YACT: No response when I turn the key :(

[Injury]

1997 Nissan Sentra... Mexican model, since the dealership always asks.

Tonight I was leaving work and my car wouldn't start. I turned the key and everything electical turned on, CD player started playing, lights came on. I didn't leave my lights on or anything. I'm up to par with my oil. Oil level was fine and still an amber color. No leaks, no dummy lights.

I get no response from it, no sounds, it's not turning over. I guy I work with said it was probably the starter solinoid(sp) or the Master? Relay... said it MIGHT be a fuse, buy doubtful. (His other job is as a GM technician)

Really what I'm asking is what could it possibly (even worst case scenarios) and how much will it cost. Running tight on the money. Just paid $300 yesterday to have the callipers and rotors replaced, was planning on giving it a wash and deep clean before the winter tomorrow and now it's stuck at the parking lot at work. Just didn't feel like having it towed tonight.

Thanks for any help, it's much appreciated.

 

[Heisenberg]

Starter solenoid is a good guess, as is a relay somewhere. Relays are pretty cheap, but starters/solenoids can run into a couple hundred pretty easily depending on what exactly they replace. Plus you always have labor to pay if you have a shop fix it. Something simple you can check right away are the battery cables. Make sure they're tight and not corroded.

 

[shekondar]

Dead battery.

 

[vegetation]

Battery. May have enough power for lights but not enough juice to even start cranking. If that's the original battery, then it's definitely worth looking into.

 

[T2T III]

Originally posted by: vegetation
Battery. May have enough power for lights but not enough juice to even start cranking. If that's the original battery, then it's definitely worth looking into.

Yup. Try a simple jump start and see if the car starts to crank over. This will be a cheap test to tell you if you need a battery.

 

[bengorkor]

Starter, my car had a similiar problem a few months ago.

 

[richardycc]

do you have an alarm with starter kill in the car? maybe that part is messed up.