2001 Saturn SL1 Starting problem

On the S model saturn depending on the year if they have a starter relay it's located under the dash on the driver side. What you are talking about on the S model saturn is the starter solenoid not the starter relay.I have never seen the solenoid available by itself iam not saying they don't sell them some where just saying I haven't seen one. If power was traced to the starter and it wasn't turning the starter on I would replace the whole starter even on my own car.A tow cost more then a whole starter even not worth taking the chance.[/Quote:7b19760696]

My saturn is 2001 SL 1, and I looked all over and didn't see any starter relay. Yesterday I was driving the car and stopped for few minutes in the town for some info. Back to the car, I try to start it and the car didn't want to start. I let the key on the igniton, turned to on position, and try to start with a wire from the starter to the positive of the battery. The car didn't start that way either, was the same like I was in the car and turn the key to start the car and nothing happen: no noise, no "click" just everything else working: radio, dash lights, etc. Turned the key to off position and try to see if I touch the positive of the battery with the wire, It will give me the noise like the car is ready to start? Nope, not a sign of starting, using that method either. I gave up trying to start with the wire, close the hood and. Decided to give one more try with the key. It worked, the car started like nothing happened.
So, those are the signs that I need to change the starter?

I think I have both of them. What do I need to do, so I can give the instructions to my husbad to do it ( he is with the work and I am with the writing :) )

Ok, I will do what you said when the problem will appear. So far, since I posted the first time, it happened just once. No idea how much time I haver to wait for this thing to occur again.I hope not, but. Never know! Thanks!

Well. Yesterday my car stopped starting again, and I guess this time it won't start at all. I managed to come home and when I tried starting it, it didn't start. I poured cold water over the area where the starter is but it didn't work. I have the wire connected to the starter and I tried, by touching the positive charge of the battery, to start the car. At first it didn't work, but sparks were visible when the wire touched the positive of the battery. I kept touching the positive of the battery with that wire and all of a sudden, the car starts. I have it up on the ramps ( to make it easy to work under the car), stopped the car and that was the last time when my car starts. I guess the next move is. Take off the starter and replace it. I really really hope this is the problem. I kept looking on the internet and I found out that so many people have the same problem that I have had with those SL 1 models. According to what I found, some of them changed the ignition, the battery, battery cable, starter, tranny switch.I kept looking in order to find out if they got the problem solved but so far no luck, no one posted if they solved the problem by changing one of the above. I am pretty upset because the car has low mileage and so far, is the newest one I have and it is the worst one.

No one was home to do those tests. I looked all over the interet to find out what kind the problems certain cars have. I did that for every car I had up to this point. In my opinion, is good to know what kind of problems people have had with cars. I found out someone changed the starter on this model at 55,000 miles and found that the starter on the car was a rebuild one, which could mean this model has a bad starter. More than likely I do not want to change starter every.20-30,000 miles. I have a "87 chevy caprice, with far far more mileage that this saturn have, and never change the starter. Anyway, if any work will be done today, I will be back with all the info.

I do know that what fix the same problem for other people, may not work on my case, but some ideas are always usefull.
Ok, here is the story. Today while I was gone, my husband took the starter out of the car. He changed the brushes ( he said the ones that the starter had weren't bad either) and the solenoid, and put it back on the car. Now the car starts and I hope will be no more problems. He really thinks the problem was the solenoid.

He got the brushes and the solenoid from a junk yard. I know, long ago, they use to sell those in the store, under the name of starter kit, but no idea if they are still doing that. And, for his curiosity, he opened the solenoid and said he saw some sort of burns inside. I went outside and start the car and I noticed starts quicker than before. Like I said, I hope won't do the same thing again. Of course I will keep the tests instructions. Thanks for the help and I will update with anything that will appear.