So first i would turn the key and all the dash lights would come on but nothing else would happen, no clicking or anything. So i replaced the battery, then cleaned the negative ground on the body and engine and still no change. So then i replaced the starter and put everything back together and now the starter spins and spins and wont turn over. I have all of the sensors plugged back in and the solenoid wire is connected. I tried jumping it and the starter would spin much faster but still wouldnt turn over - basically the same result. What could be going wrong? Could i have installed it wrong? I thought you just shoved it in there and replaced the two bolts, hooked up the small solenoid wire and hooked up the big wire from the battery and done. Was i supposed to line it up with the flywheel or anything? Help please. Thanks

 

You might have bought a defective starter. That had happened to me before.

 

Is there any way to test and confirm that it is defective before i go through the whole process of taking it out again? I disconnected the wire from the solenoid and ran a jump wire from the +pos terminal to it and the starter would crank just as it did when i turn the key inside the car. If the solenoid works and starter itself is spinning it seems like it is doing everything it is supposed to do. What part of the starter would not be working? Thanks

 

If a starter is cranking the engine over, the only thing it could be doing wrong is cranking too slowly. It would sound like you had a discharged battery. If the cranking speed is OK, then the problem is something else.

What year is your car? Is it a 99?

But go back and check that you have all the wires and things plugged in, such as the MAF sensor.

 

It is a 97 auto trans. I might have confused things in the last post, the starter wont crank the engine at all, the starter just spins. If i apply 12v through the solenoid wire it just spins and if i start it normally through the ignition it just spins the same way. It sounds like i imagine it would if the starter gear were not extending - but i think this is controlled by the solenoid so if i can get it to spin by giving it power through the solenoid wouldnt that eliminate the gear not extending as a possibility? And besides it is a new(rebuilt) starter from autozone, what are the chances of getting a defective one?

I did double check all the wires and what not, there were two sensors that plugged back in, both somewhere on the air intake before the throttle body. those are the only ones i had to disconnect but if there should be more let me know.

 

faulty starter...that happen to me...take it back u should have a lifetime warrenty..

 

I think I know the spinning sound... that is a bad starter.

Did you make them test it at the store?

Always have parts bench tested at the store if possible. Ive had this happen with both starters and alternators.

 

Get the starter exchanged with one that works just like stated above.

 

So i took the starter out and took it back to autozone and had it tested. I watched the test and the gear kicked out all the way three times. While i was watching the test i noticed the sound it makes in the test is different than when it is spinning when i try to start the car. I guess it is cranking because it sounds like every youtube video that comes up when i google car cranking. And i know that it is getting enough power because when i try to jump it it cranks twice as fast but still wont turn over. So what part of the formula am i missing? Could i have messed up something new when i took apart the air intake?

 

If your starter works and everything is put back together the car should start. The only things on the intake are MAF and air intake temperature sensor. You should be able to start the car even without them. And they are not plugged/not working you will get a CEL.

 

If the starter was not turning your engine fast enough, your crank sensor would have thrown a code. I would inspect the Crank and Camshaft sensors to ensure that they are within spec. FYI, AZ starters are garbage...

 

Ignition switch maybe?

 

Were you able to figure out what was wrong with your car? I have the same problem. 98 Maxima auto trans. Got starter checked at AAP and its good and bendix clicks. When I put it back inside the car it seems to just spin without clicking. The starter doesn't engage the flywheel. Battery voltage is fine as I checked on the terminals. The car is throwing check engine light for bad cam, crank and knock sensor. I replaced cam and crank sensor replaced.

 

I'm definitely interested in this spinning starter problem. I have had a few no-starts over the past few weeks and this morning when I tried to start it shuddered a bit and then just spun.

Sounds like a starter spinning by itself. No CIL. I didn't have time to test anything though.

Keep us up to date.

 

I got a reman starter from napa a while back, and it worked ok at first then after a while sometimes the starter motor wouldnt catch the flywheel. it would just "zingg", without cranking the engine. kept trying and it would eventually catch and turn over and start. got some time, took it back and got a new starter from orielly, for less than the remanufactured one from napa cost. put that in and haven't had a problem with the starter.

The reman starter bench tested fine, but if you kinda manipulate the gear extender, you could tell that it could hang up.

If your starter is "zingging" that means the solenoid is extending far enough to make the motor contact. but the bendix isn't extending properly. or maybe your installation of the starter was crazy messed up, loose or something.

basically, try another starter.

 

Isn't there a difference between a 5-speed standard and automatic car starter motor?

 

I'll admit I installed a new rebuilt starter one time on my '97 auto max and had the darn thing in kind of ****-eyed. It bolted right up and would spin all day but the bendix would never engage the flywheel because I had it on crooked. After I figured out my Homer Simpson move "dont!"everything was good.

 

I would try another starter. As far as I know, the only thing that causes that sound is a bad starter or poor installation.

I suppose it could bench test fine but not work.

 

Something similar happened to my car last winter. It would turn the key and it sounded like the starter motor was turning by itself. I never figured out what it was, the car decided to start 3 days later after checking all kinds of stuff. Even if you replace sensors, you have to make sure the signal is actually getting to the ecu, or else you will replace the same parts over and over expecting a different result. My guess is the ecu is not getting the cam sensor signal. This is assuming the car cranks but doesn't start.

 

I don't think so.
Don't see why it would be different.

 

Ive gone through multiple bad starters from Autozone. I just bought one last week to replace the starter I got from there less than a year ago. I had them test the one they had in stock before giving it to me (per moms advice as a warranty replacement and it failed their test. They sent me to another AZ down the road and gave me a new starter and price adjusted it so it didnt cost me anything since they didnt have any more in stock, ive gone through a couple, and the one they did have was defective.

And the reason I replaced the starter was because it was spinning too slow. It was spinning and trying to start the car, but it would only start after a couple rounds of doing that. Sometimes not at all til I gave it a good whack.

 

Are you sure the ENGINE is not spinning with the starter MOTOR? Watch your accessory belt while cranking the starter.
I suspect your starter is fine, and you have an ignition problem.

 

Doh, wrong thread!