Quote Originally Posted by Lady's Human
Most of the time if you're having issues like that with the starter motor it's because the starter was improperly installed. The starter gear is bronze, the flywheel teeth which the bronze gear engages are steel. while it is possible to break teeth on the flywheel, most of the time the starter is just not properly shimmed.

Autozone will check your battery for you for free, a dead battery will give you similar symptoms to a dead alternator. It could be something as simple as a loose or corroded ground wire.

It sounds like what you really need is an actual mechanic, as opposed to a parts changer.

I'll have to agree with you on the last one! LOL. Our "parts changer" is my sisters boyfriends brother who is a mechanic for Honda. He is helpful, and has done a lot of work on the car for free, but I am to a point where I just want to take the hunk of junk to a garage so they can pull things out and inspect it like it needs. The guy who I refer to in my previouse post as the mechanic who looked in my car is a mechanic and has been doing it for 30 or more years and is very well trusted. However he is not the one who installed the starter. I find it funny that you mention Auto Zone. We were just outside trying out hardest to get the darn thing to start so we could take it over there. I know they have those test to see if the alternator or the battery are working, and thats what we are hopeing to do, if it will ever start, which seems unlikly.

You seem to very knowledgeable in cars and I really apreicate your advice..

Ashley