I have an intermittent problem when starting my '01 SE. It will crank properly then, for a split second, it will stop cranking then immediately start cranking again. It always starts...at least for now. Today it happened when it was dark and I noticed that the headlights and dash lights flickered. It doesn't appear to be the battery strength as the cranking speed is normal. It appears that the electrical connection, possibly within the ignition switch, fails for a split second. I've checked the battery connections and all are clean and strong and the cranking is very strong...except when it stops. Again, this is intermittent. I'm wondering if some contact in the ignition switch might be the issue. Has anyone else experienced this? Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance!

 

If you have the original starter in the car there is a good chance it may be going. You could get it tested. They are easy to remove. Or wait until the symptoms get worse and the problem is more obvious. Except you may get stuck somewhere, I changed mine in a parking lot but it was summer.

When it's really ready to go you will get like a grinding noise from the starter not engaging properly with the flywheel. That's what happened with mine.

Could be everything goes dim because the starter is taking lots of juice.

 

If you plan on keeping the car a while and it is the original starter you don't have much to lose by changing it. As long as the battery is fairly new and the connections are clean and tight I would bet on the starter.

 

Thanks. I've had starters go on other cars and know what you mean about the grinding noise. It's the 1/4 second or so hesitation along with the headlights and dash lights going off that seems to be something with overall electrical power, such as in the ignition switch, that has me puzzled. Most times it starts right up, no issue. Once every 10 or so starts it exhibits the problem.

 

On my Max my original starter never gave out on me,but it started making A squeeling noise that was bothering me everytime I started the car...Replaced it with A autozone starter and no more noises. Lifetime warrenty also and easy to change.

 

I just had a similar problem yesterday, it was the ground wire off the battery. Ground wire was corroded or broken inside the insulation. Visibly the wire looked fine, but when I wiggled it it would lose continuity.
Your situation could be the positive cable or connections losing continuity went the motor shifts slightly while cranking. If you don't notice an electrical interuption inside the the passgenger cabin when this happens, it may just be the starter itself.
Hope this is helpful.
GL

 

Thanks, that is a helpful suggestion. The dash lights did cut out so it may very well be a ground wire. Once the temperture decides to rise around here I'll poke around but 18 degrees to just too cold to work on a car!

 

thats an indication of a short , a broken wire.

 

Battery and starter are what I'd look at first.

 

My 2000 I30 did the same thing before the starter gave out. First it was the pause as you described, then later it started making a grinding sound.

Replaced the starter with one from NAPA and all has been fine since!

 

Starter, most likely. Mine went out without warnings or any sounds - just suddenly quit one day leaving me strangled some distance from home. Whar I found out was the commutator was worn out and eventually shortened and melted - looked like a mess when I opened it. BTW, this is not good for your battery too.

 

Thanks, everyone. My plan is to swap out the starter...once the temperature gets above freezing. Hopefully I'll get it done in the next couple of weeks.

I'm close to a PepBoys, Auto Zone, Advanced Auto Parts and Napa. Any recommendations/experience or are the all basically the same?

Thanks again.

 

I'm in Canada and parts Parts Source here sell rebuilt units which are POS - I had to replace it again 1 year after. I went with dealer rebuilt unit that time around - much better quality. I have no experience with other brands but this is the part you don't want to save few bucks on.