I've noticed this twice over the last few weeks when starting. In the middle of cranking the starter will seem to pause for a few seconds then it sounds normal and the car starts.



Is this what happens before the starter completely dies?

If so, any suggestions on the best brand for replacement and where to buy?

E-bay has them for $57 from a seller with 100% rating...what do you think?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/NEW-S...ssoriesQ5fGear



Would appreciate any advice!

 

What happened to me before is grinding(a chipped flywheel can also cause this) when you try to start it, and another time it sounded like an industrial fan but with no grinding sound.

If it sounds funny when you try to start it up, its usually the starter, first check the connectors on it. I always had no luck with the cheaper starters, they never lasted long for me.

 

there could be a lo tof signs that your starter is about to go out. When my starter died the sign was..... NONE, it just died.... I was going on a cruise with my at that time soon to be wife, now the wife, and that Friday at 5pm the car wont start, getting late and dark and no one in the office to help. So just keep an eye on it and if you feel like it is time to replace it.. go for it, but it could happen at any time. Mine lasted over 155k miles, now am sitting at 185k. Good luck

 

When mine started going out, on a hot restart, I'd turn the key and nothing would happen. Turn it again, nothing. Again, nothing. Again, start normally. Heat killed the solenoid. Unfortunately, no one sells just solenoids anymore and with (at the time), 159,000 miles on my car, I didn't want to do the work involved in removing the starter and replacing the solenoid only to have to replace the starter itself a few months down the road.

Honestly, for that price in the eBay link, I'd have serious concerns about how long that starter will last, regardless of the rating. I got a Bosch starter for mine at Pep Boys for around $140 with a lifetime warranty.

One point about the install-the wiring harness gets in the way, make sure you unbolt it so you can access both starter bolts. Other than that, it is a pretty easy job.

 

When my starter was giving out at first the car would not start up as easily as it did before. Would take just a few seconds longer. Eventually as its got worse it started making a grinding noise during starting due to not engaging with the flywheel properly. A few days later I went to start it and it was totally dead. It's easy to remove your starter and get it tested. If it's got over 100K it's probably a good idea to replace it before you get stuck somewhere.

That is a good deal for the Ebay starter. It's an OEM starter, you can see the Nissan badge on it. Remanufactured starters are all OEM starters, you are just paying for the quality of the rebuild and it's not that hard to rebuild a starter. I'd go for the Ebay starter.

 

usually a starter will just up and die and doesn't show any signs. sometimes it will do some funny things but you never know. In any case i would strongly suggest not going with the ebay starter. even if it is warrantied you are going to be without a car for at least 3 days while it gets shipped around if it fails.

I haven't had a great track record with rebuilt starters which is most of what checker or auto zone sells but fortunately most come with lifetime warranties, and the rebuilts are usually quite a bit cheeper than a new one.

 

Wow....thanks for all the info. No grinding sounds, just a sort of pause in the middle of starting.

Today I tightened the neg. on the battery...just in case a poor connection is the cause.

Only 70K miles on the car so I'm going to keep an eye on it before changing it to see what happens. I'll post back if i figure it out.

 

My '01 with 121K just started having the same "pause" issue. It cranks perfectly, then it's almost like I've turned the key away from the starting position, then it cranks perfectly and starts. The pause is extremely brief but you can tell the cranking slows down. Battery is only 4 years old and is rated for 9 years so I'm not suspecting that as the issue. Starter??? Something else??

Thanks!

 

I'd check the battery and connections first. Most batteries don't last beyond 3-4 years and while summer is what usually kills them, the effects don't often show until winter.

 

well i can tell u this. when it quwak like a duck, walk like a duck, and flys like a duck it is a duck. meanin if it sounds wrong it useally is. lemme tell you a story lol. about last year my starter too went out . the first signs of mine was it would crank all the way the first time. then it would the secound. that was at walmart and piggly. then i came home and left again it wouldnt start at first but after a couple attemps it did after 3 tries. then i was at blockbuster and it nver started so it died. so i thought it was the battery right. so a generous man next to me helped me out to jump my max and i was on my way(idk how if it was the starter it wouldnt have started but it did so it got me puzzled). anyways next morning it didnt start whats so ever even with a jump start.witth it being like 10 degrees out its a pain to do any engine work in that temp, so i had a nissan dealer swaped out my starter at 500 dollers for parts and labor yeah thats alot of money but my warranty from the bank covered.(first time any starter in my life had gone out on me)

-your stater is pretty much out when you turn yur car to ACC and everything lights up but except for it trying to crank over when try to turn it on. self explanitory.

 

mine turned slowly like the batt was getting weak. took it advance auto parts to test the batt, and it died right there on the spot. purchased one and replaced in the parking lot

 

Starters and alternators can fail anytime and they have a mind of their own.

The starter on mine had 60K with all the grease from its gear set dried up resulting in morning screeches, fixed it and greased it very well with Mobil1 syn and haven't looked back (almost 120K since regreasing).

Flip a coin and the probability of failure is common (u will get all these headaches once you have decided to hold onto the vehicle beyond the set magical 100K benchmark).