'03 won't start, was clicking, stopped

[Adasha]

Single mom, so be gentle...

Car would not start yesterday morning. Heard a loud pop like a vapor pocket due to being parked unlevel during a storm (?)
Then heard only clicking when I'd turn key. Eventually the clicking stopped and now it does nothing when I turn the key.
Got a new battery and it's the same result.
Got a new starter 3 months ago.

Any ideas? Please be descriptive about what to try or fix. I'm not car repair savvy...

 

[Exproblems]

Single mom, so be gentle...

Car would not start yesterday morning. Heard a loud pop like a vapor pocket due to being parked unlevel during a storm (?)
Then heard only clicking when I'd turn key. Eventually the clicking stopped and now it does nothing when I turn the key.
Got a new battery and it's the same result.
Got a new starter 3 months ago.

Any ideas? Please be descriptive about what to try or fix. I'm not car repair savvy...

Did the "pop" sound happen while the engine was turning over during the very first key startup and the engine never fired up, only kept turning over after that? If it happened like this, could you smell gasoline in the air around the vehicle right afterwards as well? If so, this sort of sound and thing at startup just happened to me a few months and long story short, the brief popping sound I heard right after I turned the key over to start the engine was the rear timing chain "jumping out of time" while trying to start the motor one morning and the motor needed replacing because it was the rear timing chain that went bad. The clicking sound you heard afterwards was the starter clicking from the battery being dead from the numerous attempts to start the motor. The engine not starting just drained the battery down and out of power. My battery went dead as well and the starter began to click. I'm just mentioning this as a possibility because your symptoms sound close to what happened to me.
Usually a popping sound could be due to a blown fuse, you may want to get someone to check them for you. Start with checking the ignition and starter related fuses. The owners manual has a list of the name and numbered fuses and where to find them in which fuse panel. You can download a copy of the owners manual here at this site, just use the search box at the top of the forum main page to find it. There is a "main" fuse box right behind the battery, where it is mounted on the inner driver side fender well hump in the engine compartment. The other fuse panel, is tucked up under the dash board and you access it thru the drivers foot well. You may need to use a mirror to look up under the dash and a flashlight to see what you are looking at for that fuse box. You also need to remove the lower dash trim panel (2 screws) just under the steering column to see this fuse panel. If a fuse is indeed blown (ex: metal electrode is broken in half), replace it with the correct amperage fuse, such as a 15, 20, 30 amp fuse etc. Fuses just pull out and push into place and are numbered for their amperage rating. Also, a bad Alternator can cause a battery to go dead because it won't recharge the battery as the engine runs and the engine runs off of battery power only, no help from the Alternator running the onboard electronics. Good luck!