Mitsubishi Repair: 93 2.0 n/t eclipse starting problem, couple degrees, alternator belt

Question
Hi, ive been driving my 93 eclipse non turbo 2.0 standard transmission for 6 months with no problem. Then all of a sudden one day it wouldnt start. The power was fine..the lights turned on and my cd player was playing music. My buddy tried to jump start it but it didnt work. So then i pop started the car and everything ran fine. The next day the car started fine, but when I got to the store and tried starting it again it didnt start. When I turn the key there is a single clicking noise then nothing, so i know my ignition system isnt bad. Could this be a bad starter then? Plus I also found one of my belts were snapped, it wasnt the altinator belt however. But if one of the belts were snapped the starter would still try to crank the engine over wouldnt it? Im just very confused about this whole situation, and worried because I have no way to get to work.  

Answer
Bob,
If you live in an area with cold weather, a couple degrees can make all the difference whether your engine starts or not.  The symptoms you described are usually caused by a bad starter motor.  Usually people notice their starters developing problems in the winter months.  It's fairly common for a 13 year old car and shouldn't be too expensive to have fixed.

A weak battery can also contribute to it, but odds are your starter motor needs to be replaced.  The next time you can get it started, head right over to a mechanic and ask to have the starter replaced.  You should also ask the mechanic to have your battery and alternator load tested to be sure they are functioning properly as well.  

You only have 3 belts that you can normally see; alternator, power steering, and A/C.  Since your car will run once you get it started, your alternator belt definitely isn't the broken one.  While your car is runnning, if you do not have to use every muscle in your upper body to turn the steering wheel, that means your power steering belt is still intact.   So that just leaves your A/C belt.  It's not a big deal until summer time comes and you want your A/C to work.  The snapped belt and the bad starter have nothing to do with each other, other than the fact they are probably both old.  When you have your starter replaced, have all 3 of your drive belts replaced as well.
Good luck!