Starters

[Bo408]

Originally posted by 88fivepointoh
sounds like you need to put some thread lock on them bolts and find out why they are coming out? Are the threads stripped.. it falls off and shorts out on the block, you can damage your ECM and other electronics.

Anyways, to be somewhat helpful from the half-a$$ed description you gave us, your car probably would not cut out if the starter was bad. The starter STARTS the car. If it don't do crap when you turn the key, then it's dead. If it was loose you'd have some major grinding noises, as the thing would beat the piss out of your flywheel.
It was a struggle to get it started right before it died (went bad)