Dead battery?, Or starter problem? Options

[Queenie]

My car won't start. When I turn the key it makes a very loud clicking noise, and I can hear the fuel pump running, but it doesn't turn over or even pretend like it's going to.

My first thought is that the battery is dead, and that will be the first thing I try to fix, but could there be a starter problem?

No one's available to jump it right now, so I can't really do anything to solve it at the moment.

[ArtechnikA]

My car won't start. When I turn the key it makes a very loud clicking noise, and I can hear the fuel pump ...

My first thought is that the battery is dead, and that will be the first thing I try to fix, but could there be a starter problem?

could be either. how are the headlights? if they're nice and bright and don't dim when you turn the key, it's probably -not- the battery. (you really need to put a voltmeter directly on the battery terminals tho ...

sounds more like a wonky starter solenoid tho. you might try putting it in a gear and gently rocking it a little. a nudge will do. if there's an issue with flywheel engagement, that might get stuff unstuck.

you can try -TAPPING- on the side of the starter solenoid with a hammer or big wrench. you can use a BIG screwdriver to connect (short...) the solenoid terminals together - this sometimes gets stuff unstuck too... i'm hesitant to recommend that because it;s hard (for me) to describe and needs to be done right - but it's not hard if someone can provide a better description or a picture...

the starter/solenoid assembly can be removed from the car, and then you can detatch and disassemble the solenoid. these -frequently- get gummy and sticky and all it takes is a good clean and re-lube with quality grease to put them back into service.

or you can get rebuilt stuff (no new parts available for many years...) and that should get you going for a good long while.

if you can find someone with jumper cables to get you going, it may be a battery - or it may be the solenoid just needed a little more kick to get it unstuck - it's hard to be definitive from this distance ...

batteries almost always give warning signals. if it hasn't been gradually giving you haqrd, slow starts, showing headlights dimming in time with the turn signals, or anything like that - i'd suspect sticky solenoid ...