Trouble starting, now it won't start

[CutlassSL91]

The last two weeks, my car has been having a LOT of trouble starting up. I turn the key and it makes a loud buzz kind of sound. i wait try it again, and eventually it would start. the last week has been awful. the same thing will happen, and sometimes it will start to turn over, and then it make the buzzing sound, you can almost hear a slight scraping sound. the battery is good and i believe the connections are good. Now today at work it would not start at all, jst the buzzing, and the trying to turn over. What's wrong?

[3pt1lumina]

I can't say I've ever heard of a buzzing before. Is it more like a cranking but not firing up or does it not even crank?

 

If it feels like it's hitting a "flat spot" my guess would be starter...maybe an alternator. If you can get it to an Autozone or something, they can test the alternator or battery. I don't think it's the battery though.

[CutlassSL91]

my alternator is only 8 mos. old. yeah, you are right about the flat spot. its a "not gripping" feeling.

[Prospeeder]

Sounds like the starter died on u, sure its a buzzing, or a clicking

[CutlassSL91]

so a starter, when it goes out, doesn't just have a clicking sound right? It can be this loud buzzing grinding sound i am hearing?

[88Regal Limited]

starter out of aline-ment?

[CutlassSL91]

any other thoughts?

[Crazy K]

How often does it happen? (how regularly?)

 

sounds llike you'll need a new starter, and that you should inspect your flywheel for missing teeth and/or for warping.

[CutlassSL91]

oh i hope i didn't damage the flywheel. it has been happening everything for the past two weeks and now it finally got to the point where it won't start at all. just the nasty sound

[CutlassSL91]

somebody must have had a similar experience?! ?

[Crazy K]

I did with a lincoln. It had lost three teeth on the starter's gear. You should drop the starter, and a place like Autozone or advanced may be able to test. If you can, have an assistant turn the engine by hand to observe the flywheel.

[CutlassSL91]

i will probably have it towed to a local garage i usually go to. the nearest autozone or any place like that is 40mi away. how bad is it when the flywheel is damaged?

[Crazy K]

it's a PITA. Engine will have to be seperated from the tranny to replacem and the engine will probably have to be hoisted out of the car(not necessarily removed, but raised maybe 2 feet)

A simple test you can do on the bench(ie with jumpercables and a battery) is to ground the starter and contact both it's hot contacts at the same time. If it spins, but the gear does not move out(into flywheel contact position), or if it spins slowly, it's probably bad.

[CutlassSL91]

any specific noise or anything associated with a bad flywheel?

[Crazy K]

You may hear grinding, or have spots where the engine will not turn at all. But these may be the same symptoms of a bad starter, however.

 

If you are worried about dropping the starter, there is a dustshield held on by three or four 10 mm bolts. Pull the dustshield off, get a good flashlight, and obverve the starter and flywheel as much as possible. Take extreme care if you do so (ie jackstands or something if you have to raise the car, but you might have an assistant crank the engine if you have some help, while you are observing.... (and be safe and use safety glasses or something!)

[CutlassSL91]

today i was very close to getting it started, it started to turn over and then it gave up and make the humming buzzing metallic sound again

[Crazy K]

No actual grinding? I may have been on the wrong track.

Most likely the starter is just old and nearly dead, such that it can't overcome the load it needs to crank the engine. Too much load from the engine and/or it's accesories might be a factor(such as a siezed accesory, like my alternator this weekend:() Removing the starter and having it tested will prove fault. Take it off and apply power to it from a battery. if it's weak and sluggish..... I suggest replacing the starter.

[CutlassSL91]

no i guess i wouldn't call it grinding. it's a weird noise,very metallic and buzz-like, like electrical maybe). it used to do it only when it was below 0 degrees outside.

 

oh and today it actually made a popping sound like an electrical popping (i think) when i tried it for the 7 th time or so

 

fir the past year it always takes a coule seconds to start it. if the car was running and i turned it off, and turned it back on within 10 mins or so, it would fire up really really fast

[Crazy K]

Sorry dude. I think the starter has had it. Basically you have a starter that responds to electricity but won't overcome the resistance of the emgine. Failing to turn, it would make just make an electric buzz.

 

p.s. wouldn't you be buzzing if someone was running 600 Cold Cranking Amps through you?