98 Neon won't start

My sister-in-law's POS. I just wanted to see if you guys think it's the starter or solenoid.

The battery was doa & 5-years old anyway, so she replaced it. Still just hear the click of the starter solenoid, but the engine isn't cranking. Tried hitting it with a hammer to no avail. Verified I have 12.8V at the battery lead on the starter. Sounds like a dead starter to me, but they aren't cheap & she's broke, so I thought I'd ask you folk for a 2nd opinion.

Thanks!

Could be the contacts in the solenoid are shot. Could be the starter motor is shot. Take it off and have it tested. Check the grounds, recheck the battery terminals and connections. Does the starter run and not engage ?

Starter's shot. A quick check on www.car-part.com reveals that secondhand ones go for $30-45.

Thanks for the replies. I got Napa to drop their price from $169 to $132, so I went with that - this isn't really a job I want to do twice, and without her car she can't get to work so it needs to be done tonight.

Thanks!

NEON- Turning ordinary drivers into mechanics since 1995! But they are really tough little cars and great for cheap drivers (and rally-x from what I hear)! You can always pick up a parts car on craigslist for $200 too!

Got it fixed. I'd measures voltage on the starter last night, on the lead coming from the battery, but it was dark & at a gas station parking lot.

As soon as I popped the hood in daylight this evening I saw how crusty the other end of the lead was at the battery terminal. Popped it off & cleaned it and it works like a charm.

Eb4Prez wrote: NEON- Turning ordinary drivers into mechanics since 1995! But they are really tough little cars and great for cheap drivers (and rally-x from what I hear)! You can always pick up a parts car on craigslist for $200 too!

Quoted for truth.

And my post count