Car won't start...

[5.O Drop Top]

Flywheel or starter?

Newbie post here but I heard you guys are better than that other site so I decided to ask all of you. Anyway, I went to go to lunch today only to find out that my car won't start. It makes a whirring sound as long as I'm turning the key over and then if I let go it grinds down. It kinda seems like it's not in gear but it is, and I verified that by putting it in reverse and I saw the reverse lights come on and it still won't start. I've tried all 6 gears. It's not a battery problem either as all the lights and radio and everything work fine. I also checked to make sure the fuel-cut switch in the trunk wasn't flipped (although it'd have no reason to be) but I've had that happen to me once before. A buddy at work here told me that it's most likely either "a broken tooth on the flywheel or on the starter."

Now I could most likely push start it and pop the clutch but obviously I don't want to be doing this everytime I need to go somewhere, or even ever again. If it's the flywheel that could suck because that's a lot of money to have replaced. I don't know how to do it myself nor do I have the tools or a garage even if I did. This is Christmas season and every dollar right now goes towards gifts.

If it's an issue with the starter, how much would it cost to replace and could I do that myself? It is an eletric starter but I'm not sure what kind or anything.

If it's an issue with the flywheel, how much would it cost to have that replaced (parts and labor, you can generalize)?

He also mentioned one other thing that I don't really remember but it was something about a piece from the starter falling into the transmission. Could that ruin the transmission right away? If this were the case I would have to replace only the starter and then what, have the transmission dropped and opened to remove the loose piece? What kind of money is that? Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[5.O Drop Top]

Not even one reply in an hour? C'mon guys, help me out.

 

[jrichker]

Here's a checklist:

Check battery, terminal connections, ground, starter relay switch (also known as solenoid) and starter in that order.

A voltmeter is handy if you are familiar with how to use it to find bad connections. Measure the voltage drop across a connection: more than .5 volts across a connection indicates a problem.
See http://www.fluke.com/application_notes/automotive/circuit.asp?AGID=1&SID=103#volt for a diagram on how to do voltage drop testing

1.) Will the car start if it is jumped? Then clean battery terminals and check the battery. Most auto parts stores will do a free battery check if you bring them the battery.

2.) Check the battery to engine block ground, and the ground behind the engine to the firewall.

3.) Check the cables for cracks in the insulation, and corrosion around the wire where it joins the connector. Look for swelling of the cable’s diameter which would indicate corrosion inside the cable. Bending the cable can often reveal corrosive damage inside the cable when the outside looks OK.

4.) Put the car's transmission in neutral or have someone press in on the clutch. Then pull the small push on connector (red wire) off the starter relay (Looks like it is stuck on a screw) and jump it to the terminal that is connected to the battery. If it starts, the relay is good and your problem is in the rest of the circuit.

5.) .) Remember to check the ignition switch, neutral safety switch on auto trans and the clutch safety switch on manual trans cars. If they are good, then the relay is bad. See http://www.autozone.com/images/cds/gif/large/0900823d80195960.gif for a very good diagram of the starter & neutral safety switch wiring

6.) Jump the big terminals on the starter relay next to the battery with a screwdriver - watch out for the sparks! If the engine cranks, the starter and power wiring are good. The starter relay is also known as a starter solenoid. If jumpering the two big solenoid posts made the starter crank, the logical next step is to replace the starter solenoid (also known as the starter relay).

7.) The starter may be hung, loosen up the bolts that hold it on, and give it a good whack with a big hammer. Tighten up the bolts and try again.

8.) Pull the starter and take it to Autozone or Pep Boys and have them test it. If the starter fails the test, then replace it. If you got this far, the starter is probably bad.

 

[crunchie12268]

yeah, that pretty much sums it up

 

[5.O Drop Top]

Thanks for the help. Is there any possibility it could be a chipped tooth on the flywheel? If so, can I leave it as it is for about another month or so (past Christmas) or will teeth continue to break off/chip as a result of this? Also, assuming it was the flywheel and it was left as it is, how would that affect normal everyday shifting/driving?