Battery/Starter issues?

[supernaught]

Ive been away from my car for 5 weeks. Before I left I removed the terminals from my battery because I believe I have a problem in my charging system and it would have been dead when I got home.
In any case, got home, checked some fluids, checked the battery, connected terminals, and fired her up. Good stuff, she purred away as usual.
Let her sit idling for 10 minutes, then drove about 3 kms to the grocery store. When I came out, no problem, started, put it in reverse, she chugged a few times, and stopped.
Turned her off, back on, tried to start and a clunk happened. then.... No life.
No dash lights nothing.
My best guess is my starter has decided to **** me over and die.
OR, is my battery just a little ****ed up?
I checked fuses, no problem, ground, fine, didnt get a chance to boost it because I had to get to a meeting but ill try after work.
Any ideas would be great. If anyone has a next day solution for a starter(supplier) that would be awesome. If my stater killed my battery and I can just replace it till I get a starter later this(or next) week, that would be fine i guess.
Any help guys.
Rob

[supernaught]

89 325 ix

[FuryriderX]

starter = a long and hard replacement, from what i've heard. but it doesnt sound overly like that's it.....

can you get dash lights in any position _other_ than 'start'? if you can, maybe your starter has shorted itself out. in which case you will need a new one.

if there are no dash lights _whatsoever_ no matter what position the key is in, try giving it a jump and seeing what happens (make sure the other car is running when you connect the last clamp). if you have a voltmeter, disconnect the ground terminal and measure the voltage of the battery. if its ~13V, its still charged. anything below 11V is dead, pretty much.

it could also be the battery itself - if the plates inside it separate, it will cause the electrical system to cease to function. this happened to me a while ago. in this case, all you'll need is a new battery. but the voltmeter will tell you whether or not the battery is dead.

[supernaught]

I am off to try and boost it now.
I have a really good starter service shop next to my work I will take mine to if thats the problem. Hopefully a new battery is all it takes. With easter weekend here it would be nice to drive it. If its the starter im ****ed until next week.
May be time to buy a 2nd driver.
Anyone have a jeep or pickup for sale?

I'll update shortly after I find out what the issue is.

[burnhard22]

I have an issue that sounds similar.
After hooking up the battery after the winter (which was in the garage) car has power but won't tyrn over. I slow charged, boosted, quick charged, and even tried jerking off on the battery terminals and...still nothin.
I'm off to get a battery today but want to know what the best one would be.
I was told that it doesn't mean shit that you have 3000cca as your alternator won't charge that size of battery and your actually wasting the battery and life span. You are suppose to get a battery close to the range of the stock battery your car ame with or atleast a replacement with the same ca,cca, etc.
What battery would you recomeend or use in your E30 9rear mount)
Let me know.
thanks

[T.Dot_E30]

Sounds like a pouched battery, similar thing happened to me mid-winter when i wanted to start the car up on the nice day.

Battery had been charging since the day before, but wouldn't start the car when i put it in.

I had to boost the car to start, ran/drove it for over an hour, after turning it off it still wont start.

I picked up a new Die Hard International battery, still haven't put it in and started the car up thou.

[FuryriderX]

The stock battery is around 850CA or so. its a honkin big one. so a motomaster eliminator or something of that caliber should work just fine. any size alternator can charge any size battery, it will just take longer if the battery is huge.

i was running a 190A alternator on my other car with a small battery - had no problems whatsoever.

[burnhard22]

thanks mon.
I'm going to try a Interstate or damn motormaster.
thx

[sic///M]

did you jump it? if so and it start, its most likely the alternater

[supernaught]

new battery and all is good