hey guys, i'm new here. i'm usually one the bimmer forums, but my girlfriend drives a 98 protege lx, so it has the small engine in it, 1.5 or 1.6 i cant remember. but either way it has a problem starting, like it wont at all. when you turn the key it just clicks. the starter is not even engaging. the click it makes sounds as if its coming from the dash, underneath the glove box. its got about 170k miles on it. and it has been extremely cold lately, so i initially thought, there may be and ECU problem. but if you roll start it (cause it is a 5 speed) then it runs fine. so then i knew its a starter problem, but since the starter is not engaging, my thoughts went to starter solenoid. i've never messed around with one of these cars, i'm a european only mechanic. do these cars have a starter solenoid? and is it a common problem or anything? or should i just change out the starter?

 

oh, and i have checked the battery and everything, all that seems to be working fine. it will not even start with a jump pack or jumper cables attached to it.

 

did you check the ground wires?

 

yea, i've checked all the battery wires and what not. all the connections seem fine. i'm thinking starter or starter solinoid, because every once and a while when your trying to start it, you'll hear the starter click out, but not engage. its not grinding or anything, so i thats why i was thinking solinoid. there was some corrossion on the both battery terminals, but that was the first thing i did was clean all that off and still not change in the car