Thursday, October 13, 2005 - 11:27 am, by: Chris Fonte(Luvbuds)
Sometimes when i start my car in the mornings it makes this crunching noise just before it starts. Im thinking its my starter Motor. Pretty vague description i know but its real hard to explain. Ok ill do an re-enactment. Turn Keys..Car Turns Over....CRRRUNCHHH!!Then shes off and running. Not always usually cold mornings. Anyone know what this could be?
Thursday, October 13, 2005 - 11:37 am, by: James Harris(Haro)
hmmm,
i know that in one of my old cars that did that (Nissan Pulsar ET turbo) it was the RING GEAR that was stuffed
BUt it could also be your starter motor, as when they get old, they little cog thingo that turns in the starter motor does not fully attach to the ring gear and then kinda grinds it.
Thursday, October 13, 2005 - 11:41 am, by: Dave Hart(Davyboy)
Lift your bonnet, find your air compressor (bottom right as you look at the snake belt) un-plug the feed (2 pin socket) then start her up and see if it makes the noise. If not then you need a new air con, if yes could be one of the pulleys or something in your transmission.
Thursday, October 13, 2005 - 03:52 pm, by: Don Bagnall(Baggs)
Sounds muchly like a dodgy Bendix gear. No biggy to fix, just drop the starter motor out, check the Bendix for smooth sliding on the shaft, inspect the teeth (dentist!). If ya teeth are OK, then it's probably grunged up on the shaft. Give it a good spray with WD-40/CRC etc, until the bendix slides smoothly, then reinstall.
You can test the starter out of the car to ensure that the starter solinoid is "Throwing" the bendix as far as is required.
Get a set of jumper leads, clip the negative lead onto the body of the starter motor, then touch the positive lead to the main terminal on the solinoid. The solinoid should throw the bendix out to the end of the shaft, and the starter motor should spin over like there's no tomorrow.
CAUTION: Starter motors have a LOT of torque, so MAKE SURE you're hangin on to the starter REAL TIGHT, coz it will jump about.
Thursday, October 13, 2005 - 05:07 pm, by: James Harris(Haro)
The ring gear is a huge pain the ass to get off hey. removing gear-box usually involves heating up of the whole clutch plate thingo that its attached to and then trying to pry it off. But if you need to just have a look at it, pull the starter motor off and look through the little hole with a torch, you may see dead teeth?
BUT if it is the ring gear, it should only make that noise every-now and then. If it crunches and the engine doesnt turn over, put the car in gear (well this is what i used to do, dont know what its like in an AUTO) and let it roll forward just a tiny bit, should move the ring gear a bit, and hopefully to some better teeth that the starter motor can grab onto.
Must be noted, that usually the ring gear only goes if the starter motor has been chewing away at it for a while *well that is my experience anyway*