# Car Starter **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [January 11, 2009, 10:13pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-starter/24754 "2009-01-11T22:13:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![lawlise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/cdc98d/32.png) [@lawlise](https://community.cartalk.com/u/lawlise)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2009, 10:13pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-starter/24754/1 "2009-01-11T22:13:50Z")
My 1999 Toyota Corolla will not start. An attempt to jump start it sis not work. My husband thinks it’s the starter. It has a clicking sound when I turn the key. How does a car that needs a new starter sound? ---
**Author:** ![mcparadise](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mcparadise/32/32_2.png) [@mcparadise](https://community.cartalk.com/u/mcparadise)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2009, 10:17pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-starter/24754/2 "2009-01-11T22:17:47Z")
Please be more specific. What happens when you try to start the car? What happened when you try to jump start the car? Clicking can mean a bad battery, or a bad starter, or maybe just bad cable connections, but without more information it’s hard to tell. ---
**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2009, 10:19pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-starter/24754/3 "2009-01-11T22:19:21Z")
Try jump starting it again. Only this time leave jumper cables connected and the donor vehicle idling for fifteen minutes, then try starting it. If it starts, it might be time for a new battery. Tester ---
**Author:** ![lawlise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/cdc98d/32.png) [@lawlise](https://community.cartalk.com/u/lawlise)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2009, 10:27pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-starter/24754/4 "2009-01-11T22:27:54Z")
Thank you. We’ll try the battery again. ---
**Author:** ![lawlise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/cdc98d/32.png) [@lawlise](https://community.cartalk.com/u/lawlise)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2009, 10:28pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-starter/24754/5 "2009-01-11T22:28:26Z")
Thank you. That’s what we’re going to try. ---
**Author:** ![podbean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/77aa72/32.png) [@podbean](https://community.cartalk.com/u/podbean)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2009, 10:36pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-starter/24754/6 "2009-01-11T22:36:02Z")
My experience has shown that a clicking sound means a bad battery, but “Tester” is right; it can be other things, too. You also can try charging the battery if you have a battery charger. It will either charge up, which will solve your problem, or it won’t take a charge, which means it’s time for a new battery. Good luck. P.S. A place like Auto Zone will check your battery for free but of course you’ll have to remove the battery and take it there with another vehicle. They also can test your starter. ---
**Author:** ![americar](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/americar/32/42_2.png) [@americar](https://community.cartalk.com/u/americar)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2009, 10:41pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-starter/24754/7 "2009-01-11T22:41:12Z")
It very well may be the starter solenoid. Unfortunately the starter is located on the back side of the engine, and firewall, with the electrical connection facing toward the ground. This makes normal diagnoses difficult. ---
**Author:** ![lawlise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/cdc98d/32.png) [@lawlise](https://community.cartalk.com/u/lawlise)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2009, 11:54pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-starter/24754/8 "2009-01-11T23:54:10Z")
Eureka! You were right! ---
**Author:** ![lawlise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/cdc98d/32.png) [@lawlise](https://community.cartalk.com/u/lawlise)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2009, 11:55pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-starter/24754/9 "2009-01-11T23:55:43Z")
I will change the battery tomorrow, but we did get it to start! Thank you!