Chrysler Repair: neon wont start, battery, alternator or starter, starter car, current meter

Question
Car 'clicks' when turning key. It will jump start, battery charger goes right up to charged.  How do I know if it is starter or alternator.  Car stopped running when battery was diconnected.

Answer
Hi Karen,
How old is the battery compared to its warranteed life? That is one thing to consider.  When you say it "goes right up to charged" I usually think of chargers as having a current meter that shows the amount of current that you can put into the battery, and when the battery is fully charged the ammeter reads near 0 amps, rather than "goes right up", so be sure you are reading that correctly. If it were a voltmeter, then that might well be correct to have a higher reading with a full charged condition.
When you have it running does the battery charge warning light illuminate or even glow slightly reddish? That would be a sign of a questionable alternator; if there is a voltmeter in your cluster it should read about mid-scale when driving.
The fact that it will start with a jump means the starter is fine.
The issue is the battery weak/discharged due to age or due to an alternator that is not charging it?
So get a jump start and look at the voltmeter on the dash if there is one or check the battery charge warning light. If those look to be ok, I would check the battery more closely particularly if it is nearing the end of its warranty.
Let me know the year of your Neon if you write back.
Roland
PS Please use the "thank and rate" tab below to get back with further questions. There is a comments section where you can respond in specific. I will get back to you without your having to wait for me to be available.