Car starter or battrey?

I have 1997 mitsubishi galant ES. Lately I have been having a problem starting my car. I press on the brakes hard and turn the key...and nothing! There is a click sound, but the engine never starts. Only after 3-5 attempts does the car start.

I first thought it was my key or that I wasnt pressing the brakes hard enough, but I dont think thats the case. Is it my battreys or is it my starter. Somebody suggested it was my starter. What does a starter do and how much will it cost me to change it?

Also when i went to the local jiffy lube he suggested that because my car had 130,000 miles...I should get a full trasmission service done on my car. He suggested something for $90! Is it worth it? Has anyone else gotten a trsmission service? What are the other places that i can get one for cheaper?

Thanks a lot for all the help.

i too am having this problem in a 2001 Galant. At first i thought it was the battery so i had it replaced. After replacing the battery i noticed the positive terminal was loose even though i tightened it to the max. SO everytime the car would not start i jiggled that cable. And it would start. couple nights ago i removed the terminal protector in order to tighten it some more. (black plastice piece) I also used a tooth brush to clear off carrosion on the negative terminal. After all that i tried to start the car and nothing. So back to square one no idea whats going on with the car. Today I will jump start the car. If anyone has any suggestions please let me know thanks.

In my experience, if the terminals on the battery are clean and tight, and the car still won't start right, I'd check the spark plugs and plug wires first. That'll be the cheapest fix. If that doesn't work, check the ignition coil. If that doesn't fix it, then it's probably the starter. I've had a car or two that had a "dead spot" in the starter that caused it not to start for the first two or three turns of the key untill it hits a "good spot".

check your battery voltage by putting a volt meter between the terminals. a battery should read 13.5 - 14.4 volts. if you get a similar reading its possible it could be a solonoid sticking

I had the same problem with my 95 galant for almost 2 years. About 5 months ago the mechanic replaced the starter and that did not fix the problem. He replaced the Ignition switch (in steering column) and that problem has not happened again.