I don't know if you guys can help. We might take it to a mechanic. The car is a 2005 toyota camry.Heres what happened: I tried to start up the engine but i heard something like a low pop. My brother stand outside said that it sounded like the engine was about to turn over, at least for a nanosecond. Then all I see is that the dash lighting flickers as I try to start the engine. The battery seems to work as the lights work and the fuses seem ok (i didn't see anything burnt out).

Any ideas?

Battery is shot or the connections are loose/corroded.

Like iceracer said, loose or corroded battery/ground cable somewhere, assuming the battery has a good charge. Loosen and retighten all the power/ground cables you easily get to (starter, battery, alternator, etc. power wires and all the ground wires you can see) and see what you get.

Bryce

ok got it fixed. Seems the alternator was broken. And got a new battery too. The old one was just 3 years old. Maybe the battery never got charged because the alternator wasn't working properly.

How hard is it to put in a new alternator? The guy at the mechanic shop had a hard time but I'm not sure if it was the car or he is lacking experience (i heard he was a new hire).

Difficulty depends on the car.

iceracer wrote: Difficulty depends on the car.

1. Truer words were never spoken.

hmm. the mechanic had trouble pulling it off but the young guy at Advance auto parts seemed very confident at being able to take it off. Maybe he doesn't own a camry.

Do alternators cost alot? Our new one was between $350 and $400

rebuild is like $50-60 at most places.