Starting problems

taylor4g63 · May 9, 2004

Here lately i've been developing a problem with my car not wanting to start. It used to just start up fine, no sounds, just turn over once or twice and it started up just like that. 2 days ago is when it really started getting bad. When i try to start it, it makes this god-awful sound. I dont even know where to start trying ot describe it, but its ugly and incredibly loud. the sound has been getting progressivly worse; the sound getting louder, and one time last night it wouldn't even turn over (just made the terrible sound). So i slide up under the car real fast acting like i know what im doing, mess with the starter to see if its loose or something - its not. Luckly when i tried to start it again, it started. Other than making sure the starter is tight, what should i try to do? Could it need shimming out? I don't understand why it just suddenly starting happening, and getting worse over the course of a few days. Any ideas?

WORTH · May 9, 2004

Withot knowing what kind of sound it is making I am going to guess that the starter drive is going.

snowb07 · May 9, 2004

In my old tempo when the starter was making noise and not starting I would tap it kinda hard but not to hard to break it with a hammer and it would then start right up,,
I cannot say why but it did.,,
-fred

taylor4g63 · May 9, 2004

i don't know how to describe the sound. Its a very ugly, incredibly loud, metal on metal kinda noise. Im thinking its something with the starter barely engaging with the flywheel, because today i tried to crank it and see waht would happen and it made the sound for a split second, then the starter spun freely. If the starter was loose, it would make sense, but since its tight im clueless. Guess ill take the starter off and go get another one from advance ( to lifetime warranties ) and see what happens.

mustang70 · May 9, 2004

It sounds like the engagement mechanism isn't working right anymore causing the starter gear not to move all the way out. Check your flywheel while you have the starter out for any damaged teeth.

syberjunkie · May 9, 2004

when you take your starter off, be sure to check the teeth of the flywheel, and make sure they [the starter] haven't been eating each other up...

syberjunkie · May 9, 2004

ah, dang it, mustang70 beat me to the punch....

mustang70 · May 9, 2004

And I'm out of practice. Wait until I start posting regularly again.

gingerbreadman · May 9, 2004

if the engine runs and sounds fine once its allready started your problem lies in the starter to flywheel (ring gear) area.... I remember my buddy had a mustang2 and there were parts of the ring gear chewed up... sometimes when he tried to start it it would make that kinda sound... youd have to bump the starter a couple times to get it past the bad part of the ring gear then it would catch.....

pull the starter out look at the teeth.. if there all busted up replace it.... while the starter is out have someone turn the motor slowly by hand ( socket and ratchet on the lower pulley method) while you watch the ring gear go by in the now vaccant starter spot under the car...... if the ring gear is chewed? well need i say more......... or is there an inpection plate on your trannie????

-gbm-

taylor4g63 · May 9, 2004

well i just put in a new flywheel when i rebuilt the motor and tranny (less than 5,000 miles ago). I will take a nice long look at it tomorrow and see if the ring gear is chewed up at all.

what exactly is an inpection plate?

gingerbreadman · May 10, 2004

taylor4g63 said:
what exactly is an inspection plate?

on my c6 in my 70 there was a thin plate probly 8 inches long by 3 inches high that unbolted and i think you could see the ring gear its been a while tho so i cant remember tottaly...

-gbm-

69PaleHorse · May 10, 2004

Your c4 will have an inspection plate as well. I recently went through the same situation. When attempting to start the car, there was a nasty grinding noise, metal on metal. Ring gear was chewed and so was the starter gear.

My AOD conversion may come a little earlier than expected.

taylor4g63 · May 10, 2004

hm, its a fairly new starter and new flywheel, so why would the ring be chewed up (if thats the case)? Has to be something not quite right causing it to get chewed off...

Acually thats probably what it is, I remember when i first bought her and on the way home stopped to put some gas in it. It was making the same sound and couldn't get it to start because the gear on the flywheel was chewed off. eh, going to take a look at it now...

Oh and i put a blockplate in there if thats the same thing as an inspection plate when i put in the new stall a few monthes ago.

taylor4g63 · May 10, 2004

Alright First i got under the car and tried tightening up the starter bolts just to see what would happened. I could tighten the bottem one maybe 1/4 turn, top 1/2 turn. Tried to start it, did the same thing. So then i take it out, check the teeth on the starter and they look good, and the teeth on the flywheel look pretty dang good too. Im lost as to where to go from here...i guess go get a new starter and see if that helps?

taylor4g63 · May 10, 2004

I think i found the problem, and wow im an idiot for not thinking of this. A week or 2 ago i realized the bottom bolt on the starter was stripped, so i was just going to put a nut on the bolt to get it tight. Problem was there was no way to get that size nut to fit because it was too big. So i decid to just get a 5/16 bolt and nut, and put that and snug it up since it would fit. Now what im thinking is that with that the starter was able to move that 1/16th of an inch causing the problems. Ran out of time to finish up today because i had to do a lil work on the DD, but ill finish it up tomorrow and let yal know whats up with it.

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