Diagnose my starter problem

[mnkiboy]

So I let the girlfriend drive the car today as I had a hire car with work. She phoned me at 5pm to say the car wouldn't start and wasn't turning the engine over.

Being a miserable cynic, I naturally I presumed she'd left the lights on or sat nav plugged in, and that the battery would be flat.

When I got to the car it was acting as if the battery was flat, so I push started it and drove around for 45 mins to give the battery a bit of charge. I switched off and attempted to restart but the symptoms were the same, with the exception that the lights weren't dimming as they were before. After a couple of attempts to start it, we noticed a bit of smoke appearing from the engine bay, and gave up at this point as i'm worried about melting wiring.

Car is a 2002 Focus 1.6. Is this a replacement starter needed, or does the smoke point to something else? I'm pretty sure it's not the battery as she mentioned a work colleague tried jump starting it to no effect.

[4key]

Battery light on the dashboard works and wasnt flickering or lightly glowing? This may be difficult to see in bright sunlight

[mnkiboy]

Light works and wasn't on. This was only about 1 hour ago and it's quite dull here.
I was convinced it was the battery until I saw the smoke.

[4key]

No warning light on the dash, everything else working in the car and it bump starting would suggest starter motor. Is it clicking when you turn the key? Id say the live wire is fried to it. Have a look underneath at the front if the engine into the side if the gearbox. The wires are quite obvious

[littleredrooster]

Poor earth-lead connection. Check main wire from battery to block and re-make connections at both ends.