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Does anyone know about this problem? When I start the car, sometimes it makes an awful high pitched 'whizz'. I think it's the starter motor but I'm not sure. Whatever it is, it sure sounds like an expensive noise! Any thoughts?

does it happen the split second after the engine has caught/started ?

if so, my mates mk3 does this all the time and has been doing it for months with apparently no bad side effects !!

I automatically thought about the starter motor too. Might be worth getting a 2nd hand one and seeing if that does it too ??

Steve

ooh, synchronicity, i was about to ask the very same thing (no, no sh*t, not just another me-too post..)

a workmate commented on it a couple nights ago - a laugh and "luvin the crunchy gear noises mate", took a couple seconds til i figured what he meant. never really took too much notice of it, but now it's been pointed out, it sounds awful!

ker-ker-ker-brrrooom...vnerrrk!!!-brmmmmm.....

i'm thinking it's just the cog for the starter spinning back along it's thread and vibrating due to a lack of lube, 13 years of wear making it sit loose where it once was nice and tight and quiet (and worn bearings, if it has any). Nothing really serious i think.... bit like a shopping trolley wheel or something of that nature, it works fine at low speeds, but if you try to spin it too quick, all sort of resonance and vibration etc and you can't really make it go any quicker than a certain speed without a lot of extra effort.

Ah ha! It's not just me then! I have spoken to a couple of people about it, including an MOT engineer as it did it in the garage whilst being MOT'd. I thought, oops that's torn it but he said the same thing. Apparently it's a common fault & does no damage. I just find it incredibly embarrasing. I'm sure he does it at the most inconvenient times, like when there are the most people around you - like in a garage forecourt after filling up.

Kerr, kerr hummm 'WHIZZ' then off it goes

Nice.

yep, does the same here,
it's more of a "G-BRRRRGGGHHHuuuuwww"
noise on mine though.
I'm gonna have it off and lube it.

Looks like it's a fairly common fault then. One of my colleagues at work here is saying that it is either the starter ring itself being a little worn, or it could be that the bush on the end of the starter motor is a little loose, and therefore making it whizz. These are just thoughts from people in the 'know'. I wouldn't have a clue as my mecahnical expertise is limited to topping up the oil, water & filling up. Mind you, I did top up the power steering fluid the other day! Woo Hoo! It took me about a week to figure out what was wrong with it though.

Not sure if it's worth fixing it, or just live with the embarrasement. Decisions decisions

The Drummer wrote: Not sure if it's worth fixing it, or just live with the embarrasement. Decisions decisions

Have it off and lube it
go on.. get yer hands all mucky!

knackered solenoid in the starter motor not disengaging the starter quick enough. You can just buy a new solenoid but fitting it requires stripping down the starter. Not sure if this is hard or not to be honest but I'd be tempted to just replace the starter.

if you just leave it, the solenoid will eventually stop working altogether & your car wont start.

Now then hows this for strange noises. I think its gone now, but occassionally it crops up. Whent he car has been sat a day or 5 and I start it up I get this reasonably low pitched noise that fades away after 10 seconds. Kinda brrrrrrrrrrrr rrrrr rrrrr rrr *fades out* But it only does that when the cars not been turned over for a while. Used to do it loads when I first got it, as it had been sat in my auntie's garage for 2 maybe 3 months without being started or anything. Maybe with daily use it will completely disappear.

Karl.

s'probably the sound of metal bits clanging together until the oil pressure builds back up

i dunno about it being the solenoid as far as the starters concerned, you mean like there's a separate part that controls the moving gearwheel (best i can describe it) as well as turning the power on and off to the motor itself? Seems it makes little difference to the sound whether i let go of the key at a normal time, "early" (so it only just manages to splutter into life), or late (so its starting to be over-driven by the idling engine).. but tests need to be done as it never bore heavy on the mind before..

meh!

a nice thick layer of high melting point grease (a fiver for a big tube of the stuff at 'frauds) might do the job?

Yea mine makes both of those noises. That sort of grinding noise is the starter gear apparently and will not cause any serious problems. The urning noise the car makes on start up is the oil getting round the engine, last time I did an oil change I used Halvoline Energy which is a bit like Castrol GTX Magnatec and it prevented this but it is normally worse in winter months.

mine does exactly the same

i'd have sorted mine by now, but i don't fancy bending my arms found the engine bay and scraping all my arms to bits

hmmmm.... i tested it.... when i turn the engine over just enough so it coughs into life, the noise is a little shorter than normal - or, occasionally, completely missing!
when i hold the key turned to START for longer than is really necessary, it's more drawn out and a little lower in pitch/quieter.

and........... seeing as my start lockout is bust, i played with it a little. found i can make the car "talk" as an alternative to the horn by "tweaking" the starter motor... engine ticking over, give it a quick blast.... Skkrrrr-Hawnk! Like some kind of canadian goose or summink

Skkrrr hawnk skkrr hawnk meep meep

deadcat wrote:it's more of a "G-BRRRRGGGHHHuuuuwww" noise on mine though.

perfect impression mate !!

tis good hear its nowt serious (as suspected)


And as for embarassment, just tell people its a really highly strung turbo !!

hehe i didnt see deadcats the first time round... that really is a good one, if a bit serious sounding!
(all depends on how fast you talk)