Fix starter or buy a new car?
So I have a 99 Honda Accord that recently wouldn't (or would barely) start. The lights would come on and the car would click but it wouldn't turn over (I think that's the right term). I got it to start eventually and AutoZone said that it was the starter. This car has a bunch of leaks too and I'm pretty sure the transmission is about to go out on it (when leaving a parking spot it sometimes just coasts out and won't kick into gear/get umph). I'm thinking it's time for me to just get a new reliable car and not spend any more money on this (I've spent at least 800 this year on breaks, radiator hoses, etc.). I think I'm done. But I can barely afford a new car payment. It would have to be a used car under 10,000 if I get another one. What would be smarter?
First off I wouldn't trust a sales person at auto zone to diagnose a damn thing! If the motor doesn't turn over try jumping the battery after making sure the battery cables and clamps are making good contact. Didn't auto zone test the battery and charging system for you? A battery with a bad cell can keep jump starting from working so make sue your battery is good before putting a starter in the car. If the starter is bad it will cause the positive battery cable to heat up due to the extra current draw. If your automatic transmission feels like it's slipping trade the car in the minute you get it running again!
Thebax2006 has it right. 1999 is in the Great Honda Automatic Transmission Debacle; with those symptoms the car is probably not worth a repair, and your description of recent repairs are a picture of a car that is at the end of the road.
However, for this problem I suspect the ignition switch is bad - a much more common problem with that era Honda than the starter. There were three recalls on the 1999 Accord for the ignition switch (see the source), one of which is for these symptoms. The recall period may have expired but it does not hurt to ask.
I'm sure it's the starter. If you turn the key and try to start the car and hear a clinking noise, it's the solenoid trying to kick the starter. That's how you know. Another way is have someone turn the key like try to start the car and while doing so you or the other person get something like a rubber hammer and hit the starter at the same time the key turns when starting. If the car starts up then you know it's the starter. But make sure you hit the starter and not the solenoid.
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