ok, my 96 sohc neon would not start today (pretty cold outside)auto zone guy said my battery was good and maybe my starter is bad. i have been reading a lot and apparently it is not too hard to replace the starter but on a couple of posts some people have said that it might just be a ground wire problem. 2 things; first, i dont know what a ground wire is and second, how do i check/replace it?
if i check it and it is ok, should i replace the starter? i just dont want to spend 150 on something i dont need. thanks!
EDIT, another question, the car is at my girlfriends apartment and i want to bring it home to work on... is there any way i can start it (the guy at auto zone said i might be able to do something to the solenoid with a screwdriver that could start it... like lay the screwdriver across two of the posts to get a spark or something... i cant remember.) anyone know what he was talking about?

 

If the starter is bad you will not be able to start it. I just replaced a motor in my neon and on initial start up the solenoid would only engage (sounds like a loud clicking noise from the starter.) I cleaned all the connections from the battery to the starter and the ground wire and it started first try. Also, you can have the starter bench checked at auto zone to see if it is good.

 

ok, i will get it checked at auto zone. if that is not the problem, what should i use to clean the connections? i dont want to put water on them since it is electrical right?

 

bestr thing to do is start with the normal stuff.

1. clean your battery terminlas good. get a wire brush or a terminal cleaner with built in wire brush and make them really shiny and clean. Both on the wires and the battery. Make sure that the red wire going from the battery to the fuse box under the hood is clean also.

2. Take out your starter relay and clean the posts on it also. Insert it back in. When you go to start the car the relay should click. have someone listen to it. If it doesnt click then your relay is probably bad.

3. Clean the connections at the starter.

If those dont work then more than likely your starter is bad. Its not too hard to take it off. Its two bolts but you have to get on eof them from under the car. make sure u disconnect the battery first.

 

ok, battery connections are good and shiny. the relay is clicking so it is good. also, i can hear a hummmmmm sound (fuel pump maybe?) i just dont know how to clean the connections... actually, i dont know what connections i need to look at. the ones that connect to each of the battery posts? you said i need to get under the hood to reach one of the bolts if i have to take it off... but in the research i have done it looks like i can get to everything from the top. i could be wrong since i have not actually checked the locations of the bolts yet.

 

is it a MTX or ATX? If its an MTX you could always pop start it.

 

atx unfortunately.

 

Man, this is an issue. ATXJax is right, check out all this. Also check the red lead that goes down from the battery terminal to the starter. If its corroded you aint starting. Also, try swapping the A/C relay or the fuel pump relay for the starter relay since they're the same jus' in case its bad(mine was). The starter is the last thing really to go bad in my opinion. If all else, pull it and have it checked before replacing it. Bad terminals, relays, cables, battery, are usally the first to go bad.

(I've been round and round with this issue last year.. So jus' ask if you got any specific questions.)

 

i have never messed with any wiring under my hood. so this may be a stupid question but how do i check/clean/replace the wiring and connections?

 

where is the starter? i cant find it. i have removed the drivers side radiator fan and the battery and the batter cover. does anyone have a picture with the location? i looked at the "Neon Sensor and Part Locations" that Das2123 posted but it did not really help me. this is my first time to mess with a starter of any kind and i just am stumped after working all day (called in to work, no transportation obviously.) any help would be greatly appreciated