I did some searching on the forum and found some posts, but I have a really dumb question. If you have the infamous power steering leak that kills the alternator, I guess it's equally possible to kill the starter as well, right?

I was planning to do my water pump and timing belt (and the fan bracket) in a couple of weeks, but looks like I'll have to move that up because the starter went out. Shoot. Now that means I'll have to pay for a starter, a water pump, timing belt, and the fan bracket all in one shot.

The problem I'm having is the all the car does it clicks. It doesn't ignite. Battery and terminals are all clean.

I was working on the car, removed the stock nakamichi radio and now this happens.

 

....check the battery, get it charged/replaced.

and the PS has nothing to do with the starter since the only reason the alt. goes out is because its directly underneath the leaky PS pump. the Starter is on top of the engine in the cylinder valley under the intake manifold.

 

Well, I did take my battery earlier to be tested at Autozone. The guy there did the same thing I did: take a multimeter to it and to test it. He's like, "yeah, its good, its your starter".

Based on what I read here about Autozone personnel and having better advice from the nice senior members here at CL, I decided to get a second opinion.

I ran out to Wal*Mart...long story short, the guy in the Auto dept there took my battery and placed it in a 175 second countdown tester box. At the end of the test, he and the machine confirmed that my battery WAS BAD. I bought a 3yr Everlast Maxx Life battery and went home, and the car started up fine.

Which means, I can go to work tomorrow...

Tomorrow, I'm going back to Autozone to return the multimeter I bought (because I thought mine was bad) and give them a piece of my mind.

Thank you PureDrifter.

 

lol, np.

a multimeter

doesnt autozone have a nice big machine that tests all the batteries?

 

if an LS400 ever had a leaky main seal (front or rear) could it leak onto the starter and mess it up? IS it possible for oil to leak on the starter?

 

FUNNY they have a big machine on a two wheel hand truck - make sure you show that dude your receipt for the battery

 

The main seal has nothing to do with this.


Starter is between the block and the intake manifold Coolant could leak onto it, but the starter is suspended not really sitting on block. unless a serious coolant leak occured the coolant would just drip off the rear of the motor.

 

So B. Diddy,

Thanks for the photo. Did you change yours? If so what was involved?