Having trouble getting car started...Please advise..

[Bassett72]

My mother's Buick Park Avenue ~1999 is getting to be hard to start. She has to crank it over about 4-5 times to get it going. It seems to try a few times, but it just sputters. I clean some corrosion off of the battery terminals, but it still does it. I'm now thinking starter, or maybe just a bad battery in general. Like I said, it does turn over each time.

Also, any advise on a cheap diagnostic computer that would work for several models of cars!?!?! We have a Jeep, Cobra, Grand Prix, and my mother has the Buick---The oldest is a 1997. Also, my brother and sister in-law have a Honda and a Chrysler minivan. Anything that would work on all of them and not cost a fortune? Any place on the web to get them cheap?

Please advise...Thanks

[2turboimports]

if it turns over every time it's def. not the starter or the battery.

A car needs 3 main things to combust. Air, fuel and timing/spark.

It could be any number of things within those systems.

You could get an OBD2 code scanner at pretty much any local auto parts store. They usually run around 50 bucks. Just hook it up to the diagnostics port (usually located under the steering column somewhere) put the key to 'on' and it'll pull any/all codes the ecu is throwing.

If you want to just take stabs at what's wrong you'll end up spending ALOT more money than you should. It could be spark plugs, plug wires, distributor/coil pack, fuel filter, dirty injectory, bad fuel pump, etc, etc.

Hope this helps

(Edit: The OBD scanner will work on all of your cars since the oldest being a 97 is still OBD2. And they are universal.)