or I messed around with the terminals. I had it towed home last night and this morning while trying to get it started, I can definetly hear a clicking noise coming from the starter (when I turn it off all the way and then try to start it). The tow truck driver had tried hammering the starter, and I tried again today, and it didn't start either time. So now I'm really damn confused.

- power to accessories is fine, but can't start
- boosting does nothing
- messing with the terminals caused it to start one time, but this may have been a fluke as boosting it didn't work and messing with it countless other times did nothing
- click noise comes from the starter
- hammering the starter does nothing

So sounds like the starter right? Or maybe the cable going from the battery to the starter? Anything else I can check?

Any help's much appreciated.

[NAiL05]

Change out the starter and see what happens. Sounds like a starter problem though.

[blackcb7]

i am 99.9 percent its your starter

[SkiLLz]

Thanks for the replies, I'm pretty sure it's the starter also, but it's really bugging me that it started once after tightning the connection to the terminal. Guess I'll have it towed tmr and get the starter replaced.

Also, for any of you guys that have had issues with corrosion on the battery terminals (the blue or green shit), do you know if that blue/green shit on the wires going from the battery to the starter would cause issues as well? I peeled back a bit of the rubber around the cable and there was blue/green shit intertwined with the wires... I have no idea how I can remove this without just replacing all the cables, but I'd rather not do this if this won't cause problems.

[NAiL05]

Yea that can cause a bad connection. DC your battery get you some warm water and baking soda that should take off the corrosion. Or you can buy that spray crap at your local parts store that eats the corrosion away. Clean that off and see if that helps a lil.