well i was driving home a few days ago and all of a sudden my voltmeter dropped to zero and my lights and windshield wipers stopped working, then my radio then the car started sputtering. i managed to get it about a block away from ym house then i had to push. when i put in the key and turn i get nothing, my interior lights barely come on.

so heres my q is it my alternator?

 

take your battery and alt to discount auto and have them test it for you for free. thats your best bet.

 

i'm in canada i'm pretty sure we don't have a discount auto

 

try recharging your battery. if it cranks up without a problem, it should read between 13/14 volts. drive around your block and watch the voltage to see if it starts to decline. if goes into the red, and dies, it's because your alt isnt charging up your battery. replacing the alt will fix everything. now... if the voltage doesnt drop after 10 minutes... then you know all you needed was to recharge your battery.

 

i charged my battery didn't work, ended up getting jumped and after i took off the jumper calbes the car died, i went out and got a new alternator after that and now it starts great

 

Sounds like you had better luck than I did. I had the same thing happen to me in my '93 Cavalier daily driver. The alternator went, then the battery went, then something burned up the rebuilt alternator I replaced the first one with. The charging system tested out fine, I was at a loss. The only thing left to check was the starter. I figured it was shorting out on itself somehow and not letting the juice get from the alternator back to the battery. Yesterday, I was going to take it off and replace it, but decided to check the wiring around the starter first. I noticed one of the wire looms looked a little brittle, so I started breaking it away and one of the primary wires was broken in half. I put a whole new wire in from the break back to the starter stud (positive stud) and the charging system's as good as new again.
Someone had used a butt joint connector on that wire in the past and it had rusted through, causing the tail end of it to break off from itself. If I hadn't picked away at that wire loom, I don't think I ever would have found it.

 

ah i replaced the starter solonoid about 2 month back so all the wires on the starter were good, and i had my buddy giving me a life line from his gta.

its all about tracing the problem

 

ur the lucky one... my car wont even budge.... i have a crazy system with a 1000w amp, 2 12"s... the whole deal... all that works, all my lights work and i know my battery is fine cuz i click the jumpers together and they shoot sparks for miles.. but when i try to turn her over.... NADA.. she doesnt even try... i turn the key, and CLICK... nothing, no groan, moan, struggle... nothing... just the click... alternator never had a problem.. it charges over 10-12 the whole time the car is running... i think its my starter... even though i have a LO5 in it, its my old LO3 starter that has 150k miles on it... either the solenoid or just the whole damn thing... any opinions??

 

ok is all your hearing is a click? or does the starter even try to kick in?

cus if all you get is a click and the rest of the electrical works its the solonoid

in fact i'd bet 20 bucks its your solonoid , which is about a 20 to 30 dollar fix tops

and hell why your at it crack open the top of the starter and check the brushes, if they look like they are about to go pick up a starter rebuilt kit aswell for another 20 bucks its a cheap improvement and alot cheaper then getting a new starter

 

the starter doesnt even try... it just gives me the finger right there...

 

its your solonoid 100 percent guarentee i had to replace mine not to long ago and i had the same problem, like i said before its a cheap and real easy fix