Clicking sound when starting

Sarah,

You really need to describe the symptoms better to provide much assistance.

When you try to start the vehicle and hear the "click" does the starter turn the engine over or is there just silence afterward? If you hear a click followed by nothing then based on what you have said and assuming the battery is still fully charged the problem is probably the starter solenoid (more likely), starter relay (less likely), or ignition switch (less likely). Given that the battery cables were likely cleaned (with a wire brush) before the new battery was installed, these can probably be ruled out, although the battery cable connection at the starter itself could still need a good cleaning as well.

If it is the starter solenoid, then you can generally keep re-trying and eventually the solenoid plunger will "catch" and make good enough contact to start the car. (This might explain why the tow truck driver was able to get it started.) A way I've used to validate that it was the starter solenoid was to have someone turn the key and hold in the start position while I was reaching under the vehicle (be very careful if you try this) and lightly taping on the starter itself. The vibration is usually enough to seat the solenoid and engage the starter.

If the battery is run down (check the voltage) then the problem could also well be a defective alternator.

As to this being a fuel pump, this would not prevent the starter from turning over so if this is what you are seeing then the starter and solenoid are fine and you need to look elsewhere, but keep in mind that fuel is just one of three things required for combustion.

Good luck.

Bob

Did the shop that changed the battery check the charging system? They should have. Could be loose belt or alternator.

Often a car will not start with the type of jumper cables most stores offer. Many of the cables sold have very little copper conductor in them, often only #10awg but they do have a misleading large thickness of plastic covering. Cables like those are good only if you have a dead battery that can be recharged. They don't carry enough current to start an engine. It may take 20 minutes or more for the battery to charge enough to crank the engine. The jumper cables I have now are the largest ones that Sears sold, #4awg as I recall. Even those are a bit skimpy for jump starting. I used to have a set of cables that must have been #0 conductor and were heavy enough to start a Cadallac on the first crank. Alas the insulation started to go on those cables and I had to replace them.

If you have a voltmeter, the battery should measure about 12V with engine off and full charge on battery. With engine running, you should get 13.8V or thereabouts for a good charging system. From what I've read on the Saturns, all sorts of strange stuff happens if the voltage is not good. Be sure to check that first. On cranking, battery voltage shouldn't fall below 8V.

Oppie

The fact that the car ran for a few days after you replaced the battery points to a bad alternator. When you installed the new battery you had lots of power but if the alternator was not working (usually the regulator inside the alternator shorts out (a common occurrence in Saturns) ) This causes the battery to discharge enough after a few days to leave you stranded again. Get yourself a digital meter at an automotive store (they are very inexpensive about $15) and then you can do the simple tests mentioned in the previous tread and you can quickly tell what is the problem. It is a lot cheaper then just guessing and buying different parts needlessly. It will be also very useful in the future if you have any more electrical problems. Alex