What does it sound like (or not) if starter is bad? So my car has new alternator (6 mths old) and battery was bought in july and tested fine today other than was slightly low. Car still wont crank. It was turning over but not starting and now it just makes a short noise of some kind and then nothing. It really doesn't seem battery related. Could starter cause battery to have lost some CCA's? I know it's a devil to take off. From what I remember, there's some welding of exhaust pipe over mine.

 

Anytime the starter is used it discharges the battery and the resulting CCA will be low. If the starter is clicking away without cranking the engine it is a good indication that the battery is discharged or you have a bad connection between the battery and starter.

 

The starter isn't making any noise at all.

 

In that case: Not in order of probability
1) bad starter or solenoid and or wiring
2) bad start relay and or wiring
3) VATS system problem (is security light lit when trying to start?)
4) Bad cable or connections from battery to starter or ground
5) Neutral safety or clutch safety switch and or associated wiring
6) Bad Battery
7) Bad ignition switch and / or wiring
8) Other stuff not coming to mind at this time

 

It's probably #8 then. lol
My vote is with #3 or #7. And given the symptoms mentioned in her other thread (hard starting turning to no starting or cranking), leaning a little more to the #7 side.

 

Where is starter relay? What would you say if it jumps off?

 

When I've thrown the VATS in the past, it does nothing at all, no noises at all. That's not the case this time. It actually does make some noise. It's not a rattle and it's not the sound that you hear when a little kid pretends to crank a car. lol I don't know any other way to explain that.

 

What you need is called a starter draw test. You use a tester to see how many Amps the starter in drawing. I would also do a voltage drop test across both cable.

Sorry I am not sure how someone without a inductive amp meter can do draw test.

 

If it will jump off, will that rule out starter issues? Doesn't it have to use it's own to crank? Or what can I rule out if it jumps? This is the plan when my husband gets home anyway.

 

What do you mean by "jump off"?