car wont start/crank, dead battery? starter? alter

[Guest]

Well, for the past two weeks the car would take roughly 1-3 seconds cranking to actually start, sometimes it was "loud" cranking, others were very "shallow" cranking. This past weekend I was heading out, the car took a good 5 seconds making a low cranking sound, but starter. Called my moms husband, decided to drive over to show him (i know nothing about cars, computers everything you need to possibly know, cars? nothing.) So, I get over there thinking just my luck itll fire right up (which sometimes it did even when other times it took awhile to crank then start). Nope, he gets in, dead, making the noise, but then it stopped, did it about three times. on the third try it didnt even make a noise. suspecting battery issues took the terminals off, some corrosion on the positive so we cleaned them off, putem on, same thing, cranking, but started. So I get home, turn it off and tryed it, same thing cranking then started. So, last night I get to work, turn it off and say what the hell, tryed it. DEAD, so i said screw it went to work. Lunch comes, tryed it, dead, not a peep outta it, no noise at all. headlight are fine, radio works, fan blows (ruling out dead battery (one of the electrical guys at work, also a very handy mechanic) narrowed it to battery, battery connections, starter or alternator. Now, we tryed jumping it, NOTHING no noises, nothing. Hooked up volt/amp meter to it, 12.74, good battery? So, one of the guys gets the bright idea to stick a screwdriver to the starter, some nice sparks, but nothing. So basically the two of them say "oh its your starter, not engaging since it has power going to it.


So my crappy paragraph is all mumbled together, im sorry.

Is there any other tests I can SIMPLY try to eliminate the starter or alternator? Im thinking if the starter was good, him taking the screwdriver to it shooting the sparks out probably fried a good starter if the starter was good.


thanks for any help

[Purple Haze 2]

Take the starter out git jumper cables and touch the leads to the posts of the starter and if it works it good if it don't do anything it dead hope that helps and that is what we do at the dealer i work at

[1988GTU]

To by time, you can just wack it with a hammer until you get to fixin' it.  Although, it may work one time with the hammer, or it could last forever.  
It is the starter.  The metal inside mended together when it got hot once and caused it to fry itself out.  
Straight forward job to R&R.