My 1999 Saturn SL2 wouldn't start earlier, the lights and everything would come on but the engine would not turn over. Some boosted me off, and it finally started. But was this really a battery problem or something worse?

Based on the info given.. yes a battery problem. Do you own a multimeter? if so check it to make sure the battery is at 12V with the car off and 13 to 14 with the car running.


-S-Turn-

Couple scenarios:


When you try to start your car with the lights on, do they dim out or go off altogether? If so, you're definitely looking at either your battery or your alternator... My alternator was acting up and only putting out 4amps to the battery so I replaced the battery before I realized I had to replace the alternator...


However, I ran into a problem with my starter that allowed everything to work (lights, radio, and such) but the engine obviously wouldn't turn over. Downside to this problem, the starter is such a pain in the ass to get to with the Saturnengine chasis that I took mine to my buddy's shop to lift the car up and get at it from under the car.Edited by: GarrenNatas

Could be


Bad connection at the positve battery post


Bad connection negative battery post


Leaking battery at the positive post


Bad battery


Bad alternator


Bad connection at starter


and a few more things.


But if you have no idea how to check and repair anything then you need to take it to someone that does. Your nearest Satun dealer is your best bet.





Getting to the starter on most any modern front wheel drive car is not easy without lifting the car so to say it's harder on a Saturn is just not true.Edited by: sw2cam

My dad decided it was my starter, and a guy that looked at it said the same thing. I called Saturn and they said it was most likely the starter, so I guess we'll go with that. He's coming tommorrow to fix it.

Ok.........................sure

maybe it's a bad spot on the starter motor?

Maybe it is a bad spot in the starter................Thats my point if you want to spend more money buying the wrong parts for the car because you do not know how to find the problem in the first place go right ahead, and thats what I find to be weird.

I am totally clueless when it comes to what's wrong with a car. My dad knows a lot about them, but I did have someone check the battery. How does just a "spot" in the starter go bad and not the whole thing?

My dad talked to Saturn and he says from what they told him the starter is going to be hard to get to. He's on his way to fix it so we will see how long it takes.

Yeah... I've never worked on (or really liked, to be honest) Saturns until I got mine... So I know nothing about them at all... Hell, to prove your case: I'll probably end up re-running all the wires before I figure out why my reverse lights don't work... lol

Well, my car is fixed and it took less than an hour, so I guess it wasn't that bad after all. My dad says he thinks Saturns are junk, because my car only has 84,000 miles on it and already I've replaced the water pump, lock cylinder and now the starter. But it is a 99 model, so would that make a difference in the parts going out? I love my car, and I hope this is the end of the troubles for a while..

Saturns are not junk unless you make them junk.

GN,

If you need help with your reverse lights, please start another thread.