Hey
I live in MA and when i start my car when it is cold out i hear a grinding noise for about 1-2 seconds. I turn the key, the starter turns, the engine starts then i hear imdeiatley the grinding like noise for 1-2 seconds. this occurs most frequently in the morning after the car has been sitting out all night, or even after work when the car has been sitting in the cold for 8 hours. It does not happen if you drive for a little while, warming the car up, then go into a store for example. Does anyone know what this might be and if it is something i should be worried about.
Thanks!

 

Sounds like the starter is hanging maybe.

 

Sound like your starter is going out. Cheapest place to buy one will be from advance auto parts or autozone plus, you get a lifetime warranty. I bought one from advance 2 years ago. I had same problem. I think, someone else correct me if I am wrong, the gear that engages to spin the flywheel doesn't retract fast enough and the sound you hear is the gear grinding on the teeth of the flywheel. I have had no problems since. Also, you are probably familiar with the mentioned parts places, but they will match each others price.

 

just to add something...i had this same problem last winter and i just kind of ignored it. I had no additional problems until reccently when it started getting cold again. I would have thought if my starter was going that i may have had some problems in the warmer months between say march and november. Im certainly no expert however...just throwing this out there.

 

Its definitely your starter. I had the same problem a few weeks ago when the weather was cold. I ended up replacing the starter because it was working on an intermittent basis.

 

You may want to try this before buying a new one

http://www.motorvate.ca/mvp.php/516

 

I had the exact problem a few years ago. Took the starter apart and regreased it per the motorvate web site instruction. If you have time, I would recommend to regrease the starter vs. getting un unknown rebuilt.

 

Your in massachusetts? I can show you how to regrease your factory starter, Its not to bad my 1996 did the same thing and the 1995 I just sold did it also. Those starters are great they just get dry and start to creak. You can get a new starter....but id much rather PB PLAST and MOBIL Grease for $6.50 in parts.

 

I had that same exact problem a year ago, but it turned out to be my battery. My car still hangs -sometimes- during the really cold mornings in winter, but most of it was nothing my new battery couldn't solve. My starter will probably be the next thing I fix.

 

Thanks for all the advice...im gonna check it out and see if regreasing the starter is something that i can handle. One other quick thing though, reccently it is taking longer for the car to start then it used to...the starter has to turn more then before. i know this happens in the winter when its cold and i know many cars that take much longer then mine, but it was just something different then what was happening before. Do you think this is a problem? Maybe linked to a bad starter? or do you think regreasing would improve this as well?

 

Not to high-jack that thread or nothing......but after reading this thread, I went out to the car yesterday morning and had my S/O start it while I was under the hood. What I thought to be a starting noise generated from a loose belt.....actually turned out to be a starter noise.. Needless to say..Mine is coming out also

 

Same thing happened to me two years ago, the same grinding noise after a start. The spur gear that engages the starter to the flywheel was not disengaging correctly and the engine was driving the motor. I drove around like that for a while and then finally had it replaced.

 

thanks for all the help...i ended up going with a new starter because the other day my car decided to not start haha. o well, i got it towed for free with AAA and got the starter so im happy