The other day I was leaving after i bought dinner, and tried to start my car, and the starter just started making a grinding/rattling type noise. After a few trys it started and i got home. then it wouldnt start at all until i hit the starter with a hammer, and now it starts, although as the engine turns over and starts, it makes the grinding/rattly sound for however long i hold the key after the engine has started. so for less then a second. So i figured the starter was the culprit, so I was going to buy a new one. However today i had to go somewhere, and as i left, it was just making that rattling type sound as i was driving. When I got home, I also discovered that in reverse it didnt do that. But when in reverse, if i hit the brakes hard, it rattles as i slow down. While in drive it only rattles when i press the gas, not if im just coasting. However, if its in park or neutral and i rev the engine, it still rattles, but much quieter and only once or twice instead of constantly. I turned the car off, then back on, and it wouldnt do it. turned it off again, then back on, and it would. seems it only rattles every other time i turn the car on. I'm very confused Anybody got any ideas? thanks

 

The solenoid which moves the starter into place so it can crank may not be retracting properly, thus it can be loose and actually contacting with engine as it turns. If it is the starter, I'd get a new one asap.

 

forgive me, but this is my first car, so I'm somewhat inexperienced. if this solenoid is broken, do i replace that, or the whole starter, or is it a seperate part?

 

most people just replace the whole thing to the best of my knowledge

 

Just replace the whole thing. It's like $30 with a core charge. Jsut be sure to shim it properly when you put it back in. Mine was put in wrong before I bought the car, and a few months after I got it, the starter had chewed off some of the teeth on the flywheel(flex plate). It's not fun replacing that. Let me tell you. You should also take a look at your flywheel(flex plate) while your at it, just in case it's not getting any wear that could possibly lead to a big problem in the future.

 

my starter had no shims in it. starters are cheap...25$ with core trade in and a pretty easy fix. cept i had to drop the y pipe to get the starter in/out. i know how to rebuild one (very easy actually) but i couldnt find the parts so i went and got a crappy autozone rebuilt on......on my second one....first one lasted 2 months....

 

Well, I guess that was the problem with mine, because the one that was in there before was shimmed. So when I put my new one in, I didn't shim it because I figureed that was the reason for it doing that. I guess those retarded shops did it. Because the guy that had the car before me wouod take it in for the oil changed, so why would he change the starter himself. Anyway, I guess that's what you get for paying $100 to change a starter for you, then having to comeback later to drop the tranny and change the flywheel.

 

if it was shimmed before, keep the shims! The bell housing on the starter will crack from the low clearences between the pinion gear on teh starter and flexplate causing high loads on the starter. The starter may also go more slowly. I had this happen to the last camaro that we had. At the very least use a feeler gauge if possible to checkt eh clearences.

 

Well, mine had shims to begin with and that is what screwed it up. It is also starting better since the shims were removed. I guess it's a trial and error thing. If you need shims, you will need them. If not, then you wont. I guess it could differ from starter to starter though. They arn't made to be perfect. Or else you would be paying twice as much.